Good Night Jonathan - Good Morning Laura

Book excerpt: Description The author tragically lost her young son Jonathan, aged 11, in an accident involving unsafe goalposts in January 1991. Since that time she has campaigned, fiercely and tirelessly to make football a safe game for other children to play and her campaign has involved her in meetings with Sports Ministers, Football Association Managers, Members of Parliament, and Television, Radio, and Newspaper interviews. Until this tragedy nobody would have believed the strength she has to fight. During this campaign her efforts have involved such heartache because each time she thought that legislation on safety was in sight another tragedy involving unsafe goalposts occurred and she addressed the hurt that other parents were feeling when another 10 children, in the UK alone, died in separate incidents due to unsafe goalposts. Each time she again went through the empathetic pain of losing her much loved son. Whilst coping with the campaign the author gave birth to Laura, a severely disabled little girl, who became the "Light of her Life." Her book charts Laura's progress from her initial diagnosis, and the doctor's assessment that Laura would never walk or talk, through to her teenage years. The author's fighting spirit and that of her family, along with Laura's tenacity to prove everybody wrong on so many occasions, has won through and the book tells how she has worked so hard to make Laura's life the very best it can be. This lovely, happy little girl is at the centre of what is a real, loving family and the book itself is Laura's story. It is a very inspiring read, especially to anyone who has received the devastating news that their child is not the perfect little person they expected them to be. About the Author Mrs Brenda Smith is 53 and the mother of an autistic child with complex special needs. She is a wife, mother and grandmother and is employed as a Clerical Assistant with the Civil Service. Brenda lost her young son in a tragic accident involving unsafe goalposts and has campaigned for 15 years to try to get legislation in place for all goalposts to be safe in an effort to protect other children. She had lost a much loved child and been given a child that needed so much care and attention, and she always will. Brenda enjoyed writing the book and feels that if she had read a similar book it would have given her the strength and hope that she needed after she heard the news that Laura had such complex special needs.