Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Follow the author
OK
A Mother's Heart: Memoir of a Special Needs Parent Kindle Edition
Blindsided by a congenital condition.
Battling to give her son everything he deserved.
Could this mom conquer the storms and emerge stronger?
AWARDS and PRAISE for A MOTHER'S HEART
- 2019 IAN Outstanding Book of the Year Award, OUTSTANDING: Parenting/Family/Relationships category winner
- 2019 eLit Awards Gold Medal Winner: Parenting and Juvenile/Young Adult Non-Fiction
- 2018 Readers' Favorite Book Award Gold Medal Winner: Non-fiction Parenting
- 2017 New Apple Summer eBook Awards: Parenting Category Winner
- 2017 Best Book Awards, Finalist: Parenting & Family
- 13th National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist - Self-Help: General
★★★★★ "Very well written, heart-warming, and honest, this book is a powerful and important read, especially for those with children who are deaf or have special needs."
★★★★★ "With great care and sensitivity, Ms Chang-Lim tackles the subject of childhood deafness. At times, it's not the easiest read. Heart-breaking circumstances are explored, warts n'all, with no punches pulled. The author is hard on herself at times, but her honesty is engaging. Happily, there are plenty of uplifting moments, as Teddy and his family overcome hurdles most people couldn't comprehend."
★★★★★ "The author's experience as an optometrist helped her make clear-sighted decisions on how to treat and educate her son. Even so, Eichin honestly reveals her raw emotions as she dealt with each stage in her son’s development."
California.
Eichin Chang-Lim’s baby looked perfect in every way.
Although her newborn’s eyes were oddly sky blue while those of his Asian parents were brown, both her husband and pediatrician assured her she was imagining trouble.
But when her pleas finally earned her an audiologist referral, her heart broke when she learned her son was profoundly deaf… and would never call her Mommy.
Tormented with worry that her soon-to-be-born baby girl would suffer from the same issues, Eichin poured herself into research. But the pain and jealousy of seeing other talkative little boys made it difficult to break free of the dark cocoon of misery that threatened to overwhelm her life.
Would her fierce loyalty be enough to shield her baby from an unforgiving world?
Pairing conversational advice with heart-wrenching and heartwarming memories of caring for a son with special needs, multi-award-winning author Eichin Chang-Lim offers compassionate support for anyone in a similar situation. And as she reflects on the struggles and triumphs her family encountered along the way, you’ll feel empowered and uplifted in your own parenting journey.
A Mother’s Heart is a raw and honest memoir. If you like inspiring words, practical self-help, and sensitive discussions, then you’ll love Eichin Chang-Lim’s candid confessions.
Buy A Mother’s Heart to weave together joy and tears today!
BOOKS by EICHIN CHANG-LIM
Flipping
A Mother's Heart
Your Precious Sight
The LoveLock
Love: A Tangled Knot
Ultimate Revenge
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateApril 19, 2017
- File size3255 KB
Customers who read this book also read
Editorial Reviews
Review
"This is a story that goes far beyond just a tale of a mother and her special needs child... it's a story or struggle, perseverance, and joy at some of the most things that people take for granted. It's inspiring to say the least, and her candor helped me connect with her journey."
" Very well written, heart-warming, and honest, this book is a powerful and important read, especially for those with children who are deaf or have special needs. A wonderful book - I could not put this down, and I highly recommend it."
"A Mother's Heart alternates between personal narrative and more general advice, which Eichin is well qualified to offer, as both a mother and a health-care provider (she and her husband are practicing optometrists)."
About the Author
Eichin modeled during college in Taiwan and was in several short films, including the comedy Indy/feature film "Winning Formula" as a supporting role. Besides acting and writing, she loves opera, classical music and a big bear hug.
Learn more about the author at: eichinchanglim.comConnect on Twitter: @EichinChangLim
Product details
- ASIN : B06XCPDPWX
- Publisher : (April 19, 2017)
- Publication date : April 19, 2017
- Language : English
- File size : 3255 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 175 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,852,766 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Dr. Eichin Chang-Lim is a semiretired optometrist, a multi-award-winning author, a wife, and a mother to 2 children. She and her husband had a private optometry practice in Los Angeles. They live in Orange County, California.
