GROVELAND, Mass., November 21, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- In a story that touches the heart, evokes tears and inspires awe, C. Gale Perkins recounts her many courageous battles with death. The Baby's Cross (now available through 1stBooks) is an amazing story of the tragedies, losses and dreams of a tuberculosis survivor who beat the odds.
The story begins in 1930s Boston, where Perkins is born prematurely. Thanks to the help of a neighbor, both she and her mother survive. However, their ordeal is just beginning. A tumble down a flight of stairs takes the little girl's life in a fateful direction, and, later, Perkins, her mother and other family members are struck with tuberculosis.
The Baby's Cross details how Perkins, at age 3, is sent to the Lakeville State Sanitorium for tuberculosis, while her mother is hospitalized. Yearning desperately for her mother, Perkins is bound by a plaster cast from neck to knees and tied to her metal crib. The hospital is her home for the next 12 years. She is allowed only one visitor per month, and her mother's sister, Aunt Eunice, comes faithfully, bringing kind words, hugs and news of her mother. Though doctors believe Perkins won't live past 16, she beats the odds. Sadly, Perkins' mother dies at the age of 24.
Today, Perkins has a priceless token to remind her of her mother's love: a poem. As she battled with her deadly illness, the young mother revealed her anguish at her daughter's pain in a poem titled "The Baby's Cross," which Perkin's chose as the title of her first published book.
A true survival story, The Baby's Cross recounts a young girl's strength of will and her years of recovery, both physically and emotionally.
Perkins worked in a private hospital in Georgetown, Mass., for 26 years as the director of occupational therapy. For several years, she has performed as a professional clown. She splits her time between her homes in Groveland, Mass., and Tarpon Springs, Fla., and has three children and several grandchildren. Her late husband encouraged her to write her life story, and she published The Baby's Cross to fulfill his wish.
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