Mikey and Me: Life with My Exceptional Sister

by Teresa Sullivan

Overview

When Mikey is young, the Sullivans are a closely knit unit, all of them devoted to caring for her. But as Mikey grows older, she also grows increasingly violent. By the time she’s twelve, institutionalization is the only available option—and without the shared purpose of caring for Mikey, the family begins to unravel.
As her family falls apart, Teresa searches for relief and connection during a time of sweeping cultural change. Lacking maturity or guidance, she makes choices that lead her down a sometimes-perilous path. But regardless of the circumstances at home and the tumult in their individual lives, the Sullivans are united in their love and concern for Mikey.
In Mikey and Me, Teresa interweaves her exceptional sister’s journey with her own, affirming the grace and brutality of Mikey’s life, and its indelible effect on her family. Unflinching and insightful, this is a deep exploration of the relationship between two sisters—one blind, with profound developmental disabilities, unable to voice her own story, and the other with the heart and understanding to express it exquisitely for her.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631522703
Publisher:	She Writes Press
Publication date:	08/29/2017
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Teresa Sullivan is a registered nurse with a master’s degree in business administration. She has worked as a clinician, educator, and director of treatment programs specializing in addiction and mental health. She lives in Santa Monica, California with her adopted dogs, Danny, Maya, and Kate.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Bits of Beets and Tadpoles

Beets 3

Marcile & Jim 8

Preemie 16

Early Years 21

Anne 27

Trips 31

Placement 35

Turkey 40

Babysitting 43

Alone Together 48

Princess 54

Fourth Grade 60

Slam 64

Mom & Dad 67

Commitment 69

Part 2 Intersections

Camarillo 77

Winding Road 81

Dear Diary 85

Pierced 91

Perfect Storm 94

David 101

Mikey's Bliss 107

Peter & Jim 110

Acid 118

Food 123

Runaway 127

Coming Home 134

Truce 139

Hope 144

Mark 150

"Call Me Father" 154

Rick 159

Graduation 162

Part 3 Interlude

Intensive Care 167

In the Hospital 171

Recovery and a Trip to Europe 177

Picnic 183

Hole in My Head 187

Part 4 Passages

Double Life 191

Last Chance 199

Reunion 206

Red Satchel 211

Mikey 216

Little Darling 221

Afterword 227

PostScript 231

Acknowledgments 235

Resources I Discovered after I Completed Mikey & Me 237

What Siblings Would Like Parents and Service Providers to Know 239

About the Author 247

Editorial Reviews

2018 IBPA Ben Franklin Awards Finalist in Autobiography & Memoir "Sullivan’s candid, moving memoir of how her life has been shaped by her sister is emotional, easily readable, and instantly relatable. This is a must-read for anyone who cares for a person with autism or other developmental disability, as well as a wonderful tale of resiliency and tenacity that will touch the hearts of a broad swath of readers.”
—Booklist, starred review

“The memoir is often heartbreaking, but Sullivan’s depictions of a complicated and loving family and the unique issues faced by siblings of the severely disabled provide a sense of hope and closure.”
—Kirkus

"Teresa Sullivan has written a moving and important account of life with an autistic sibling. She reminds those of us who live every day with the challenge of supporting and assisting a profoundly autistic adult that we are not alone.”
—Karl Taro Greenfield, author of Boy Alone

"In Mikey and Me, Teresa Sullivan offers the perspective only a family member can give about living with and loving a disabled sibling. The story Teresa has to tell offers hope, compassion, and insights about the complicated issues involved in caring for a child who has a profound disability. This is an important book for all families, especially those with special children, where everyone has to find a way to cope and thrive. "
—Linda Joy Myers, President of the National Association of Memoir Writers, author of Song of the Plains, Don't Call Me Mother, and Power of Memoir

"[Mikey & Me is a touching and emotionally gripping story about the author’s relationship with her disabled sister and how their bond survives through thick and thin in the most beautifully touching ways imaginable.”
—Brit + Co

"I don’t think a book like this could truly have a happy ending, but Sullivan gives a voice to her sister who never had one. I think this is a lovely tribute from one sister to another. And the fact that Sullivan addresses the challenges of being the typical sister, gets lost then finds her way back to peace, sure made this a worthwhile read for me."
—Linda Atwell, author of Loving Lindsey

From the Publisher

2017-07-19
A matter-of-fact, revealing debut memoir by the sister of a severely disabled woman.Sullivan's older sister, Mikey, was born prematurely and lost her vision early in life. Initially, her blindness seemed to be her main challenge. At age 2, however, Mikey began to scream, and she seemed to stop feeling pain. Her ability to communicate or understand others became severely limited. She withdrew into her own world and never returned to any sort of normalcy. The term applied by physicians was "brain damaged," although the author alludes to more modern and precise diagnoses of "intellectual disability" and "autism." By the time Mikey was 12, her behavior—which included sporadic episodes of violence toward herself and others—necessitated her institutionalization, a decision that both agonized and relieved the family. Her experience at institutions, however, was often substandard and even abusive, and Sullivan pulls no punches in depicting a flawed system and flawed family members who were at the same time caring, doing what they could to help. While Mikey remained the center of the family's life in many ways, Sullivan presents a robust, multidimensional story that reflects on her own journey beyond her relationship with her sister. Being an adolescent during the height of the 1960s "free love" and drug culture—combined with the emotional issues that emerged from her family life—set the stage for what the author calls a "perfect storm" that would translate into years marked by chaos and addiction. The memoir is often heartbreaking, but Sullivan's depictions of a complicated and loving family and the unique issues faced by siblings of the severely disabled provide a sense of hope and closure.An honest, intense look at a family's experience with severe disability.

Kirkus Reviews