In a recent interview, the author said, “You might have noticed that romance and inspirational are my niche genres. I write romance because I find it to be an intriguing genre. Relationships are quite involved in real life. Therefore, I use romance to depict the intricacies of relationships. Ultimately, it evolves into an inspirational and thought-provoking tale. Readers will discover that I tend to tell love stories beyond the confines of romance. I strive to convey the kind of love that is much broader and more profound than romantic or physical love. I strongly believe that love is more than a four-letter word. It’s multidimensional. It involves sacrifice, forgiveness, trust, demoting one’s ego, or even ‘letting it go’ at times. I also like to encompass the love of friendship, family, and even little pets in my stories.”
“As a romance writer, I write with my heart and soul. My mindset is that if my story can make a difference in even one person’s life, it’s all worth it, and that’s what love is all about,” she added.
Eichin modeled during college in Taiwan and was in several short films, including a supporting role in the comedy Indy/feature film Winning Formula. She has written six books: FLIPPING: An Uplifting Novel of Love, A Mother’s Heart: Memoir of a Special Needs Parent, Love: A Tangled Knot, TheLoveLock, YOUR PRECIOUS SIGHT: An Optometrist’s Most Memorable Cases, and Ultimate Revenge.
During the preorder period, YOUR PRECIOUS SIGHT hit the #1 New Release in seven categories at least once: Optometry, Physician & Patient Diagnosis, Eye Problems, Reference, Preventive Medicine, Aging, and Ophthalmology.
Besides acting and writing, she loves opera and a big bear hug. Learn more about the author at www.eichinchanglim.com
Customer reviews
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star5 star71%22%0%8%0%71%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star4 star71%22%0%8%0%22%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star3 star71%22%0%8%0%0%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star2 star71%22%0%8%0%8%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star1 star71%22%0%8%0%0%
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the story touching and emotional. They appreciate the author's straightforward writing style and easy-to-follow advice. Readers value the honest account of how the author faced challenges and made decisions for her son. Overall, they describe the book as a great read that leaves an imprint on their hearts.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the story touching and honest. They say it resonates with them emotionally and realistically. The book provides an insight into the rollercoaster ride this mother goes through.
"...Very touching and informative, the author shows us her struggles of being there for her son as best she could, and what she has learned along the..." Read more
"The author wrote a very heart-wrenching story that a mother could ever write about her special need son, Teddy or Ted, as he chose later to be..." Read more
"...just a tale of a mother and her special needs child... it's a story or struggle, perseverance, and joy at some of the most things that people take..." Read more
"Chang-Lim has produced an honest, heartfelt memoir about the difficulties and the joys of raising a child with special needs...." Read more
Customers find the writing style engaging and easy to read. They appreciate the well-organized advice and anecdotes from the author's life. The book is described as an educational memoir that provides sound advice for parents. It is a quick read that touches readers' hearts and serves as a valuable learning resource for mothers who face learning challenges.
"...The book is smoothly written and professionally edited. It is a quick read that provides sound advice on how parents can meet their children’s..." Read more
"...Very well written, heart-warming, and honest, this book is a powerful and important read, especially for those with children who are deaf or have..." Read more
"...But the message came through. This will be a great learning book for mothers who have learning disadvantaged and special needs children." Read more
"...From the very beginning, this story unfolds with vivid and unraveling words that kept me surprised and even astonished...." Read more
Customers appreciate the author's honest account of how she dealt with challenges. They find the advice helpful and interesting anecdotes from the author's life. The book provides an overview of the topic and the author's or family member's perspective.
"...The heartfelt honesty of how Eichin Chang-Lim dealt with various challenges in her son's life made this an inspirational and educational memoir...." Read more
"...Very well written, heart-warming, and honest, this book is a powerful and important read, especially for those with children who are deaf or have..." Read more
"Chang-Lim has produced an honest, heartfelt memoir about the difficulties and the joys of raising a child with special needs...." Read more
"...There is just the right amount of honesty, information, and personal frustration shared for readers to easily relate...." Read more
Customers find the book readable and engaging. They describe it as a great read that leaves an emotional impact.
