Crying In Silence

About the Book

This is an extraordinary autobiography relating to a young Woman´s experience living with Cerebral Palsy and its accompanying seizures. Shelley O´Leary addresses her affliction in a realistic manner in that she acknowledges her physical status with a commitment to overcome her deficiency and a determination not to admit failure. With her God-given gifts of empathy and kindness, Shelley has served as a Role Model for the children she cares for on a daily basis in an educational forum. She has been blessed with the support of the medical community, her friends, co-workers, and, most importantly, her Family. When told that she would never be able to attend higher education, Shelley refused to despair and decided to tackle head-on a college curriculum on two separate occasions. This refusal to give in to self-pity has culminated in her acquiring two Associate Degrees, one in Business Management, and the other in Therapeutic Recreation. Shelley works at the prestigious Morrison Center for the Physically-Challenged in the Greater Portland, Maine area. As you read her story, you will attest to her "never say die" attitude and her childhood mantra, "My Do It!" Shelley Lynn O´Leary demonstrates having the "heart of a lion" and is an extraordinary example of a willingness to overcome any and all obstacles.

About the Author

Timothy James O'Leary, III is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel with 27 years of active duty and reserve service to his Country. Tim served a tour of duty in both Vietnam and the First Persian Gulf Wars. He is a graduate of the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California where he earned a diploma in Italian Language training. Tim is a helicopter pilot with 2,200 hours of flight time in UH-1 and OH-58 aircraft with the United States Army. During Operation Desert Storm, Tim was a medevac pilot with the 217th Medical Battalion. His final tour of duty was Battalion Commander of the 286th Supply and Service Battalion. He has a B.A. degree in Sociology and French, and holds a Master of Education and Educational Specialist degrees in Educational Administration and Supervision from Georgia Southern College. Tim was a Doctor of Education degree candidate at the University of Virginia in Educational Administration and Supervision. He also has one year of Spanish Language training at the University of Southern Maine in Portland. Tim taught foreign language and social studies in the Georgia public school system for three years and was an assistant principal at a secondary education school in Virginia. Tim has run 13 marathons to include the Marine Corps in 1994 and Boston's 100th in 1996. He has been a baseball umpire for over 40 years and has officiated five Cal Ripken World Series. Tim played varsity baseball at Georgia Southern, semi-professional ball in Italy, and did a baseball tour with the European Continental Cavaliers Team in South Africa. Tim has three children and three grandchildren. He and his Wife Lynn reside in Gorham, Maine.