Freeing Teresa wins BIG at the NYC Big Book Awards!
Freeing Teresa scores a double-win in the NYC Big Book Awards for “Audiobook Nonfiction” and “Social/Political Change.” Vancouver, BC, Canada—The NYC Big Book Award selected Freeing Teresa as a winner in two categories in the 2024 competition: Audiobook Nonfiction (for the full-cast audiobook) and Social/Political Change (for the print edition). “We’re thrilled…
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Watch the Freeing Teresa Book Trailer: You’re Not Afraid
The Freeing Teresa book trailer, “You’re not Afraid,” uses actors’ voices from the full-cast audiobook and mixes them with video footage from the day in 2013 when we rescued Teresa. https://vimeo.com/976903465 Voices from the Audiobook Lead actor Jackie Blackmore (who plays Franke) said, “Reading Franke James’ story and listening to the actual…
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Meet the 13 Actors Narrating the Freeing Teresa Audiobook!
The Freeing Teresa audiobook is brought to life by a full cast of thirteen talented voice-actors. It stars Jackie Blackmore, Lauren Potter, and Dayleigh Nelson, with a supporting cast of Cynthia Potvin, Bill Mackie, Paula Hoffmann, Rob Cottingham, Sidika Larbes, Geoff Sugiyama, Laurel Bailey, Divina Soriano-Leacock, Justin Smallbridge, and Roshni Kashyap. The…
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A Gripping True Story Brought to Life in a Full-Cast Audiobook
The award-winning memoir Freeing Teresa is now a full-cast audiobook. Over a dozen actors bring Franke and Teresa’s riveting true story to life. They include Jackie Blackmore as Franke, and Lauren Potter—of GLEE television fame—as Teresa. They are supported by Dayleigh Nelson, Cynthia Potvin, Bill Mackie, Paula Hoffmann, Rob Cottingham, Sidika Larbes,…
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Redraw Your Path interviews Franke James
Exciting announcement! I had the opportunity to share my story on Redraw Your Path, a podcast hosted by Lynn Debilzen! We talk about how dreaming big helped inspire and transform us all! Dream Big About What Could Be | Franke James We covered a lot of territory in the interview. From my being an artist…
Assume That I Can
On March 21, 2024, World Down Syndrome Day, Coor Down, launched their worldwide campaign, Assume That I Can, with the support of six international Down Syndrome associations, including the Canadian Down Syndrome Society. The breakthrough video starring actor Madison Tevlin went viral. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92ivgabfdPQ “Our negative assumptions about people with Down syndrome can…
Winner of Four Firebird Book Awards (and Judges’ Pick) on Speak Up Talk Radio!
“Freeing Teresa is all about the need to speak up, so I’m thrilled to have my true story win four Firebird Book Awards plus the Judge’s Pick,” said Franke James. Patricia Rullo is the brains behind the Firebird Awards. The awards programme has recognized many ground-breaking literary works and also benefits a…
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“Freeing Teresa” takes flight in Brockville
The stage was set. The mood was celebratory. Many colourfully-dressed folks were mingling and chatting as they served themselves food and refreshments. There was a friendly buzz in the air. (It didn’t feel like any AGM’s I’d ever been to!) A semicircle of elegant black-striped tables, with hot pink flowers in white…
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Winner of the 2024 Human Relations Indie Book Awards!
“Freeing Teresa describes a beautiful bond between sisters impacted by the challenges of understanding disability rights through adulthood.” Susan Peterson, Founder, Human Relations Indie Book Awards Gold Award: Disability Rights (Special Needs)Gold Award: Family ChallengesSilver Award: Inspirational Silver Award: Leadership DISABILITY RIGHTS (SPECIAL NEEDS): GOLD WINNER Human Relations Indie Book Awards GOLD, Disability Rights (Special Needs): Freeing Teresa: A…
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“It’s My Decision”
Teresa Heartchild in the TV documentary, Exploding the Myth in 1979 Webinar: Protecting the Rights of People with Intellectual Disabilities The story behind Teresa’s and my involvement in Community Living Ontario’s webinar goes back forty-five years to 1979 when the documentary Exploding the Myth aired across Canada—with Teresa in it. The film…
My sister was sent to a nursing home against her will
Vancouver artist and self-advocate Teresa Heartchild at Inclusion BC’s planning retreat at Loon Lake, B.C. in February 2020. We fought and won, but thousands of others aren’t so lucky By Franke James My sister’s life was written off ten years ago with the stroke of a pen—just like thousands of others with…
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Demand and Disrupt: I Am Alive
Author Franke James and her book Freeing Teresa I was recently interviewed by Lisa McKinley for the Demand and Disrupt podcast which is produced by the Advocado Press and the Center For Accessible Living in Kentucky. Disability activist Mary Johnson’s exceptional book, Make Them Go Away, is what first connected me to…
A Sister’s Rescue Mission for Disability Justice
The rescue mission: Franke James with her camera and Teresa Heartchild with a plastic whistle at the Toronto nursing home on November 30, 2013. “Forced care is happening to people with disabilities around the world. Most people don’t escape. And the world shrugs.” ~ Franke James BOOKTRIB REVIEW The memoir opens on…
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Tickets to Freedom
A True Story of Empowerment The compelling saga of siblings in conflict over one sister’s disability and the right thing to do Freeing Teresa: A True Story about My Sister and Me “The result is more than a memoir: it’s a testimony to how ‘tickets to freedom’ are gained through fighting and…
Family, disability rights, and the fight for freedom
The complex dynamics of family, disability rights, and the fight for freedom are woven into “Freeing Teresa” by Franke James. It is a gripping and timely narrative which chiefly focuses on Franke’s quest to challenge her siblings’ decision to place their disabled sister, Teresa, into a nursing home against her wishes.
