Waiting for Home: The Richard Prangley Story - Softcover

Schneider, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0802842119 ISBN 13: 9780802842114

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans-Lightning Source, 1998

Synopsis

Richard Prangley was unjustly institutionalized for fifteen years. Yet he managed to become not only a productive citizen but also an effective advocate for the developmentally disabled. / In Waiting for Home, journalist John Schneider chronicles the compelling true story of Richard Prangley. Born prematurely, Richard exhibited delayed development and hyperactivity as a small child. His parents struggled to raise him along with their other 10 children, and they turned to the medical authorities for help. Based on the diagnoses of two psychiatrists, Richard at age 6 was committed to the Coldwater State Home and Training School, an institution for physically and mentally disabled children. He was labeled retarded and his schooling and work experience were limited to manual labor. When he was finally released at age 21, Prangley struggled with socialization as he learned to live on his own. / His life today, however, stands in sharp contrast to his early years. Through faith, hope, determination, and a constant yearning for independence, Prangley is self-supporting and works in the Office Services Division of the Michigan Department of Community Health. He is an effective advocate for the developmentally disabled and has been instrumental in creating a successful stand for the rights of the handicapped as a lobbyist in such places as the Michigan State Capitol and the White House. / Richard Prangley, whose story has been the focus of a documentary and wide national media coverage, including CBS’s Sunday Morning, is an inspirational figure whose life reflects the human spirit at its resilient, triumphant best.

About this title

About the Author:

John Shneider is a daily columnist for Michigan's Lansing State Journal.

From Booklist:

Born prematurely in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1949, Richard Prangley possibly suffered brain damage during the difficult delivery. He was a very active, often uncontrollable and disruptive small child, and after 6 years his parents reluctantly sent him to the Coldwater State Home and Training Center, where he remained 15 years. In his admission evaluation, he was given a lower rating than was probably justified, one that meant that he received no schooling and insufficient care. He was also frequently beaten and sodomized. When Prangley was finally freed because he had developed excellent work habits and had calmed down, he could neither read nor write but made the most of several lucky breaks and his own persistence and persuasive abilities. He came to know and advise several Michigan governors and other powerful figures, and appearances on local and national television brought him renown. Refusing to make a career out of being a victim and always advocating better mental health care, Prangley has accomplished much. This is his story--quite a story. William Beatty

About this edition

• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans-Lightning Source
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0802842119
• ISBN 13: 9780802842114
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160