More Than an Ordinary Life

Eddie Doody’s mother died when he was just nine years-old. She left a family of nine children aged between two and sixteen years, and abroken-hearted husband. Eddie tells how his dad was determined that the family would stay together, even when social workers tried to persuade him to let the two youngest be adopted. For a man in the early 1950’s this was a Herculean task. With the help of his oldest daughter and by working multiple jobs, he succeeded. The family was to suffer the further loss of two of Eddie’s brothers and later, Eddie’s beloved son, Paul, was taken by cancer. This is the story of an ordinary family who overcame extraordinary adversity.