Summary

In the first part of A Carer's Odyssey, Anna Chan describes how she and her husband Jeff were devastated 16 years ago by the diagnosis of their daughter Emma's severe neurological disorder, called Rett Syndrome.

In the first part of A Carer's Odyssey, Anna Chan describes how she and her husband Jeff were devastated 16 years ago by the diagnosis of their daughter Emma's severe neurological disorder, called Rett Syndrome. They tried everything with little success, including a course of cranial acupuncture in China. The lack of understanding and empathy of disabled people in China is saddening, while the way in which extended families give their support is inspirational. Part two of the book tells the story of how Jeff became mentally ill and how Anna had to cope with an extra burden. It details her battle to get Jeff's illness recognised and treated, and her struggle to understand Jeff and help him recover. Part three develops the positive lessons learnt from both Anna's professional work as a Carers' Support Worker and Carer Lead for an NHS trust, and from some heart-warming and inspirational accounts of great achievers who have suffered or do suffer from physical or psychological disabilities.