My experience with OCD is zero. In fact, my experience with mental illness is extremely limited. With this open mind, I delved into Ms. Maloney's harrowing account of her son's sudden onset of OCD and her equally harrowing navigation of the healthcare system as she searched desperately for answers. Although there is much belly-aching by medical professionals over the number of patients who deem themselves healthcare experts after an afternoon on the Internet, this book proves the immense value of research and perseverance. I was impressed by Ms. Maloney's unwillingness to accept the close-minded opinions of some doctors and her insistence on second, third, fourth and fifth opinions until she found a diagnosis that made sense and a treatment plan that worked for her son. Kudos to her bravery and stubbornness! I have no idea when I might find myself in such a quandary but I only hope to have the drive exhibited by this author to break down those medical brick walls. ( )

My oldest son was afflicted with the same condition that tormented Sammy Maloney. He had been a happy, healthy child until shortly before his 11th birthday, when everything fell apart for him in the weeks following a high fever. We spent years desperately searching for someone in the medical community who could help him, with very little luck. Then we came across "Saving Sammy" and Beth's battle to save her son, a story that was painfully familiar. This book changed everything for us! It may literally have saved my son's life, and definitely his quality of life. For any parent who has ever agonized over a child's serious illness, felt helpless and lost in the face of that child's suffering, the story of Beth's and Sammy's triumph is incredibly uplifting. For our family, it was utterly transformative.

I should also mention that the author, Beth Maloney, graciously spoke to me on the phone and traded e-mails during the darkest days of my son's illness, trying to guide us down the path to our son's return to health: the path she and Sammy had charted with the help of some very special doctors. She got swamped with contacts from desperate parents like my wife and me, and she tried her best to help us all. This book is awesome. The author, and the courageous young man who shared his painful story so that other kids could benefit, are just as awesome! ( )

This, to me, is one of those "stories" that should be read and passed on...especially to parents of children who share some of the same unique symptoms as well as to doctors and practitioners who work with children. God bless all parents who care enough to work and work until they find answers to their childrens unusually circumstances/illnesses! ( )

This book was Amazing!! I would reccommend it to anyone who wants a book you just can't put down. It's definately an emotional story written by the mother of a boy who was diagnosed with OCD, which in the end turned out to be a Strep infection. You feel yourself being pulled in by this poor woman who struggled every day trying to save her son and bring him back to the happy well adjusted boy he had once been. Please read this book and pass it along to others, help spread the awareness!!! ( )

The Short of It:

A startling look at one family’s experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder and how a mother’s unwavering quest for a cure slowly brings about change within the medical community. Touching and well-told. This is a story with a purpose.

The Rest of It:

I picked this book up, read about ten pages and then could not put it down. I finished it in just a few sittings. Anyone with a child can relate to the difficulties of dealing with a sick kid. There is nothing worse than seeing your son or daughter struggle through an illness, be it flu or something more serious. In this case though, Sammy is struck with obsessive-compulsive disorder and it hits him out of blue. One day he is well, and the next day he isn’t. It’s starts with little quirks. Sammy’s need to touch a wall as he passes, or his need to enter a room a certain way. His mother, Beth, chalks it up to being a kid. Sometimes kids do weird things. As time passes though, his need to do things a certain way become compulsions which take several hours to complete. Simple activities such as going to school because extremely complicated when it takes over two hours just to get him dressed and out the door.

After taking Sammy to psychiatrist with no success, Beth discovers through research and a conversation with a friend, that Strep is sometimes related to OCD. This prompts additional testing and an elevated strep titer is discovered which leads to a diagnosis of PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal). However, since the condition is fairly new, many of the doctors that Beth encounter, do not want to treat it as such even though Sammy seems to improve dramatically when the strep is treated.

This book was a bit of an eye opener for me. I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder a few years ago and the doctors at the time believed it to be caused by strep as I had an undiagnosed strep infection and the symptoms of the auto-immune disorder came on suddenly, nearly overnight. However, I didn’t believe that to be the cause and although I was treated for a common strep infection and went through one round of antibiotics, my symptoms did not improve and they began to treat me for Lupus. Over the course of a year I have been treated off and on for strep as I have had three strep infections and no symptoms of strep, silent strep is what they call it. I’ve also been treated for Lupus though and now I seem to have a handle on it, but was strep really the cause? After reading Beth’s book, I tend to think it may have played a role in it.

What impressed me with this book is that no matter how dire the situation, Beth remained positive. Sure, she had doubts but she displayed incredible patience with not only Sammy but her other children as well. Her entire household was turned upside down by this and her willingness to put it all on the line for the sake of getting Sammy well really struck a chord with me.

What stuck out a bit for me was the lack of a father figure in most of Beth’s story. Sammy’s father does come into the picture towards the end of the book but with all that was going on, and with all that Beth had to endure, I kept waiting for the Sammy’s dad to make an appearance. They are divorced at the beginning of the story but with Sammy’s condition being so severe, I expected a bit more involvement from the dad.

Overall, I feel that this is a valuable story for anyone that is dealing with a sick child, even if their child’s illness is not OCD. The perseverance that Beth displayed and the textbook comments from most of these doctors really make you question Western medicine as a whole. ( )