The Importance of Thomas
Diana Beatty shows that good things can come out of challenging circumstances – and that no one should have to travel this “caregivers” road alone
New Xulon Book Tells Powerful Story Of A Family Dealing With The Care Of A Parent With Alzheimer's
Diana Beatty shows that good things can come out of challenging circumstances – and that no one should have to travel this “caregivers” road alone
2016-02-01
MAITLAND, FL— Diana Beatty’s new book, The Importance of Thomas, ($19.99, paperback, 9781498450393; $4.99, e-book, 9781498450409) outlines the upheaval and unexpected challenges that so many families face today when caring for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s. Nana made the choice to help her sister, Josephine, care for their mother, but this meant leaving her job and moving away from her children and grandchildren. This story speaks not only to the challenges they faced to make a safe environment for their mother, but even more difficult for them, was the day-to-day interaction with their mother who often forgot who they were and could quickly become agitated and fearful. Although grateful for the help they received from Hospice, they never expected that help would also come to them from a little lost cat. This little cat, who they called Thomas, became a caregiver himself, not only to their mother, but to Nana and Josephine as well.
“I hope that the reader, both young and old, will gain some understanding of what is involved in caring for a loved one with a debilitating disease,” states the author. “As more families are being affected by the devastating illness of dementia or Alzheimer’s, there is a growing need for families to provide home care. This can be a very isolating experience and families or individuals need to be reassured that they are not alone.”
Diana Beatty is a professional massage therapist with many years of experience in caring for others. That experience was quickly challenged when faced with caring for her own mother. It was a life altering experience that opened the way to a new profession of author and artist with Thomas the cat, being her inspiration. The telling of this story was at first, a means to share her experience with her granddaughters – in a way they would understand. However, once the story was completed, she realized there were many layers to this little story. In the story, she describes how her family had to come together to provide this care for their mother, but also the need to seek outside help from professional services. More importantly, this story shows that even a small abandoned kitten has great value.
Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media
Group, is the world’s largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 15,000
titles published to date. Retailers may order The Importance of Thomas through Ingram Book
Company and/or Spring Arbor Book Distributors. The book is available online
through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.