LAURA AND JORGE POSADA
THE BEAUTY OF LOVE
(September 2010)
by Laura and Jorge Posada
Jorge and Laura Posada need very little introduction. He’s a five-time World Champion and the catcher for the celebrated New York Yankees. She’s a successful lawyer and philanthropist. What is not well known, is that the Posadas are parents who suffered for many years in silence when their firstborn—son Jorge Luis—was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness just ten days after his birth.
In THE BEAUTY OF LOVE: A Memoir of Miracles, Hope, and Healing (Atria Books; $24.00; September 2010) Jorge and Laura tell, in alternating chapters, the story of their early lives, their young love, and the disease that tested the foundations of their family. With a moving foreword by Joe Torre, THE BEAUTY OF LOVE also offers heartfelt anecdotes from close family members and friends, as well as several of Jorge’s teammates.
When Jorge Luis Posada, Jr. was born in 1999, Jorge and Laura sensed something was not right and their worst fears were confirmed. Their son was diagnosed with craniosynostosis, a life threatening condition in which the bones of the skull fuse together prematurely causing a growth disturbance. Little was known about this illness at the time and the Posadas were overcome with anguish and concern. Before the age of ten, Jorge Luis would require eight major surgeries to correct his skull and his parents worried constantly about his emotional, physical and cognitive well-being. The Posada’s have always been a very private family. Even as Jorge became an all-star catcher for the World Champion Yankees they decided to keep their son’s medical condition a private, family matter. That is until they realized they could use their celebrity status to help educate the public and bring much needed attention to this condition, while improving quality of life and care for those diagnosed with it.
“We looked past the horizon of our own reality and found a way to change our suffering into initiative,” writes Laura. “Instead of being victims, we decided to become warriors. We began to see our own experience of sorrow as a tremendous opportunity—a chance to educate the medical community about craniosynostosis, build awareness, and help those afflicted. With that realization, our lives would change forever.” They launched the Jorge Posada Foundation; their work was recognized by President Obama this April at the White House.
In their deeply moving and uplifting memoir, the Posadas share their journey and their son’s recovery. They are forthright about the challenges, the despair, and what they learned of the true meaning of courage and strength. “The Beauty of Love is the story of our family’s greatest victory,” writers Laura, “and how, through much perseverance, we won it with our hearts.”
Certain to inspire, THE BEAUTY OF LOVE reminds us that hope never dies and that solutions and support often come from unexpected places. Both Jorge and Laura Posada are also available to discuss the Jorge Posada Foundation, craniosynostosis, and their family’s experience.