Marie Killilea

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Marie Joan Lyons Killilea (June 28, 1913 – October 23, 1991) is the mother of Karen Killilea and an American author, activist, and lobbyist for the rights of people with cerebral palsy. Her work culminated in the formation of the Cerebral Palsy Association of Westchester County. Later, she was a co-founder of The National United Cerebral Palsy Foundation.

Marriage and children

She married James Hines Killilea. They had five children: Marie, Katherine Anne (who died in infancy), Karen Ann, James O'Rourke ("Rory"), and Kristin Rose. They also informally adopted Gloria Kyle, although this adoption was never finalized legally.

The family lived first in Rye, New York; later they moved to Larchmont, where they bought a house they christened "Sursum Corda" with the proceeds from Marie's first best-selling book.

Religious faith

Marie and James Killilea were devout Roman Catholics and raised their children accordingly. Killilea expressed her religious convictions in her writings.

Education

She attended Mount St. Vincent Academy in Riverdale, New York and the Katharine Gibbs Business School.

Cancer

In 1969, she was told by her doctors that she had a recurrence of lung cancer and had only three months to live. On referral, she went to Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Philadelphia for treatment by Dr. Isaac Djerassi. He prescribed huge doses of Methotrexate, a powerful drug, and in eight months, every trace of her cancer was reportedly eradicated.^[1]

Death

Marie Killilea died in 1991, aged 78.

Writings

Marie Killilea wrote a biography of her daughter, called simply Karen, which became a best seller in 1952. It detailed Karen Killilea's struggle to overcome the limitations of her cerebral palsy and her family's fight to help her lead a satisfying life. A sequel, With Love From Karen, was published in 1963. The original was re-released in 1999. She also wrote a version of the story for children called "Wren".

Publications by Killilea

Karen, 1952 (re-released in 1999), New York: Buccaneer Books (ISBN 1-56849-098-4)
With Love From Karen, (1963), New York: Buccaneer Books (ISBN 1-56849-099-2)
Wren, (1981), New York: Dell Publishing Yearling Book (ISBN 978-0440797043)

References

↑ 's_digest1.htm Successful cancer treatment.

External links

Bio
Marie Killilea at Find a Grave

Authority control	VIAF: 12782854 ISNI: 0000 0000 6317 0366

Persondata
Name	Killilea, Marie
Alternative names
Short description	American biographer
Date of birth	June 28, 1913
Place of birth
Date of death	October 23, 1991
Place of death

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