Artist with Down syndrome makes mark with ‘Kellie’s Book’

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Artist with Down syndrome makes mark with ‘Kellie’s Book’

by stacey palevskystaff writer

When Carla Greenwald’s daughter, Kellie, was just 17 days old, Carla remembers attending a support group for parents of children with disabilities. A 4-year-old girl in a flouncy dress walked around smiling at all the adults. The young girl had Down syndrome.

“I remember thinking, ‘Will Kellie ever be able to do that?’ And now look at her,†Carla recalled, beaming at her now 29-year-old daughter — a College of Marin graduate and newly published author of “Kellie’s Book: The Art of the Possible.â€

Kellie grinned back at her mom, then matter-of-factly stated, “I wanted to be an author like my dad.

“He wrote a book [a memoir titled ‘The Copyrighted Broadcast’], and chapter seven, ‘A Star is Born,’ is all about me,†she added.

“Why else, Kellie?†Carla prompted.

Kellie thought for a moment. “I care about other children, and I wanted to be a role model, to set an example.â€

Carla and her husband, Hank, a retired play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants, point to the book as an example for anyone who has ever questioned the abilities of a child with Down syndrome. They also say it illustrates just how crucial early intervention is for children with developmental disabilities (Kellie started occupational, physical and speech therapy when she was just 3 weeks old).

“Kellie’s Book†took two years to complete. Kellie created all the drawings at Cedars of Marin, a residential facility for adults with developmental disabilities.

The book is a series of drawings and reflections on Kellie’s life, from her high school prom to her love of the guitar. The art was done in Prismacolor Art Stix, woodless colored pencils that look like oil pastels.

“From the beginning, we set out to make it publishable,†said Vickery, Kellie’s art teacher. “We began with a plan of creating a book about her disabilities and how she copes with them, how she was able to turn them into abilities and lead a life that other people her age might lead.â€

Each of the vibrant drawings is accompanied by a few sentences of text written in Kellie’s handwriting. Next to the picture of a girl playing a guitar, Kellie wrote: “I like playing music because I love to sing.†Next to a drawing of a girl crying bright blue tears she wrote, “Sometimes I feel sad because I am confused, frustrated and overwhelmed.â€

“Art is a great equalizer because it doesn’t matter what your developmental level is — it comes straight from your gut and heart,†Vickery said.

Kellie grew up in a secular Reform household and is proud of the Hebrew she knows (she showed off by reciting the prayer for Chanukah candles).

She was mainstreamed through elementary and high school, and lived at home in San Francisco until she was 18. She then moved to a group home in Corte Madera operated by the Marin Association for Retarded Citizens, now called Lifehouse. She took special classes at College of Marin and received a certificate of graduation in May 2000.

All the while, Kellie went to Giants games with her dad, at home and on the road. “I’m a huge baseball fan,†Kellie said. Her favorite teams are the Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds.

When asked how many games she has attended in her lifetime, Kellie said, “Oh, this is going to be so cool.†She rubbed her hands together as she and Carla ventured a guess. Maybe 400, they agreed.

Kellie now lives in her own apartment in a building for adults with disabilities in Marin. She often visits her parents’ house, where her paintings, drawings and sculptures are prominently displayed.

Since her book was published in October, Kellie has traveled around the Bay Area reading from and signing it. After she spoke at the Marin County Office of Education, the superintendent wrote her a letter commending her for “understanding how to live life in a positive way no matter the obstacles.â€

Kellie Greenwald will sign copies of “Kellie’s Book: The Art of the Possible†at 4 p.m. Feb. 9 at Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera.