Mario S. Fedele
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Son inspires a father’s memoir
Mario Fedele tells his family’s story in his new book, God’s Gift.
Jason Youmans
The Chronicle
May 08 2007
When Mario Fedele’s son was born, what should have been a time of profound joy
soon transformed into a personal struggle for Mario, and almost constant pain for his child.
In his new book, God’s Gift, the Ladysmith author explores his own spiritual growth alongside his son Shaun’s struggle with seemingly insurmountable health problems and social trials.
“It was a challenge. I mean, we wrote a book out of it,” says Fedele with a chuckle.
By the time he was 13 and developed Scoliosis, Shaun had dealt with a cleft palate, jaundice, cataracts, and breathing problems amongst other woes and Mario and Ann had been plunged into a world of turmoil.
As Shaun’s personality began to develop, it became clear to Mario and Ann that in addition to Shaun’s medical difficulties, he also possessed a spectrum of behavioural and learning problems.
God’s Gift is essentially the story of Mario and Ann as they adapt to life with Shaun and help him find ways to enjoy life, despite his difficulties.
“By the book didn’t always work for us,” says Fedele.
Mario and Ann initially chose the name Shaun for their son in homage to Mario’s father, John, but soon came to learn the name also means “gift from God,” and as their relationship with Shaun developed, they grew to believe the name was telling of his role in their lives.
Fedele doesn’t stick to a strict chronological telling of the last three decades of his life, but instead addresses different topics in turn. He recounts episodes in Shaun’s life, looks back to the first time he met his wife and to his own struggle of putting his mother in a nursing home in an honest, thoughtful voice.
“I’m passionate because it is my life’s story,” says Fedele.
The author says the book is already selling well, simply because people identify with the challenges he faced, while some readers are looking for techniques to use with their own behaviourly challenged children.
Shaun is 25 now, and still bears the scars from a childhood spent shuttling between hospitals, but Mario says his son is content in his life.
God’s Gift is published by Champagne Books and can be purchased through Amazon.com or from Fedele, who can be contacted at mario5o@hotmail.com.
Nanaimo Daily News
Carolynne Burkholder Oct. 19, 2007
"Inspirational, heart-wrenching and uplifting" are just three of the words reviewers have used to describe Ladysmith author Mario Fedele's latest book. "God's Gift," which was released earlier this year, is the true story of the past 26 years of Mario's life since his son Shaun was born.
Shaun was born with many medical conditions—a fast heart, a short stature and curved spine, a vascular ring causing an inability to feed by mouth, jaundice and a cleft palate. After moving to Fergus Ont., in 1990, Shaun was diagnosed with Stickler Syndrome, an inherited connective tissue disorder affecting collagen in the body.
Although Shaun's physical disabilities and subsequent learning and behavioural problems have been a challenge to his family for the past 26 years, there have also been many moments of hope and joy.
"The story's a really uplifting one," Fedele told me. Despite Shaun's limitations and the daily pain in his right leg as a result of the surgery to correct the curvature in his spine, he has remained resolved in his faith. There is no cure for Shaun's ailments, but with support from his family, he has learned to live with it.
At age 38, Fedele retired from his job as an early childhood educator to stay home and care for Shaun. It is apparent throughout the book how close the father is to his son.
Shaun wasn't particularly pleased that his father was writing his story for publication in the beginning, but Fedele said he's come around. "At first he didn't want to hear about it," said Fedele. "But now he come to accept it."
Fedele has been pleased with the response from the public since the book was published last April—he even sold a copy to Ladysmith Mayor Rob Hutchins.
"I tell strangers about it and they buy it off of me," he said. "People tell me they read it in one sitting—they can't put it down."
For more information and to purchase God's Gift visit Fedele's website at:
www.freewebs.com/mario5o/
Some stories just have to be told!
Mike Gillespie,
Times Colonist
Published: Sunday, March 23, 2008
It was a medical crisis of another sort that led Ladysmith resident Mario S. Fedele to chart the "frightfully overwhelming" problems of raising a child afflicted by a range of serious health problems. Mario's book, God's Gift (Champagne Books: www.bestbookdeal.com; $11.95), which has received some critical acclaim as a "touching memoir of overcoming insurmountable odds," intersperses daily struggles with humour, offering insight into such areas as behaviour modification, temper tantrums, dietary concerns, night-bottle syndrome, scoliosis, Reye's syndrome, Stickler's syndrome and more.
That said, Mario observes: "Despite all his limitations, I consider our son to be a true gift from God."
