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Open in new tab Melanie
Bird With A Broken Wing
A Mother’s Story
By: Beth Harry
Presentation created by:
Casey Payne and Caroline
Coble
Characters-‐
•
Beth-‐
Main
character,
mother
• Clive-‐
Beth’s
husband
•
Melanie-‐
Newborn
with
cerebral
palsy
• Paula-‐Clive’s
Niece
•
Dr.
McDowall-‐
Melanie’s
pediatrician
Part
I,
Chapter
1
• The
story
begins
with
a
baby
being
born
at
4
½
pounds.
•
From
the
moment
she
is
born,
Melanie’s
mother
knows
something
is
wrong
with
the
baby.
She
does
not
aFempt
to
see
her
baby
for
24
hours
aIer
birth,
which
is
not
normal!
• The
doctors
found
several
problems
the
baby
was
having:
she
was
physically
weak,
could
not
breathe
on
her
own,
could
not
suck,
and
could
not
swallow.
• Many
emoLons
were
running
through
Beth’s
mind.
She
quoted,
“I
went
to
the
nursery,
and
there
she
was,
beauLful
and
sLll,
and
the
words
that
filled
my
mind
remain
one
of
my
most
terrible
memories:
You
are
beau)ful,
but
if
you’re
going
to
hang
around
and
give
me
trouble,
I’d
rather
you
died.”
(Harry,
pg.4)
Something
to
think
about:
Beth
had
many
confusing
and
negaLve
emoLons
aIer
Melanie’s
birth.
If
you
found
out
your
new
born
baby
had
several
physical
problems
how
would
you
feel?
How
would
you
cope?
Chapter
2
• Beth
conLnues
to
address
Melanie
as
“her”,
instead
of
her
name.
• Beth
has
2
big
quesLons
that
she
asks
the
doctor:
1-‐
Was
her
baby’s
brain
damaged?
2-‐
If
there
was
too
much
oxygen
in
the
incubator
where
Melanie
remained,
would
she
become
blind
as
a
side
effect?
The
doctor
says
her
brain
seems
to
be
underdeveloped
and
also
reassured
Beth,
that
the
air
in
Melanie’s
incubator
was
at
the
perfect
level.
Beth
relies
on
prayer
and
the
Lord:
I
will
li@
up
mine
eyes
unto
the
hills,
from
whence
cometh
my
help,
my
help
cometh
from
the
Lord,
who
made
Heaven
and
earth?
–Psalm
121:1-‐2