Six of the American couple’s 12 children have experienced a hell of violence, delusions and abuse from schizophrenia
Don and Mimi Galvin embodied the American dream. Children of the Great Depression, they knew the horrors of World War II. Young, healthy, handsome, smart, ambitious and dreamy, they married in search of a happy and large family. In 1945, Donald was born, the first of twelve children—ten boys and two girls—that the couple would have over two decades. But his dream turned into a nightmare. Six of his descendants suffered from schizophrenia. His idyllic family home was a home of horror, with sexual abuse, brutal violence, lies and hallucinations.
A genetic quirk and haunting family drama that Robert Kolker (Baltimore, aged 53) recreates in “The Boys from Hidden Valley Road” (Sixth Floor), a devoured book that topped the New York Times’ list and now hits the Spanish reader. The Galvin curse deserved the attention of specialists, but the couple insisted on preserving a pristine image of a model and a happy family when misery, horror and the most horrific secrets reigned in their lives.
Don was a charismatic Air Force soldier, and the attractive Mimi, always smiling, came from a wealthy Texas family. They raised their twelve children in the Colorado Springs wilderness. The mother taught them art and music and the father instilled in them his love for falconry. Several were excellent athletes. Mimi sewed the children’s clothes and Don was named Father of the Year for his city in 1965.
Everything went wrong when the firstborn shattered a crockery for no apparent reason. In college, he jumped into a bonfire and was badly burned. On another occasion, he said he killed a cat “slowly and painfully”. Donald explained that “something was wrong” in his head, but his parents refused to admit anything abnormal in the family. But as with dominoes, five other brothers, Jim, Peter, Matt, Brian, and Joe, showed troubling symptoms of schizophrenia. The healthy brothers wondered how long it would be before they fell.
Kolter reveals that some of them have been sexually assaulted. For Margaret and Mary, the little ones, the abuser was home: their brother Jim. Violence ran in the family. The older ones encouraged the little ones to fight each other with the knowledge of their parents, instead of fighting their demons: voices, hallucinations, and delusions. One of the sick brothers, Brian, killed his partner and committed suicide. Two others died from the side effects of the medication. Both complained of severe chest pain, but doctors thought they were hallucinations.
In her lengthy research for the book, Kolter interviewed relatives, neighbors, friends, relatives, teachers and doctors of the hapless Galvins. His hell was the cornerstone of the US National Institute of Mental Health research into the genetic component of schizophrenia, thanks to expert Lynn DeLisi.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
