Living Like Livvy: A Mother's Story about the Girl Who Refused to Be Defined by Rett Syndrome by Andre Govier

The story is told by the mother of sweet Livvy. I am aware that for Sarah it wasn't easy to go through all the events again, but for me it was so sad getting to know the story of Livvy and the struggle and pain she and her family had been through. I felt tears in my eyes through a big part of the book, but there were parts that made me smile too. The author has done an amazing job, not only writing about it but also playing an important role in creating awareness about Rett syndrome and help raise funds for a cure to be found and used in order to save precious lives. It is heartbreaking knowing that these little girls are suffering so much in their too short lives and they aren't offered the opportunity to experience life with everything beautiful it has to offer, or at least being able to walk, talk and breath normally. While the book was written and published for an admirable cause, I do believe that many families should consider reading it as they could relate to the story and find strength and comfort in whatever terrible disability they are fighting with. Believe it or not, there is also some humor in it and when you get to that point you will see things differently. I warmly suggest you give it a try, to enhance your knowledge, to help for a cause or simply to hear someone else’s honest and heartbreaking story.

Type of reader: While the book was written and published for an admirable cause, I do believe that many families should consider reading it as they could relate to the story and find strength and comfort in whatever terrible disability they are fighting with.

My favorite quotes from this book:

“People kept telling me that I had spoilt her and it was all my fault. I knew that wasn’t the reason and this was something much worse. I knew it was not a behaviour thing, I just didn’t know what it was.”

“I didn’t know why she was screaming constantly. I felt that I was having to make up explanations all the time and I was apologising constantly for her behaviour when I knew it wasn’t just behaviour. I didn’t really have a clue what it was.”

“When talking about days out and activities we had a rule that we would never said “We can’t do that,” because of Livvy. Instead we would always say “How shall we?””

“A person should not be defined by their disability. We never look at the limits but look to the possibilities.”

My rating: 5/5.

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Link for donations to help Reverse Rett