Loving Large: A Mother’s Rare Disease Memoir

If not me, then who will save my child? A mother must confront the unthinkable when her son is diagnosed with a rare medical condition.

Patti M. Hall’s life is pitched into an abyss of uncertainty when a golf ball-sized tumour is discovered in her teenage son’s head and he is diagnosed with gigantism, a disease of both legend and stigma. After scrambling to access a handful of medical experts in the field, Patti learns that her son could grow uncontrollably, his mobility could be permanently limited, and his life could be cut short without timely and aggressive treatment.

Patti’s attention shifts fully to her son, away from her relationships as well as her own career and health. Her new normal sees her step into a dozen additional roles, including nurse, researcher, advocate, risk assessor, and promise maker, while she struggles and fails to rebuild her life as a recently divorced woman.

In Loving Large, Patti discovers that resilience is learned and that the changes experienced in the aftermath of crisis can often create the greatest opportunities.