LONG CHILDHOOD OF TIMMY, THE (TV)
Summary
A television documentary about a mentally retarded boy and his family. The youngest child of the Loughlin family, Timmy, was born with mental retardation. He is nearly nine years old, but has the mental capacity of a four year-old. His parents Joseph and Mary Loughlin and siblings Dennis, Jopie, Brendan, Jerry, and Mary Pat, all are highly supportive of Timmy, and have each found their own way of thinking about Timmy's condition. They cite the need for "patience and sacrifice" with Timmy, and how he posed a "challenge" to the family that they felt they needed to rise to meet. Mrs. Loughlin notes how Timmy has a great deal of affection and "gravitates towards people," causing them to forego their initial pity for him in favor of genuine appreciation. The family lives in New York City, and recently they have come to the decision to send Timmy away to St. Coletta's School for Exceptional Children in Hanover, Massachusetts. Run by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Coletta's specializes in educating mentally retarded children. Timmy will remain there for the next eight years, and the Loughlin family prepares both Timmy and themselves for his departure. Mrs. Loughlin in particular feels quite emotional over Timmy's upcoming departure. For the past four years, Timmy has attended the Kennedy Child Study Center in New York City, which the family feels has prepared him for St. Coletta's. Despite the progress he's made so far, Timmy still requires assistance with basic tasks such as tying his shoes or setting the table. One out of every six hundred children is born with some form of mental retardation; in Timmy's case he was born with a misshapen skull which impeded his mental and physical development. There is no "cure" for the condition, however some such as Timmy's pediatrician believe that with early treatment, Timmy and children like him can receive aid to their developmental processes. Timmy himself has already overcome a number of bouts of illness and has outlived many doctors' estimates as to his lifespan. Mrs. Louglin notes that the family decided that come what may they would care for Timmy as best they could, and that a parent should love their child no matter how they were born. She also notes that while it would be easy to keep him home instead of sending him to St. Coletta's, it would be "selfish" not to do so, that they want to give him a measure of independence and "respect." The Loughlins drive Timmy up to St. Coletta's. As they approach, Timmy gets the sense that something is wrong and keeps insisting that he cannot stay there. The nuns running the school introduce themselves to Timmy, and along with the Loughlins try to offer him reassurances that everything is for the best. He is shown around his dormitory and starts to unpack. When it comes time to say goodbye, Timmy is upset by his family's departure despite their promise that they will see him soon and write to him often. The Loughlins are also sad to leave Timmy behind, but confident that they did the right thing. Over the next few days Timmy tries to adjust to his new surroundings, although it is difficult, especially the prospect of sleeping in an unfamiliar place without his brother Brendan to comfort him. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Loughlin feel a sense of loss without Timmy, noting that there is something of a void in their lives without his constant affection and exuberance. Soon Timmy is evaluated to determine his sensory perceptive skills, to determine whether he is fit for academic education as of yet. He scores poorly, meaning that he requires further development before his education can truly begin. The first week of school at St. Coletta's soon begins; the students there represent a hand-picked group of mentally retarded children who have been deemed to possess the potential for improvement. Timmy engages in activities such as physical therapy to "teach" him proper motor skills, speech therapy to correct his pronunciation, and further tests of his perceptive ability. After two months Timmy shows signs of improvement, and soon he will begin learning the alphabet. A fifteen-year old student with mental retardation is shown to be able to read at a third-grade level. The school's principal notes that their mission concerns matters of "human dignity," and that they serve both a spiritual and social function. She hopes that Timmy and others like him can grow up to find jobs and achieve "semi-independence." The Loughlins contemplate the long-term consequences of Timmy's condition and what they will do to help him. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: December 13, 1966 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:17087
- GENRE: Public affairs/documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1966
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV – Commercials – 3M manufacturing
- TV – Commercials – Dynachrome film
- TV – Commercials – Revere cameras
- TV – Commercials – Scotch tape
- TV – Commercials – Wollensak tape recorders
CREDITS
- Stephen Fleischman … Executive Producer
- Susan Garfield … Associate Producer, Writer
- Nicholas Webster … Director
- Evelyn Seidel … Researcher
- E. G. Marshall … Narrator
- Hyman Goldstein
- Brendan Loughlin
- Dennis Loughlin
- Jerry Loughlin
- Jopie Loughlin
- Joseph Loughlin
- Mary Loughlin
- Mary Pat Loughlin
- Timmy Loughlin
- Janet Palamas