But it was only when Mrs. Morgan became too ill to care for her that Carol, then in her forties, began the arduous path toward the freedom of independent living. Carol wrote My Friends Call Me Carol to encourage others to persevere physically and spiritually against the odds. She tells of the problems she encountered in hospitals when staff didn't have the time to understand her slurred speech or to acknowledge Carol's intelligence.

Carol Morgan writes simply and compellingly about the help she received from her family, from her religion, from other cerebral palsy patients, and from the staff of programs that encouraged her to learn the skills she needed to become relatively independent. The result is a stirring story of determination and sheer grit that inspires readers to tackle the problems that block the road to "Freedom House".