Ann Yurcek
Ann Yurcek
begins her story as “just” a mom
living
her dream of having a large
family. Through adversity we
watch Ann, her husband, and her
children become wiser and
stronger. Yurcek’s gift to us is
to share her insights so that
we, too, have the opportunity to
gain wisdom, to become more
deeply spiritual, and to make a
difference. Through the pages of
her family’s journey we watch
Ann transform into a warrior
mother and then an expert mom,
battling and changing broken
systems with more disabilities
than her exceptional children.
In 1989, the Yurceks sixth
child, Becca was born with a
rare genetic disorder, and while
she struggled to survive, her
family tumbled into poverty.
Tiny Titan is the true and
inspirational story of their
journey out of poverty and the
many miracles they received
along the way.
Visit Ann
online at
http://www.tinytitan.org
PageOneLit.com: Where did you
grow up and was reading and writing a
part of your life? Who were your
earliest influences and why?
Ann
Yurcek:
I was a very quiet and shy child. I
buried myself in books and stories. I
was a reader of history, and very much
self-challenged. I went to an open
experimental school in Mankato,
Minnesota where children learned in an
open self-paced environment. I spent
hours in the english room, reading and
writing, challenging myself every day.
My father was a teacher in the college
system and an inventor. I have my
father's creative gifts and the stories
I read as a child prepared me for the
journey that layed ahead. When I read
the Family Nobody Wanted, by
Helen Doss, who would have thought we
would move on to adopt the family nobody
wanted. The story of Alex, the dying
child with Cystic Fibrosis, I remembered
the father's agony and his writing when
I held my dying baby. Their writing, and
then my journalling and finally my
writing became my lifeline.
PageOneLit.com: Why do you write?
Ann
Yurcek:
I began writing as a way of coping when
circumstances became overwhelming. It
helped put a situation into perspective
and open up options. By writing it down
it helped me gain control over the
circumstances and release emotional
trauma. I was able to clear my head and
continue to press onward. I did not
have time to journal everyday as life
kept getting in the way, but I journaled
the milestones and the celebrations as
time wore on. My father encouraged me to
write and it became my therapy as I was
isolated with being a parent of a very
medically fragile child.
Since then, I continue to write as a way
of advocating and educating others about
the complexities of having special needs
children and our unique families. I
learned that the written word has
incredible power to help us help our
children and our families. I was told
many times I had to write our story, but
was afraid to write it. I did not want
to go back and relive it. I believed I
was not an author, I am just a mom.But
somehow in the process of life I have
had to become an medical professional
and in addition to all the other skillsI
had to learn to be able to help my
children. Writing and sharing our story
kept weighing on me and I knew that the
best way to advocate for families such
as mine was to share the intimate
details of our hearts with the world. I
lived the book moment by moment, day by
day and until I started writing the
book, I never had looked at all its
pieces. When I did pull the journals,
and snippets of writing together I found
it cathartic and empowering. I finally
saw all that God had had done with my
life and our family.
PageOneLit.com: In your new book,
"Tiny Titan", you share your story of
your daughter Becca (Rebecca Nicole).
Becca had a rare genetic disorder called
'Noonan's syndrome' --- What is
'Noonan's syndrome'?
Ann
Yurcek:
Noonan Syndome is a congential heart
syndrome that affects both children and
adults. Those affected have complex
congential heart problems and short
stature. It is believed that 1 in 1000
to 1 in 2500 are born with this
condition. Noonan Syndrome is a genetic
condition that can be inherited or can
happen by a sporadic mutation such as
our Becca's. It can affect the heart,
growth, blood clotting, gastrointestinal
systems, mental and phsyical development
ofthe person. Affected individuals may
have behavior problems, learning
difficulties and many other anomalies.
Noonan Syndrome is one of the most
common conditions associated wtih
congenital heart anomalies. My Becca
has a very severe form of Noonan
Syndrome and most of the findings.
PageOneLit.com: In the beginning
of "Tiny Titan" you write "Adversity is
a gift" - Explain.
Ann
Yurcek:
Until we faced losing everything, I
never knew how much of life I took for
granted. I learned that each second,
hour, moment was precious. Becca gave
me the gift of understanding that today
is what truly matters -- loving, living,
and savoring time with my daughter, my
family, my friends. The Gift of today.
The Adversity in my life changed me from
what I was to who I have become. It
taught me and my family some of life's
most important lessons.
"Anything
is possible if you can believe
it. If you can believe it and
follow your heart amazing things
can happen, and most important
of all.. was never...never..
ever give up on hope and love."
Becca gave us the gift of realizing that
loving well today is what truly matters.
PageOneLit.com: "Tiny Titan" is
inspirational - Your story is
incredible. What do you hope readers
will take away with them after reading
your book? What do you hope your
story/book will accomplish?
