nly 20 years old when she gave birth to a daughter with disabilities, Gayle Slate struggled over the following decades but gradually came to see, as Helen Keller said, "When one door of happiness closes, another opens." Slate, a pioneering psychotherapist in her field, tells not just her story but also shepherds others toward that open door.

Dana's Legacy, From Heartbreak to Healing is a thoughtful book about children with disabilities from first-time author Gayle Slate. A mother's inspirational story of her first child born with cerebral palsy, Dana's Legacy takes readers on a journey from tragedy to triumph. Barely an adult at twenty years old, Gayle's broken dreams of a storybook motherhood were shattered by the reality of her daughter's devastating disability. Her innocent expectations were dismantled by immediate shock and hopelessness.

In the midst of great despair, Gayle and her husband Don learned to make complicated decisions for Dana in light of the probability of a shortened life expectancy. The professionals serving Dana in the 1950s offered little hope, leaving Gayle and Don to rely on their own emerging wisdom.

Times have changed since Dana was born, but many of the same issues still exist today. Dana's Legacy chronicles the challenges that parents still experience, illustrating the relevance for all families dealing with any disability. Despite trepidation about having a child with a disability, Gayle and Don went on to have two healthy children.

Armed with the hard-won lessons of a unique motherhood, Gayle returned to school (uncommon in the 70s), earning her masters degree in psychology. She became a recognized therapist in her field, working with children with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who serve them. Dana's Legacy also recounts the personal stories of parents she has known in her professional career. Gayle's insightful observations offer practical and meaningful counsel for anyone experiencing life challenges.

Gayle founded Kids Included Together (KIT) in 1997, a nonprofit that trains organizations throughout the United States to include children with disabilities in their after school, social and recreational programs. All children participate together without the separation that typically exists between those who are able and those who are seemingly not.

A book of hope for people in pain, DANA'S LEGACY shows how disability brings both tragedy and opportunity. Readers will come to cherish the person of worth and beauty living within the disabled child's body and see the critical importance of the family's attitude.

Parents and other relatives as well as professional care-givers will find DANA'S LEGACY both instructional and inspirational. Gayle Slate's tough-but-tender story illustrates how families can not only endure trauma but grow because of it.