Marie Killilea
Encyclopedia
Marie Lyons Killilea is the mother of Karen Killilea
and an American author, activist, and lobbyist for the rights of people with cerebral palsy
. Her work culminated in the formation of the Cerebral Palsy Association of Westchester County. Later, she was a co-founder of
The National United Cerebral Palsy Foundation.
The family lived first in Rye, New York
; later they moved to Larchmont, where they bought a house they christened "Sursum Corda
" with the proceeds from Marie's first best-selling book.
Killilea expressed her religious convictions in her writings.
and the Katharine Gibbs Business School.
and had only three months to live. On referral, she went to Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Philadelphia for treatment by Dr. Isaac Djerassi. He prescribed huge doses of Methotrexate
, a powerful drug, and in eight months, every trace of her cancer was reportedly eradicated.
's struggle to overcome the limitations of her cerebral palsy
and her family's fight to help her lead a satisfying life. A sequel, With Love From Karen, was published in 1963. The original was re-released in 1999. She also wrote a version of the story for children called "Wren".
Karen Killilea
Karen Ann Killilea is the subject of two bestselling books by her mother Marie Killilea, Karen and With Love from Karen. These books were groundbreaking by asserting that children with cerebral palsy could lead productive lives....
and an American author, activist, and lobbyist for the rights of people with cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
. Her work culminated in the formation of the Cerebral Palsy Association of Westchester County. Later, she was a co-founder of
The National United Cerebral Palsy Foundation.
Marriage and children
She married James O'Rourke Killilea. They had five children: Marie, Katherine Anne (who died in infancy), Karen Ann, James O'Rourke Jr. ("Rory"), and Kristin Rose. They also informally adopted Gloria Kyle, although this adoption was never finalized legally.The family lived first in Rye, New York
Rye (city), New York
Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye, which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York...
; later they moved to Larchmont, where they bought a house they christened "Sursum Corda
Sursum corda
The Sursum Corda is the opening dialogue to the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer or Anaphora in the liturgies of the Christian Church, dating back to at least the third century and the Anaphora of the Apostolic Tradition. The dialogue is recorded in the earliest liturgies of the Christian...
" with the proceeds from Marie's first best-selling book.
Religious faith
Marie and James Killilea were devout Roman Catholics and raised their children accordingly.Killilea expressed her religious convictions in her writings.
Education
She attended Mount St. Vincent Academy in Riverdale, New YorkRiverdale, Bronx
Riverdale is an affluent residential neighborhood in the northwest portion of the Bronx in New York City. Riverdale contains the northernmost point in New York City.-History:...
and the Katharine Gibbs Business School.
Cancer
In 1969, she was told by her doctors that she had a recurrence of lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
and had only three months to live. On referral, she went to Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Philadelphia for treatment by Dr. Isaac Djerassi. He prescribed huge doses of Methotrexate
Methotrexate
Methotrexate , abbreviated MTX and formerly known as amethopterin, is an antimetabolite and antifolate drug. It is used in treatment of cancer, autoimmune diseases, ectopic pregnancy, and for the induction of medical abortions. It acts by inhibiting the metabolism of folic acid. Methotrexate...
, a powerful drug, and in eight months, every trace of her cancer was reportedly eradicated.
Writings
Marie Killilea wrote a biography of her daughter, called simply Karen, which became a best seller in 1952. It detailed Karen KillileaKaren Killilea
Karen Ann Killilea is the subject of two bestselling books by her mother Marie Killilea, Karen and With Love from Karen. These books were groundbreaking by asserting that children with cerebral palsy could lead productive lives....
's struggle to overcome the limitations of her cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
and her family's fight to help her lead a satisfying life. A sequel, With Love From Karen, was published in 1963. The original was re-released in 1999. She also wrote a version of the story for children called "Wren".
Publications by Killilea
- Karen, 1952 (re-released in 1999), New York: Buccaneer Books (ISBN 1-56849-098-4)
- With Love From Karen, (1963), New York: Buccaneer Books (ISBN 1-56849-099-2)
- Wren, (1981), New York: Dell Publishing Yearling Book (ISBN 978-0440797043)