Description
By Yvonne Woodland
ISBN: 978-1-84747-829-0
Published: 2009
Pages: 48
Key Themes: autobiography, schizophrenia, mental health, family
Description
Autobiography of the fractured and tomented life of a young girl and woman which was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia and ending up with cancer. Story of her life and the effects it had on her children. Overcoming schizophrenia and the battle to overcome cancer.
About the Author
Yvonne Woodland was born in Ontario, Canada. She moved to British Columbia at the age of four and was raised there This written accomphishment is based on her life story, her struggle with Schizophrenia and Depression, and now facing a new challenge with breast cancer. She shares her experiences to help educate and enlighten the public about Mental Illness.
Book Extract
I was born in St. Thomas, ON., March 29, 1942 in an Air Force Base hospital as my father was in the Air Force. He was a chef who would cook for the officers. As far back as I can remember, which would have to be three, which was in Stockhohm, Sk., my grandfather would give me raisins on a piece of newspaper, that was a real treat. I must have been my grandfather’s favourite. Upon his death, I received an inheritance of
$56.00, which I bought my first bicycle with and I was about eight at that time.
I have pictures of my brother and myself and I had two big dolls, which I played with very often and I brought them out to B.C. at the age of four.
We lived in Surrey for many years and growing up I played with many a mud pies. Mom would give me baking soda or baking powder and I would make cookies with it and set them out in the sun and they would bake and rise, I certainly never ate them.
In those days we had a wood stove, there was lots of wood around to make wooden dolls. Take a block of wood, put a cross board for arms, boards for legs. The hair was made from twine, which we frayed and curled. Or we would use curly woods shavings from a wood plane or steel curly shavings from a lathe, which was nailed on with staple nails. We were certainly handy with a hammer and nails. The wooden dolls were always dressed in baby clothes, from shoes to hats. We had a wonderful time playing with those dolls. I had paper dolls also, but I didn’t play very long with them.
The two dolls I brought from Sk, were made of cloth and had plastic arms and legs. I always wanted a boy doll, so I found a pair of my dad’s underwear and I proceeded to cut and sew a little penis and two testicles and I attached them onto one of the dolls. There I had a boy doll! I could dress him like a little boy. He would have a twin sister. When I got a little bit older, I had to be in grade 4 or 5, we would take our pen tops and pretend they were little people and we would make paper clothes for them. We were always using our scissors and designing different patterns and colouring them with crayons
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