“Gut-wrenching and awe-inspiring. This story will break your heart and then fill it up again.” CATHERINE McKERCHER, author of Shut Away

“A gripping story about courage, love, and an unshakeable belief in human potential.”
MARTY SELDMAN, Ph.D. author of Survival of the Savvy

“Full of insight, heartbreak and inspiration. This no-holds-barred story is a must-read for anyone working in the field of disability rights.”
KARLA VERSCHOOR, Executive Director, Inclusion BC

A true story about sisters, disability, and standing up to family. It is a searing account of how paternalistic attitudes ripped one family apart. But it is also about resilience and finding the courage to protect the ones you love.

Franke James objected when she heard her siblings’ plan to put her sister, Teresa Heartchild, into a nursing home. But she was told that Teresa, who was born with Down syndrome, had been declared incapable. She had lost her right to decide. Then the siblings, acting as the “guardians,” had Teresa admitted. But Franke did not give up. Using her skills as an activist, she put a team together to get Teresa discharged. That’s when all hell broke loose. And the two sisters had to stand together—against their siblings, the medical system, and the police—to defend Teresa’s right to be free.

The old institutions have closed, but today, there’s a conveyor belt quietly putting people with disabilities into nursing homes. This story shines a light on a key civil rights issue for people with disabilities— the right to decide where you live.