"...written, heart-warming, and honest, this book is a powerful and important read, especially for those with children who are deaf or have special needs..." Read more
"...It's a surprising gem that will leave an imprint in your heart." Read more
"...A short, but lovely read." Read more
"For Those Interested in Special Needs Children, A Great Read..." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2019“A Mother's Heart” by Eichin Chang-Lim is a memoir of her journey of raising a special needs child. Each chapter is organized by title of topic, quote, general overview of topic, and author’s or family member’s perspective. The book spans the time period from the birth of Eichin's son, who is diagnosed with Waardenburg Syndrome resulting in hearing loss, to his early adulthood. The author provides a heartfelt account of how she made decisions to help her son live independently and follow his life’s pathway. The overall message of the book is to educate yourself as a parent on what you can do to help your special needs child reach his or her full potential.
The heartfelt honesty of how Eichin Chang-Lim dealt with various challenges in her son's life made this an inspirational and educational memoir. The book is smoothly written and professionally edited. It is a quick read that provides sound advice on how parents can meet their children’s special needs. The author's experience as an optometrist helped her make clear-sighted decisions on how to treat and educate her son. Even so, Eichin honestly reveals her raw emotions as she dealt with each stage in her son’s development.
I recommend “A Mother’s Heart” for parents and others who seek advice and inspiration for meeting the challenges of raising a special needs child.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2017A powerful, gripping, and touching story of raising and caring for a son who is profoundly deaf. The story brings the reader through the ups and downs of testing and diagnosis, treatment and schooling, communication and relationships, and many life experiences dealing with deafness in a hearing world. Very touching and informative, the author shows us her struggles of being there for her son as best she could, and what she has learned along the way. Very well written, heart-warming, and honest, this book is a powerful and important read, especially for those with children who are deaf or have special needs. A wonderful book – I could not put this down, and I highly recommend it.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2021The author wrote a very heart-wrenching story that a mother could ever write about her special need son, Teddy or Ted, as he chose later to be called.
Teddy was born deaf, but it took the mother’s relentless push with the doctors and psychologists to eventually get the correct diagnosis confirming his deafness. More than once, he was misdiagnosed. When he was finally diagnosed correctly, the battle started of getting him the help he needed. The mother was determined to make sure that he had as normal a life as he could get. She got him into the right schools and the right hearing aids. She also smothered him with love.
In the end, Teddy and her sister Victoria had to live far from home to learn to live independently from their mother. It was not easy to let them go, especially Teddy, but she had to let go in the end.
This is a beautiful story, written entirely in the style of Telling, not showing. But the message came through. This will be a great learning book for mothers who have learning disadvantaged and special needs children.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2017Okay, I must say that at first thoughts, being a guy, I had reservations about reading this book about a special needs child, but I was kinda curious since I have relatives who do have special needs children. My curiosity drove me to buy this book without thinking I would connect to it much, but boy was I wrong. From the very beginning, this story unfolds with vivid and unraveling words that kept me surprised and even astonished. The writer has a way by how she unravels new twists and turns in her every day life that are quite unpredictable.
This is a story that goes far beyond just a tale of a mother and her special needs child... it's a story or struggle, perseverance, and joy at some of the most things that people take for granted. It's inspiring to say the least, and her candor helped me connect with her journey.
