Marguerite Hamilton
Encyclopedia
Marguerite Hamilton was an American author who was best known for her two books written in the 1950s. Red Shoes for Nancy (1955) is the real-life story of the birth and first twelve years of life of her daughter Nancy, who was diagnosed with lymphohemangioma
, an extremely rare and crippling disease affecting the lymph nodes and blood vessels. Recently widowed and penniless, Marguerite must care for her child while the disfiguring illness — despite more than 40 operations — slowly spreads upward through Nancy's body. Nancy's legs and one arm are affected by the painful swelling, and Nancy's fingers and toes — and eventually both legs — are amputated in a desperate effort to slow or halt the progress of the disease.
Borrowed Angel (1958) is the sequel to Red Shoes for Nancy, as the Hamiltons prepare for a trip to Lourdes
where they hope the healing waters will cure what medical treatments of the 1950s cannot. The Hamiltons' trip to France was covered extensively by the American and French press.
Both books have been out of print for many years, although a paperback version of Borrowed Angel was available in the 1970s.
Some time after Nancy's death, Marguerite Hamilton moved to Parker County, Texas where she died in 1998.
Lymphohemangioma
Lymphohemangioma, also spelled Lymphohaemangioma, is a disease characterized by swelling of the lymph nodes and blood vessels. This vascular abnormality is variously described as a "mixture of clear fluid and blood-filled cysts", a mass of abnormal swollen veins and lymph nodes, or a tumorous...
, an extremely rare and crippling disease affecting the lymph nodes and blood vessels. Recently widowed and penniless, Marguerite must care for her child while the disfiguring illness — despite more than 40 operations — slowly spreads upward through Nancy's body. Nancy's legs and one arm are affected by the painful swelling, and Nancy's fingers and toes — and eventually both legs — are amputated in a desperate effort to slow or halt the progress of the disease.
Borrowed Angel (1958) is the sequel to Red Shoes for Nancy, as the Hamiltons prepare for a trip to Lourdes
Lourdes
Lourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...
where they hope the healing waters will cure what medical treatments of the 1950s cannot. The Hamiltons' trip to France was covered extensively by the American and French press.
Both books have been out of print for many years, although a paperback version of Borrowed Angel was available in the 1970s.
Some time after Nancy's death, Marguerite Hamilton moved to Parker County, Texas where she died in 1998.
External links
- Red Shoes for Nancy, Amazon.com
- The story of Nancy Hamilton, from the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City