All Things Worked Together for My Good

About the Book

All Things Worked Together for My Good is the autobiography of Sheila Alamo, who is only five years old when she is badly burned in a house fire. She spends months in the hospital receiving skin grafts, plastic surgery, and physical, occupational, and speech therapy. She leaves the hospital bound by bandages and braces, with a new face that causes people to reject her. Her mother places her in a residential facility where she receives medical care and assistance with mobility and the tasks of daily living. Poorly treated by both staff and residents, after six months Sheila is rescued by her biological father. She ultimately transitions to receiving treatments at Shriners Burn Institute in Boston, where she endures multiple surgeries until the age of nineteen. She learns to cope with her body’s limitations and the painful feelings from rejection by others. Sheila Alamo’s book is a powerful story about tragedy, pain, loss, love, and acceptance. She invites readers to experience her world as she did, making the words “you can’t” into her motivation for moving forward.

About the Author

Sheila Alamo, currently a supervisor at a day program for the intellectually disabled, has a bachelor’s degree in human services from Audrey Cohen College, and a master’s degree in social work from Hunter College. Together, she and her husband have four children and are currently residing on Staten Island, New York.