Even if you are as busy as I usually am - take the time to read this book. It's a surprising gem that will leave an imprint in your heart.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2017Chang-Lim has produced an honest, heartfelt memoir about the difficulties and the joys of raising a child with special needs. When her first child Teddy was diagnosed as being profoundly deaf, Chang-Lim, like all mothers was shocked to discover her perfect little, bundle of joy, was not so perfect after all. This account of the struggles and the choices that face a parent of a special needs child is heartwarming and easy to read. I enjoyed this book and was touched by the mother's deep love for her child and her understanding of the role she needed to play in her boy's life. A short, but lovely read.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2018A heartfelt read of a mother's journey as a parent of a special needs child. Eichin's son was born profoundly deaf and as a mother, she knew this long before she got the diagnosis that her son was born with Waardenburg syndrome. A mother knows so much more at times than the experts. The book follows Eichin's life covering her son's childhood years until he becomes independent and leaves home. The book is a quick, capturing read and gives an insight into the roller coaster ride this mother goes through emotionally, balancing her own life, the struggles and the victories. What a beautiful dedicated mother.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2018A Mother's Heart: Memoir of a Special Needs Parent is a warm, touching story of a mother's love for her child. It tells of the triumphs and tribulations of not just caring for a child with special needs but of the whole family. The struggles that all parents go through plus the added difficulties of trying to find the best care and education for that special person. A personal journey of love, commitment, and devotion to her children. You can feel the joy, sadness, pain, and pride she has for her son. A mother's heart is an enjoyable read for anyone. Though it was wonderful, the story bounces around some.
Top reviews from other countries
- Pragnya B.Reviewed in India on August 13, 2019
4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful
I’m a professional in this field and this book gave me a much needed insight from the parents’ perspective.
- Stuart KenyonReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 5, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars A book to savour
When I read Ms Chang-Lim's 2016 release, FLIPPING, I was impressed by the depth of emotion plumbed. So realistic was the novel, that I wondered if, like me, she had personal experience of special needs and disabilities. So, when A MOTHER'S HEART, a non-fiction memoir and self-help book rolled into one, was published, I was curious to learn about the author's background. FLIPPING did such a wonderful job of conveying the frustrations and joys of special needs parenting that I was expecting a lot from its non-fiction follow-up. Thankfully, it didn't disappoint.
With great care and sensitivity, Ms Chang-Lim tackles the subject of childhood deafness. At times, it's not the easiest read. Heart-breaking circumstances are explored, warts n'all, with no punches pulled. The author is hard on herself at times, but her honesty is engaging. Happily, there are plenty of uplifting moments, as Teddy and his family overcome hurdles most people couldn't comprehend. Chang-Lim's style is informative but never preachy; she tells us what's worked or not worked for her, but she acknowledges that there is no universal approach. Some of the advice seems obvious, but when life is hard, it's often difficult to see the wood for the trees. And by the end of the tale, I felt as though the Lims were friends.
Written with consummate skill, A MOTHER'S HEART is a book to savour. It is comprehensive without being long-winded, and the pace is perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it in particular to anyone involved with special needs parenting or parenting in general. An easy 5* from me!
- DiogenesReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 22, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly Candid
"A Mother's Heart" by Eichin Chang-Lim is part-memoir, part-self-help book. This is a difficult balancing act to perform, since such works can come across as mawkish, but the author pulls it off admirably. The work chronicles the author's experiences in bringing up a profoundly deaf son, Teddy. Ms. Chang-Lim is refreshingly candid about her mistakes and heartaches during the course of her journey. She writes feelingly of the family strains and difficult choices over the years - and both the support and the lack of support she received. This is a very human book, and not at all preachy. I warmed to her over the course of reading this short piece. It strikes me also that "A Mother's Heart" is something which the parents of children who are disabled - or perhaps more correctly, "differently-abled" - will find helpful.
- louisReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2022
2.0 out of 5 stars Not what l expected
Felt this book didn’t deal with the deep
Issues of parents of children who have complex needs or the real issue of day to day life and the lack of support many parents suffer from when trying to get a diagnosis or support. It skimmed over how guilt and depression can play a big part in their life and how this and anxiety impacts on their lives. As parents we all feel guilt but a parent of a child with additional needs can feel a failure while trying to portray to the outside world that they are coping and all is well. I think if she’d discussed this it would have gave some relief to parents knowing they are not alone
louis
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2022
Issues of parents of children who have complex needs or the real issue of day to day life and the lack of support many parents suffer from when trying to get a diagnosis or support. It skimmed over how guilt and depression can play a big part in their life and how this and anxiety impacts on their lives. As parents we all feel guilt but a parent of a child with additional needs can feel a failure while trying to portray to the outside world that they are coping and all is well. I think if she’d discussed this it would have gave some relief to parents knowing they are not alone
Images in this review