Lezly Herbert takes a look at an inspiring true story that you should add to your ‘must read’ list.

A Double Shot of Happiness

by Judy Sharp

Allen & Unwin

Judy Sharp’s son was born in 1988 and seemed to spend the first year of his life crying. Tim would only sleep for an hour at a time and when Judy asked the doctors for help, they talked about prescribing anti-depressants for her! By the time he was 3 years old, his mother was desperate. Tim now had a little brother and Judy was torn between seeking help and wanting to hide what the family was going through.

The biggest problem was that Tim didn’t talk so distressed screaming was his only way of communicating. Judy writes that every day was a struggle as she tried to work out what the triggers were to set Tim off. Her relationship with her unhelpful husband wasn’t going to get any better, and all the doctors she saw told her that everything was normal and she just had to learn to cope.

Eventually Tim was diagnosed as being Autistic and Judy was given the worst prognosis that Tim would never learn to talk, go to school or be able to take care of himself. In this emotional account of her journey with Tim, she remembers strapping his into his car seat after being given this news and Tim wiping a tear from her face. She was determined to do everything she possibly could to keep her “low functioning” son out of an institution.

Judy battled a highly inadequate system where everyone saw the problem rather than the person, and she decided to focus her energies on Tim as an individual. Her expectations were high but she didn’t want Tim “to be stuck in a bubble of disability and disadvantage”. She stubbornly sought schools and was continually fought other people’s judgements as well as the system.

I send an enormous thank you to Judy Shark for her perseverance and sharing her inspirational story. Tim went from “special needs” to just “special”. I saw his drawings and videos at the WA Art Gallery and State Library and it is fantastic that he is able to share his unique interpretation of the world. As Judy always knew, he is smart, funny and full of joy. This is one book that needs to go on your must read list.

Lezly Herbert

Read more book reviews in our Bibliophile section.