Ann
Yurcek:
I wrote Tiny Titan as a voice for
all the special needs families, foster
and adoptive families so that
individuals who do not live on our path
could understand our needs and
experience. My Tiny Titan showed me how
to believe, and it is my hope that her
story can change hearts one person at a
time. I hope that this story creates a
wave of understanding to hear the
voices of our children and the needs of
families. I want the reader to see the
extraordinary gifts our children with
differing abilities can bring to our
greater society. I wrote Tiny Titan
to offer Hope, inspiration and provision
others with strength, and the belief
of hope and miracles. I dream that this
book will turn a tide of compassion for
those who need a hand up in life.
PageOneLit.com: Discuss your
experience with the adoption process in
your state (you adopted and reunited
five siblings separated in foster care)
and how the 'system' made false
promises of services to you and how you
fought back and handled it.
Ann
Yurcek:
When we adopted the children, I expected
to find the kind of coordinated systems
I had been blessed with in the health
care system in finding help for Becca to
survive. I did not know that I was
entering a broken, fragmented, and
challenged system. The system was much
more complex than the children we
adopted. We were not told of my
children's severe problems logged in
records we did not have. Two l7 page
psychologicals on my oldest adoptive
daughter were hidden. We were only
allowed to ask questions and who knew
what questions to ask. We were not
allowed to see the volumes of records on
our new children. I had learned from my
years with Becca to adovocate and to
never give up for what my daughter's
needs. Those skills would be
strengthened as I learned to be mom,
therapist, psychiatrist and lawyer to
fight for the services in order to help
my newly adopted children.
PageOneLit.com: How important is
your faith? How important do you feel
your faith played in the story of "Tiny
Titan"?
Ann
Yurcek:
I made a promise "I would love her no
matter what and she was in God's hands"
very early on when the doctors told me
that there was not hope of my daughter
surviving. When I watched my daughter
at death's door, all I had was prayer.
Prayers were answered many times over.
Just when I thought I could not do it
one more second, a miracle occured. The
miracles were real - they were
unexplainable and they continued to
happen. And I continued to pray and
offer Thanksgiving and Glory to the
Father. I prayed that my daughter's life
would have meaning, that something good
would come out of all the sorrow and
pain.I live everyday trying to honor
that promise...giving back, paying it
forward, and being thankful for my
daughter and my family.
I have learned that I have no power on
my own, God held me at my darkest hours,
protected me through the storms, and
rejoiced with me through the
celebrations. He allowed me to see the
miracles!
PageOneLit.com: Discuss your
publishing company appropriately named
"Better Endings New Beginnings" --
Ann
Yurcek:
I had met my friend and publisher at a
camp for adults with Fetal Alcohol
Spectrum Disorders. I had been
roommates with Jodee Kulp who had
written books on FASDs. I was about
half way through the writing of Tiny
Titan when I called Jodee to ask
about how she had published her book. I
had approached larger publishers and had
been told that they may want to turn
Tiny Titan into the happily ever
after story. The whole reason for
writing Tiny Titan was to tell
the real story. I didn't want to add
things that were not true, I didn't want
to take out pieces only I knew were very
important. I wanted the beginning to
remain as it was first written - by
"Just A Mom." As we talked she offered
to help me publish Tiny Titan.
How I found Jodee and Better Endings,
New Beginnings is just another miracle
of the journey and what better
publishing title, Better Endings and New
Beginnings for some of our most
extraordinary children and families.
HOPE
PageOneLit.com: What's next?
Ann
Yurcek:
Having to find the courage to go to New
York for the Mom's Choice Awards Gala.
Continuing to walk into uncharted
paths. Becca our Tiny Titan just turned
l8, and the house is now emptying out.
I am speaking, teaching and continuing
to write. We are just to
embarking again as we reopen our home to
foster children. We have learned too
much to not help additional children.
Jim and I will be Grandparents next year
as Kristy is having our first
Grandchild. The Backpacks for Kids
program is continuing in our new
community. Someday I will write the
sequel to Tiny Titan, as the readers
want to know what happens. Someday,
Tiny Titan, The Legacy will be written,
but first I must live the next piece of
my journey.
PageOneLit.com: What was the
last book you read?
Ann
Yurcek:
While I wrote Tiny Titan, I did
not allow myself to read any books until
it was completed. I needed to get my
long procrastinated story down before I
would allow myself to relax. I am an
avid Oprah Book Club fan as she is my
inspiration and I just finished reading
The Measure of A Man by Sidney
Poitier for myself. Most my reading is
books and references on disabilities,
foster care and adoption. But some of my
most enjoyable reading is to my children
and I am well versed in Harry Potter
and the Deathly Hallows.
PageOneLit.com: Do you have any
hobbies? What are they? How do they
enhance your writing?
Ann
Yurcek:
My hobbies have changed over the years
as I have had little time to sit at my
sewing machine. Becca's medical needs
and the adopted children's behaviors
kept me from my pattern design and
creative stichery. My elaborate
designed children's wear and doll
clothing kept our family well clothed
and provided extra money in our budget
while our oldest children were young.
Today I have learned to use my
creativity in my parenting. I guess I
now stitch words into a life of
elaborate tapestries.