Mario Fedele tells his family’s story in his new book, God’s Gift.
Jason Youmans
The Chronicle
May 08 2007
When Mario Fedele’s son was born, what should have been a time of profound joy
soon transformed into a personal struggle for Mario, and almost constant pain for his child.
In his new book, God’s Gift, the Ladysmith author explores his own spiritual growth alongside his son Shaun’s struggle with seemingly insurmountable health problems and social trials.
“It was a challenge. I mean, we wrote a book out of it,” says Fedele with a chuckle.
By the time he was 13 and developed Scoliosis, Shaun had dealt with a cleft palate, jaundice, cataracts, and breathing problems amongst other woes and Mario and Ann had been plunged into a world of turmoil.
As Shaun’s personality began to develop, it became clear to Mario and Ann that in addition to Shaun’s medical difficulties, he also possessed a spectrum of behavioural and learning problems.
God’s Gift is essentially the story of Mario and Ann as they adapt to life with Shaun and help him find ways to enjoy life, despite his difficulties.
“By the book didn’t always work for us,” says Fedele.
Mario and Ann initially chose the name Shaun for their son in homage to Mario’s father, John, but soon came to learn the name also means “gift from God,” and as their relationship with Shaun developed, they grew to believe the name was telling of his role in their lives.
Fedele doesn’t stick to a strict chronological telling of the last three decades of his life, but instead addresses different topics in turn. He recounts episodes in Shaun’s life, looks back to the first time he met his wife and to his own struggle of putting his mother in a nursing home in an honest, thoughtful voice.
“I’m passionate because it is my life’s story,” says Fedele.
The author says the book is already selling well, simply because people identify with the challenges he faced, while some readers are looking for techniques to use with their own behaviourly challenged children.
Shaun is 25 now, and still bears the scars from a childhood spent shuttling between hospitals, but Mario says his son is content in his life.
God’s Gift is published by Champagne Books and can be purchased through Amazon.com or from Fedele, who can be contacted at mario5o@hotmail.com.
Nanaimo Daily News
Carolynne Burkholder Oct. 19, 2007
"Inspirational, heart-wrenching and uplifting" are just three of the words reviewers have used to describe Ladysmith author Mario Fedele's latest book. "God's Gift," which was released earlier this year, is the true story of the past 26 years of Mario's life since his son Shaun was born.
Shaun was born with many medical conditions—a fast heart, a short stature and curved spine, a vascular ring causing an inability to feed by mouth, jaundice and a cleft palate. After moving to Fergus Ont., in 1990, Shaun was diagnosed with Stickler Syndrome, an inherited connective tissue disorder affecting collagen in the body.
Although Shaun's physical disabilities and subsequent learning and behavioural problems have been a challenge to his family for the past 26 years, there have also been many moments of hope and joy.
"The story's a really uplifting one," Fedele told me. Despite Shaun's limitations and the daily pain in his right leg as a result of the surgery to correct the curvature in his spine, he has remained resolved in his faith. There is no cure for Shaun's ailments, but with support from his family, he has learned to live with it.
At age 38, Fedele retired from his job as an early childhood educator to stay home and care for Shaun. It is apparent throughout the book how close the father is to his son.
Shaun wasn't particularly pleased that his father was writing his story for publication in the beginning, but Fedele said he's come around. "At first he didn't want to hear about it," said Fedele. "But now he come to accept it."
Fedele has been pleased with the response from the public since the book was published last April—he even sold a copy to Ladysmith Mayor Rob Hutchins.
"I tell strangers about it and they buy it off of me," he said. "People tell me they read it in one sitting—they can't put it down."
For more information and to purchase God's Gift visit Fedele's website at:
www.freewebs.com/mario5o/
Some stories just have to be told!
Mike Gillespie,
Times Colonist
Published: Sunday, March 23, 2008
It was a medical crisis of another sort that led Ladysmith resident Mario S. Fedele to chart the "frightfully overwhelming" problems of raising a child afflicted by a range of serious health problems. Mario's book, God's Gift (Champagne Books: www.bestbookdeal.com; $11.95), which has received some critical acclaim as a "touching memoir of overcoming insurmountable odds," intersperses daily struggles with humour, offering insight into such areas as behaviour modification, temper tantrums, dietary concerns, night-bottle syndrome, scoliosis, Reye's syndrome, Stickler's syndrome and more.
That said, Mario observes: "Despite all his limitations, I consider our son to be a true gift from God."
