Karen Killilea

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Karen Ann Killilea (b. August 18, 1940) is the subject of two bestselling books by her mother Marie Killilea, Karen and With Love from Karen. These books were groundbreaking in their assertion that children with cerebral palsy could be raised to lead productive lives.

Karen Killilea was born three months prematurely in an era when such babies rarely survived. As a result of her prematurity, she developed cerebral palsy. After she was diagnosed, Karen's parents decided to actively raise her at home, contrary to the advice of doctors to commit her to an asylum and forget her.

After visiting at least 23 doctors, they found one who taught them to do physical therapy with Karen (then a radical concept), which they did for six hours per day for over ten years. Karen learned to walk with crutches, write, and use her arms and legs.

She developed into a fairly happy teen and adult who has been living independently and working for decades. She currently lives in New Rochelle, New York, and works as a receptionist at a retreat house for priests run by Catholic monks (see [1]). She zealously guards her privacy and has always declined all requests for interviews.

[edit] Books about her

• Karen, Killilea, Marie (1952/1999) New York: Buccaneer Books (ISBN 1-56849-098-4).
• With Love From Karen, Killilea, Marie (1963) New York: Buccaneer Books (ISBN 1-56849-099-2).
• Wren, Killilea, Marie (Marie Lyons) (1954) New York: Dodd, Mead (the 1968 date given on Amazon is a reprint), (ISBN 0-440-49704-3).

[edit] Sources

Persondata
NAME	Killilea, Karen
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION
DATE OF BIRTH	August 18, 1940
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH