READ EVE'S MEMOIR
Learning to Kiss is Eve Megargel’s startling, nuanced memoir that delves beyond the current news headlines to reveal what happens when autism and pain collide. It’s an unflinching portrait of a nonverbal young man with autism named Billy who responds to his overwhelming litany of medical issues with courage, grit, and a steely determination to communicate.
Autism is often talked about as a neurological condition, but the truth is that many people on the spectrum live with gastrointestinal challenges, seizures, sleep disorders, allergies, and other comorbidities. As a result of these issues, people with ASD often need ongoing medical services. But for many people with autism, the medical environment can be daunting.
Eve and her son Billy experienced these challenges firsthand.
During Billy’s teenage years, he frequently vomited and lost
weight. The once robust and athletic child became frail and
nobody understood why. Eve and her husband Matt made
efforts to access medical help, but discovered it wasn’t so
accessible. The standard hospital protocols were rigid and unaccommodating to Billy’s communication needs. Billy struggled with wait times, needles, and even wearing the hospital gowns and ID bracelet. Meanwhile, his medical issues mounted.
Eve Megargel’s raw and honest account of her son’s physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions transports the reader into the family’s harrowing search for answers as Billy struggles to express his life in the midst of chronic pain.