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Soul Healing Sisters
https://vimeo.com/905423220 “Giving foot spas brought me closer to my sister with Down syndrome” Teresa closes her eyes and smiles, saying, “Ahh, that feels good.” I agree; it feels great when I have my feet washed and toenails trimmed – I just never expected to give a pedicure to my younger sister with…
Siblings Canada interview with Franke James
A Sister’s Call to Action Helen Ries, co-founder of Siblings Canada, summed up her reading experience of Freeing Teresa as “riveting.” She said it was a “call to action for siblings” for when our parents are no longer able to care for our siblings with disabilities. A challenging story for all siblings…
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Teresa Goes to the Dentist
Why a dental clinic for people with disabilities is so essential https://vimeo.com/913171022 Teresa Heartchild waits for her order at a busy restaurant Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️ A shoutout to all the #siblings, #caregivers and helpers out there! For most people, going to the dentist is not something we do for fun. My sister Teresa Heartchild…
Teresa Heartchild’s Art for World Down Syndrome Day
Teresa is a Vancouver-based artist with Down syndrome. She is smiling and holding up her design for DSBC’s World Down Syndrome Day T-shirt. The artist’s creation is featured on Down Syndrome BC’s T-shirt. Teresa’s art for World Down Syndrome Day is loaded with symbolic meaning. She drew a happy figure standing on…
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Teresa finds home
https://vimeo.com/900305275 Teresa is wowed by the new article about her in Community Living Magazine in the UK: “Teresa finds home.” Read the full story at: Community Living Magazine. Teresa finds home Community Living Magazine — Winter 2024 Excerpt: Written by Franke James Choosing where to live is a basic human right. Teresa’s…
Labeled “Incapable,” Woman with Down Syndrome Proves Naysayers Wrong
Two sisters challenge system of “forced care” and stand up for the right to be free. VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 3, 2023 – Ten years ago, Teresa Heartchild was rescued from an involuntary placement in a Toronto nursing home by her sister, Franke James. Heartchild’s future had been written off when a social…
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Wrongly declared incapable, woman’s story exposes flaws of “forced care”
VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ – Ten years ago today, Teresa Heartchild was rescued from an involuntary placement in a Toronto nursing home. Her future had been written off when a social worker ticked a box saying she was “not capable.” During the assessment, Heartchild, who has Down syndrome, objected to the incorrect health information.…
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Ten years ago today…
November 29, 2013 Ten years ago today, on Nov 29, 2013, I called my father about @TeresaHeartchild’s sudden placement in the nursing home. He felt that she had been kidnapped. “Listen, I’m really upset now.” Dad was steaming. “I want somebody to bring me down there! And I want to get Teresa…
Cast of Characters
Franke: The Activist (Sister) Siobhan: The Planner (Sister) Teresa: The Self-Talk Poet (Youngest Sister) Phoebe: The Harmonizer (Sister) Dad: The Retired Lawyer (Father) Conrad: The Guardian (Brother) Bill: The Campaigner (Frank’s Husband) Deirdre: The Boss (Sister) The Police: The Righteous Cop Note from Publisher: Freeing Teresa is a work of nonfiction. Some of the…
Advance Praise
“By turns gut-wrenching and awe-inspiring, Freeing Teresa shows how the disability rights ideal of ‘nothing about us without us’ is the only way to make decisions… This story will break your heart and then fill it up again.”
Catherine McKercher, author of Shut Away: When Down Syndrome Was a Life Sentence
Our “gut-wrenching” story is out
Teresa and Franke are in front of the book launch poster—celebrating ten years of freedom Our “gut-wrenching” story is out! It’s only taken me ten years, but my new book, Freeing Teresa: A True Story about My Sister and Me, was published last week. It’s a roller-coaster sister story. I was reluctant to…