Out of the Darkness

Ralph Morales, Jr., Ph.D

A book based on the realities of living with Klinefelter Syndrome.

Do you suspect that your male child, or a male child you know, is the victim of the genetic disorder, Klinefelter Syndrome? If so, do something about it now. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent a lifetime of suffering and torture. Such is my story, where because of ignorance and fear, my parents chose to hide its reality and hoped that I would grow out of it. I never did, and as a result, I was forced to develop a lifestyle of secrets and lies to survive. Read my story and help someone you love lead a healthy and balanced life. You can make a difference!

Review by Denise M. Clark (310107) Rating (7/10)

Review by Denise M. Clark
Out of the Darkness is a story of one man’s affliction with Klinefelter Syndrome, a condition that has effects ranging from mild symptoms such as learning disabilities to more severe ramifications such as mental retardation. In his autobiography, author Morales bares his soul and shares his experiences in an endeavour to help others in the hope of exposing the shame and lack of education surrounding this mysterious disease.

Told with vivid honesty and clarity, the all too true tale explores the life suffered and experienced through ‘Anton’ and his wife Gabriella – their successes and failures, their joys and abject disappointments.

Anton, married for 25 years, begins to suffer panic attacks and physical ailments after he nearly loses his wife to a cerebral aneurysm. At first fearing he’s suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease, Anton is at first relieved to discover that he’s not, and then horrified to learn he’s suffering from yet a different and fatal muscle-wasting disease called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a new name for what used to be known as Muscular Atrophy, from which he suffered as a teenager.

Anton suffers through anger and depression while he relives his past; a past filled with secrets, hatred and shrouded in mystery. He survives the long-buried memories of a past he wished to forget, emerging stronger into a new life, a renewed marriage and as a renewed person.

Author Morales holds back nothing in his saga of self-discovery, and while the details are at times raw and graphic, this true-life saga will leave the reader feeling hopeful and strengthened through Anton’s struggle for acceptance and love. This is a powerful autobiography, one that should be read more than once to gain every nuance of the author’s experiences toward personal freedom and acceptance. Very well done!
Denise M. Clark (31st January 2007)