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Nancy DiGirolamo was born Katherine Hackett in 1941 in Machias, Maine. Adopted at the age of two, her name was changed to Nancy Dickerman. She grew up in a small Massachusetts town and moved to New York City in her twenties. There she met her husband, Nicholas and was happily married when he died suddenly from a heart attack. While trying to cope with her loss she was inspired by her love of children to become a foster mom. For twelve years she opened her home and heart to children in need. This is a testament of her love. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Review by Stephanie Baumann A friend of mine recommended this book to me. I read a lot and love children, so she though I would like it. I started reading it on a Friday night and could not put it down until it was finished. It is a quick and fun read that will make you laugh and cry. It is one of the greatest books I have read. If you love children and/or helping others, you will love this book!!!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ " 97 YOUNG LIVES BLESSED BY LOVE, August 12, 2009 By Betty L. Sheldon "Betty L. Sheldon, author of... (Coarsegold, CA) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: 97 Pictures of Kids on My Wall (Paperback) 97 PICTURES OF KIDS ON MY WALL, by Nancy DiGirolamo, caught my eye while browsing for a good book on Amazon. I told myself, Get that book! Even though no reviews had been written yet about the book, knowing that it was about foster care children made it a must for me. I grew up an only child, but at the age of 5 my mother and father took in a little girl whose mother died during childbirth. The father was in the Navy and unable to take care of his large family, so the hospital personnel parceled out the children. Much later, my parents took in 4 brothers. I love all 4 very much! What I didn't realize, when I bought Nancy's book was that it was about emergency foster care. That fact made the book even more interesting to me. Since Nancy kept a diary and took pictures of her ever-changing family, her story flows, and definitely is a "can't put it down" book! She tells the story graphically, just like it is, in reality. This woman, although having lost her husband with a heart attack, did not sit around and mope, neither did her own two biological children. Instead, the entire family focused on bringing the great blessing of love to everyone from tiny babies to teens. Their ability to endure screaming for hours, or an angry, intoxicated parent, trying to break the door down, totally amazes me! No matter the age or the problem, Nancy's gift of understanding compassion and amazing insights proved equal to the situation. Only a very few of the children did not respond to her wonderful gift of love. If you are a stay-at-home mom, and want to share your love and compassion with those in need, there remains a host of very needy children just waiting for your love! Even if you can't do that, this book is an excellent read! Betty L. Sheldon, author of OMNIPIECE " ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Truth can be more inspirational than fiction! Nov 20, 2008 Some of us spend our years trying to make better lives for our own children. However, there are a few "ordinary" people, who don't stop there. Rather, these very special "ordinary" people open their families to children in crisis, children they have never met. Amazingly, people like author Nancy DiGirolamo, require no more notice than an unexpected phone call, to make life better for some anonymous, needy young soul. That call may come at any time of day or night, perhaps on Christmas or Thanksgiving. Sometimes that call may be on behalf of an abandoned toddler or perhaps an entire family of pre-teens and adolescents who through circumstances beyond their control find themselves without a home. This book is filled with such amazing stories. It opens to the reader real chapters in real lives, stories of caring and sacrifice that ring true because they are true. The author's loving account of the many visitors welcomed by her family is an inspirational journey well worth the ride. There truly are some extraordinary "ordinary" people in our world, and this book demonstrates we are better for them."