In this deeply powerful and important episode, Georgette Beck welcomes Nancy Ferraro - Florida-based estate planning and probate attorney, author of the award-winning memoir "When the Bough Breaks," and fierce advocate for families with special needs children.
Nancy's journey is one of extraordinary courage. She and her then-husband adopted a boy named George from Romania, believing he was healthy. George arrived as what Nancy describes as "a wild animal in the body of a boy" - suffering from institutionally acquired autism, low IQ, fetal alcohol syndrome, and various psychoses. For nearly a decade, Nancy was the object of George's violence while navigating systems that often failed her family.
But Nancy didn't just survive - she became a warrior. She learned to advocate, to command respect rather than beg for favors, and ultimately found the courage to place George in a group home at age 14 - a decision that saved all of their lives. Today, George is "living his best life," and Nancy uses her platform to shed light, share hope, and offer community to parents who feel alone.
This conversation covers the reality of fetal alcohol syndrome (affecting 1 in 15 American children), why mothers shouldn't hide under rocks in shame, the importance of getting proper diagnosis and help, estate planning for special needs families, and why sometimes going through hardship isn't for you - it's for someone watching you.
Connect with Nancy Ferraro
- Book: "When the Bough Breaks" - Available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/a6sBzUP
- Location: Treasure Coast, Florida
- Practice: www.ferrarolawpalmbeach.com - Estate Planning & Probate, specializing in Special Needs Trusts
- Speaking: Available for conferences, support groups, and advocacy events
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/nancy.annferraro
About Your Host - Georgette Beck
Junk to Jewels podcast was inspired by Georgette Beck's first book, Junk to Jewels, A Journey from Brokenness and Despair to Beauty and Delight. The book is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1964508150
Junk to Jewels podcast with Georgette Beck will inspire, educate, encourage, motivate, and give hope to listeners as they heal from their past, in the present, for their future. Georgette is not afraid to share her heart with listeners, for heart matters, truly matter!
All heart matters come up for discussion, including healing from divorce, loss, abandonment, rejection, insecurity, self-esteem, remarriage, blended families, stepparenting, suicide, abortion, life purpose, faith, disappointment, depression, happiness, hope, grief, sorrow, health, and many other topics.
Episodes include stories from Georgette's life, helpful affirmations, scriptures and quotes, wisdom gleaned from other authors and their books, and featured guest speakers who share their own junk to jewels stories.
We invite you to join our community by downloading and subscribing. We encourage you to submit a review and share with friends.
Have an inspiring story to share? Want to be a guest for a future episode? Contact Georgette at www.GeorgetteBeck.com
Connect with Georgette:
- Website: https://www.georgettebeck.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgette.beck/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeorgetteBeckWriter
Support the Show
If this episode resonated with you:
- Subscribe to Junk to Jewels Podcast on your favorite platform
- Leave a review - it helps other families find these crucial conversations
- Share this episode with parents who need encouragement
- Order both "When the Bough Breaks" and "Junk to Jewels" on Amazon
- Write reviews for both books to help them reach more families
- Connect with Nancy if you need estate planning or special needs advocacy
Tags
#JunkToJewelsPodcast #NancyFerraro #WhenTheBoughBreaks #SpecialNeeds #FetalAlcoholSyndrome #SpecialNeedsAdvocacy #EstatePlanning #SpecialNeedsTrust #Autism #Adoption #Motherhood #Resilience #FamilyCafe #GeorgetteBeck #ParentingSpecialNeeds #DisabilityAdvocacy #MentalHealth
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