Emma Patterson, Brandt & Hochman Literary Agency
1501 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
(212) 556-2760
epatterson@bromasite.com
Erin Sinesky-Lovett
Associate Publicist
W.W. Norton & Co.
500 5th Street
New York, NY 10009
Emma Patterson, Brandt & Hochman Literary Agency
1501 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
(212) 556-2760
epatterson@bromasite.com
Erin Sinesky-Lovett
Associate Publicist
W.W. Norton & Co.
500 5th Street
New York, NY 10009
I am writing to see if Dr. Cronin would be interested in participating in a Book Signing Reception at the 2014 Association for Women in Psychology (AWP) conference in Columbus, Ohio. The reception would be on the evening of Friday, March 7th. Please email me if interested. Thank you.
Dear Ms. Cronin,
I read the reveiw of Mermaid and I intend to buy it online as soon as I get home. It had special meaning for me as I was in the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC for about a year in the late 50s. I had 2 fairly massive birth defects that they finally decided to fix. One of them caused my left arm to be paralyzed for a long period until I regained some use of it. The other surgery was “minor”; one of my ribs was bent and if it continued to grow, it would have punctured my heart.
What hit me much later was that my ward was filled with children ofThalidomide. I guess my ward ran from 6 years old until 10 or so. I made friends with a number of other kids. My mother used to bring in treats that the hospital had decided were forbidden and when the lights were out, i would climb out of bed and pass around the potato chips, etc. After all, I was the only child with legs. Although being a normal kid, I would whine to my mother about why was I chosen for all this surgery. Later I realized that I was indeed fortunate to what could have been.
Due to my birth deformities, I suffered a fair amount of abuse in school but was fortunate to have a lot of good friends and utterly devoted parents. I can’t even imagine how difficult and depressing it must have been if I didn’t have that support. Your comment about you being used as a class subject for euthanasia must have been beyond degrading.
Like you, I would try to make jokes about the scars on my back and chest. A particularly dumb landlord had asked my in college what it was from and I told i had been a museum night watchman and that I tried to stop a burglary and the burglar took a knight’s sword and plunged it into my chest and out my back. He was suitably impressed.
I just wanted to pass on my appreciation of your courage and determination. A lot of “normal” people don’t understand and will never understand.
warmest regards,
Curt L. Palatsky
Have not read the book. My mother also took Thalidomide about 3 times while she was pregnant with me. Yes, I was born with some sort of deformity. It was fixable, havings casts on my legs as an infant, and wearing braces inside of my shoes til about the age of 12, and yes being tawnted by school mates when I had to switch the braces from class shoes to PE shoes. To say it was from her taking the drug, no one knows. None of my younger siblings ever went thru what I did.
This is John Wires, an erstwhile colleague of Eileen Cronin. Could I please have her email address?
Hi John,
Apologies for the late reply. This is Eileen’s husband Andy. If you still want to contact Eileen let me know.
Andy
Hi, Eileen
My mother took thalidomide because she didn’t want a baby at that time.
I had struggles too growing up. A lot of things I had to prove I could do it.I may have been a little slower, but got it done. I’ll soon be 77, I think I might be the oldest living Thalidomide person right now. I just don’t know for sure. Love your book “Mermaid”!
Hi Tammie,
I am Eileen’s husband. Eileen says please friend her on Facebook so you can get in touch with her. You should also know that Eileen was recently in a documentary about thalidomide victims called “No Limits: the Thalidomide Saga,” by John Zaritsky. You might find it interesting.
All the best,
Andy
I came across Eileen’s book ‘Mermaid’ through my genealogy research! A review mentioned Gustav Bruehl. Since Gustav was a first cousin to my ggrandfather, Charles Dueber, I was interested. I finally ordered the book through Amazon three weeks ago and enjoyed it immensely. I have now purchased two more copies for my relatives and friends. Her story about her trials and triumphs was gripping, and yet had a lot of humor too. Many of the comments and bullying she endured were typical for that time. I would like to send Eileen two files about Gustav Bruehl: a story I wrote about him in July 2015, and a jpg file photo of Gustav’s grandfather’s house in Herdorf. What is the best way to do this? I am on Facebook – at St. Cloud, MN
Hello Gretchen,
The best way to contact Eileen is through her author page on Facebook. Friend her there and she will get in touch with you. Thank you for your kind words.
Andy Lakritz
I am writing from Wales UK and my husband has thalidomide his legs are missing and we have been trying for compentation from GRUNTHALM . could you get in touch as I havent seen no one else until Isaw you with perfect arms but legs deformed . I’m sorry if I have taken the wrong route to get in touch with you but I could only find this way to reach you
Awen Davies
Dear Awen Davies –
I apologize for the length of time it took for me to respond. I am the website administrator. I will convey your message to Eileen Cronin today. In the meantime, please note that in the United States we do not have a national health service. Our laws are quite different here and the means of distribution for thalidomide in the 50s and early 60s were quite different. It would be advantageous for you to contact your local health service for support and information. That said, for European and UK information, I have found the the group thalidomide50 to be very informative and useful. They have a web address – https://thalidomide50.blogspot.com/ – and a Twitter account. In the UK you might want to contact Guy Tweedy at http://www.fiftyyearfight.org for more information. Good luck and all the best.
Kind regards,
Andy Lakritz