This document provides information about a new book being published titled "Finding Matthew" written by Donna Kirk. The book is a memoir that recounts Kirk's experience raising her son Matthew, who was born with brain damage due to oxygen deprivation during delivery. Despite doctors advising to institutionalize Matthew, Kirk and her family cared for him at home. The book details Matthew's struggles and accomplishments, as well as the love and support of his family. It will be promoted for interviews with the author in January 2013, shortly after its November 2012 publication by BPS Books. A short excerpt is included.

1. New
from
BPS
Books
Distributed
by
Ingram
Book
Group
FINDING
MATTHEW
A
Child
with
Brain
Damage,
a
Young
Man
with
Mental
Illness,
a
Son
and
Brother
with
Extraordinary
Spirit
Donna
Kirk
November
2012
During
the
first
few
weeks
a1er
Ma3hew
Kirk
was
born
—
brain-­‐ $26.00
/
6
x
9
paperback
/
312
pages
damaged
as
a
result
of
oxygen
depriva@on
during
delivery
—
the
ISBN:
978-­‐1-­‐927483-­‐35-­‐0
doctors
advised
his
parents,
Donna
and
Ed
Kirk,
to
put
him
in
an
Distributed
by
Ingram
Book
Group
ins@tu@on,
have
another
baby
as
soon
as
possible,
and
get
on
with
their
life.
But
what
the
doctors
didn't
understand
was
that
Ma3hew
was
their
life.
Indeed,
as
he
grew,
he
would
surprise
everyone
with
his
athle@c
good
looks,
spirited
personality,
and
supreme
ability
to
create
joy
and
love
as
so
many
people
gathered
around
to
help
him
through
his
physical
and
mental
struggles.
Now,
with
the
publica@on
of
this
clear-­‐eyed,
laugh-­‐inducing,
and
heart-­‐tugging
book,
Donna
Kirk
recounts
the
story
—
the
love
story
—
of
how
she
and
her
family
found
Ma3hew,
and
how
he
found
them.
Donna
Kirk
is
also
the
author
of
short
stories,
which
have
been
published
in
The
Daily
American,
Ars
Medica,
CommuterLit,
and
The
Quick
Brown
Fox.
She
is
also
a
former
entrepreneur,
having
co-­‐founded
a
company
which
sold
tennis
clothing
to
most
of
the
tennis
clubs
in
the
GTA
over
a
15-­‐year
period.
She
lives
with
her
husband,
Ed,
in
Oakville,
Ontario.
PromoMon:
Book
to
be
promoted
in
January
2013.
Author
available
for
interviews
during
the
month
of
January.
To
contact
Donna
Kirk
for
media
interviews:
Donna
Kirk BPS
Books,
Publisher,
Donald
G.
Bas@an
Email:
donnakirk@cogeco.ca www.bpsbooks.com
Tel:
905-­‐849-­‐3858 42
Donalda
Crescent,
Toronto,
Canada
M1S
1N7
E-­‐mail:
dgbas@an@sympa@co.ca
Tel:
416-­‐609-­‐2004
Published
by
BPS
Books
in
November
Promo@on
in
January
2013

2. Praise
for
Finding
Ma+hew
“So
many
things
in
the
book
resonate:
the
sorrows,
struggles,
and
challenges,
as
well
as
the
guilt
and
despair
—
and,
through
it
all,
the
surprising
and
amazing
presence
of
love
and
joy
—
that
come
with
being
a
parent
of
a
child
with
a
disability.”
—
JIM
TRIANTAFILOU,
Execu@ve
Director,
Brampton
Caledon
Community
Living
“...
a
true
story
in
several
senses
...
true
to
life
in
general,
true
to
family
life
in
par@cular,
and
true
to
medicine
...
a
wonderful
book.”
—
GERALD
TAYLOR,
M.D.,
Mississauga,
Ontario
Excerpt
from
Finding
Ma+hew
“ The
baby’s
coming
right
now!”
I
screamed.
A
nurse
ran
in
to
check
me.
Within
seconds,
a
confusion
of
shou@ng
hospital
personnel,
fast-­‐wheeling
gurneys,
and
bright
lights
filled
the
room.
“It’s
too
late
for
a
sec@on,”
one
of
the
nurses
shouted.
“Where’s
my
doctor?
He
should
have
been
here
hours
ago.”
“Call
the
a3ending
physician
and
get
him
here
immediately,”
the
charge
nurse
yelled.
“What’s
happening,
Donna?”
Ed
asked.
His
voice
was
thin
and
anxious.
The
nurses
hustled
him
off
to
the
fathers’
wai@ng
room,
barely
giving
us
a
chance
to
kiss
goodbye.
I
watched
the
ceiling
lights
blur
overhead
as
the
staff
rushed
me
along
the
corridor.
I
knew
our
baby
was
in
serious
trouble.
In
the
delivery
room,
an
anaesthe@st
clapped
a
mask
over
my
face
and
I
fell
into
unconsciousness.
When
I
woke
up,
my
baby
was
no
longer
inside
me.
The
an@sep@c
smell
in
the
delivery
room
stung
my
nose.
A
wall
clock
told
me
it
was
two
a.m.
Dr.
Benne3
stood
at
the
end
of
the
gurney,
suturing
my
episiotomy.
A
nurse
handed
things
to
Benne3
while
another
sorted
instruments.
No
one
spoke.
I
longed
to
hear,
“Congratula@ons,
Mrs.
Kirk,
you
have
a
beau@ful
baby.”
“Where’s
my
baby?”
I
dreaded
the
answer.
“Your
son
had
serious
difficul@es,
and
he’s
now
being
a3ended
to
by
a
pediatrician,”
said
Dr.
Benne3
from
behind
his
surgical
mask.
A
boy.
Ma3hew,
his
name
is
Ma3hew,
I
said
to
myself.
My
voice
shook
along
with
my
body.
“Is
he
s@ll
alive?
Where
has
he
gone?”
“ The
baby
is
breathing
now
and
doctors
are
doing
everything
they
can,
Mrs.
Kirk.”
Breathing
now?
I
looked
up
to
Ed,
who
wasn’t
able
to
reply.