For the Love of a Child

This is the story of Harvey Weisenberg—a lifeguard, teacher, policeman, and eventually a New York politician, who quietly made a difference in the lives of millions of children and adults with special needs. In the summer of 1965, Harvey, a lifelong resident of Long Beach, New York, met two people who would make a profound impact on his life: Ellen Laufer and her seven-year-old son, Ricky, who had been born with cerebral palsy and was severely disabled. That day at the Coral Reef Beach Club in L