From The Seeds Of Sadness Analysis

From the Seeds of Sadness is a story about the emotional roller coaster that consumed a family’s life when their son, Mike was born diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta. From the beginning there were feelings of confusion and hopelessness. With the doctor’s having only heard of a few rare cases of Mike’s condition, they had minimal information on OI and how to treat it. Mike’s mother, Gemma was informed his survival was unlikely. Mike gained progress while in the hospital’s care and eventually Gemma brought Mike home against the doctor’s recommendations of placing him in alternative care. Gemma and her husband made appropriate accommodations for Mike in order to ensure he was comfortable and safe. Over time, Mike was able to break physical …show more content…
She was essentially clueless about her son’s condition besides the little information she had read in the book the doctor gave her. When Gemma and Dick brought Mike home from the hospital, Dick’s parents were waiting at the house for them to arrive. In From the Seeds of Sadness Gemma stated, “When they saw his flattened head and cumbersome body cast, a sad, agonized look passed like an ominous cloud across the faces of his grandparents” (p.25). She said that their response should have alerted them for how others would react to Mike too. Gemma also stated, “Neighbors stared curiously whenever we left the house, but none ever came over to welcome us and our children. Friends who previously brought their toddlers over to play with Cathy stayed away, concerned that their active children might inadvertently hurt Mike” (p. 29). Family members, friends, and neighbors may have reacted that way because they were not knowledgeable about the condition themselves. Seeing that OI was so rare, outsiders probably did not know how to feel or what to think about it. They could have been fearful of Mike because he was unique and not like other children they had seen. Neighbors may have wanted to communicate with the family and Gemma, but not known how to approach the situation since they could not relate to what they were going through. Even if someone was able to relate to the family, they may not have been willing to admit it. The doctor was hardly supportive either, which left Gemma and Dick feeling hopeless at times. Gemma stated, “Mike’s first year proved to be a difficult and lonely one...Emotionally, we were in a dark abyss, crying to be heard and yearning to be told that Mike would be okay” (p.29). All Gemma wanted was someone to show them there was hope, someone who could relate to what she was going through, someone to be there for