You’ll find the question and answer format of this book user friendly. The authors, Gerri Freid Kramer and Shari Maurer, are both mothers of children with congenital heart defects, so an understanding of the kinds of information and support parents are seeking comes naturally. Besides the expected chapters on diagnosis, types of defects, and surgery, there are wonderful sections on “Coping” and “Dealing with Difficult Times.” Personal stories from parents of children with a variety of heart defects are interspersed throughout the book, making it engaging and compassionate as well as informative.
There’s a glossary in the back along with a list of resources and pertinent CHD books. The Foreword by Sylvester Stallone and his wife, Jennifer, is also a nice touch.
If I have any reservations about the book, it is my discomfort with the question, “When do doctors recommend that you terminate a pregnancy?” My own child would have been a candidate for termination by some standards, a supposition that ignores the intrinsic value of a life regardless of disabilities.
Tags: CHD, Congenital Heart Defects, Gerri Freid Kramer, Shari Maurer
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