The Beauty of Love: A Memoir of Miracles, Hope, and Healing
JORGE and LAURA POSADA were accustomed to being on top of the world. After a romantic courtship, the lives of these newlyweds were filled with unimaginable success and joy. But all of that changed when their first-born son was diagnosed with craniosynostosis, a birth defect that causes an abnormally shaped skull. Their priorities swiftly changed, as Jorge and Laura navigated their way through the challenges of their son’s diagnosis and eventual treatment, which has included eight major...
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JORGE and LAURA POSADA were accustomed to being on top of the world. After a romantic courtship, the lives of these newlyweds were filled with unimaginable success and joy. But all of that changed when their first-born son was diagnosed with craniosynostosis, a birth defect that causes an abnormally shaped skull. Their priorities swiftly changed, as Jorge and Laura navigated their way through the challenges of their son’s diagnosis and eventual treatment, which has included eight major surgeries. Laura stayed home with her son, while Jorge suffered in silence as he tried to stay strong under the pressure to perform as a Yankees baseball player.Amid their fear, confusion, and anxiety as young parents, they decided to keep their son’s sickness a secret to protect him from a media frenzy, but in time they realized it was this very celebrity status that would allow them to make a difference—not only for patients with craniosynostosis but for people suffering from any type of illness. They decided to open the Jorge Posada Foundation to help kids with the same condition, a decision that gave new meaning to their lives. Before being a celebrity athlete or a lawyer, Jorge and Laura are a father and a mother, a husband and a wife—and the fortitude and foundations of their family values have helped them face even the worst of days. The Beauty of Love is more than a memoir about dealing with childhood illness—it is a heartfelt and uplifting illustration of how a couple can endure stress and strife and come out stronger on the other side.
\ Publishers WeeklyIn this quietly compelling memoir, New York Yankees All-Star catcher Posada and his attorney wife, Laura, tell how they coped when their first child, Jorge Luis, was born with craniosynostosis, a growth disturbance of the skull that affects at least one in 2,000. It is, as Laura puts it, "a story of hope, faith and fierce positivity." But it is also the story of how two young, successful, public people nearly crumbled when facing what Jorge calls "a category 5 hurricane of questions, shock and guilt." Its sections start with theme-setting epigraphs from Aristotle, Paul Simon, and others. Its chapters alternate between Jorge and Laura's points of view. The narrative successfully mixes inset boxed commentary, testimonials, and medical information. Readers gain insight into the Posadas' parental turmoil--a sharp contrast to happy childhoods in Puerto Rico, goal-driven personalities, and comical courtship (Laura kept Jorge dangling). The pair share Laura's jitters as a first-time mom and applaud the Jorge Posada Foundation, built from the practical and spiritual lessons the couple learned while shepherding their son through recovery. Today, after eight reconstructive surgeries, Jorge Luis, 10, is healthy and a fan of extreme sports. An intimate testament that transforms private tragedy into public resource, this heartfelt work gives courage a caring face. (Aug.)\ \ \ \ \ Kirkus ReviewsA stirring account of New York Yankees star Posada's family's struggle with their child's difficult condition, craniosynostosis. This is a lovely story of terrible circumstance, told by Jorge and his wife, Laura, and the authors bring a respectable polish to their honest storytelling, despite some heavy-handed sentiment and a few goofy puns: "I knew deep down that if I played my cards right, she could very well become the greatest catch of my life." Their son Jorge Jr. came as a bit of a surprise, and the immediacy of his medical condition-a life-threatening skull deformity-hit the authors hard. In alternating voices, the Posadas write with a natural economy and immediacy of emotion: "How could I not imagine that he was going to die? It crossed my mind that this might be the last time I would ever get to put my son to sleep," writes his mother as her nine-month-old son is readied for surgery. "Was he in pain? Was he suffering? Would he always suffer?" asks his father. These were a couple of type-A achievers who had to manage their self-involvement, irritability, exhaustion, depression and embarrassment, and find a way to patience, perseverance, fortitude and confidence. Ultimately, all those traditional virtues paid dividends. The Posadas turned their suffering into initiative, starting an advocacy group to bring help to those with craniosynostosis, funding research and offering critical support to families. A syrupy yet heartwarming tale of roiling emotions and the power of love.\ \
