When Ellen Mandel's friend underwent a double mastectomy for stage-two breast cancer, she needed all the support she could get. Ellen, ever caring, answered the call.
Some send flowers to sick friends. Others (Ellen included) send teddy bears. But no one needs as many teddy bears as Ellen delivered, no matter how ridiculous their costumes might be. Realizing her friend was in danger of disappearing beneath an avalanche of plush toys, Ellen switched tactics and began sending funny stories instead.
A cross between a clumsy Calamity Jane (yes, you read that right) and Gracie Allen, Ellen had plenty of material for her hilarious, life-affirming vignettes. She wrote of her wonderful (if slightly crazy) family and the trials of growing up as a young baby boomer. She sent reports on the antics of her grandchildren and her own attempts to survive as a self-confessed "technological imbecile" in the modern world. Mostly, she just made her friend laugh.
Letters to Dr. Wiggy collects Ellen's tales into one funny, poignant, and always-loving collection. Walk a few miles in Ellen's shoes-the road's sometimes rocky, but the trip's always hilarious.
About the Author: Ellen Mandel grew up in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. Upon her graduation, her parents gave her the choice of attending any college in the country-as long as it was Brooklyn College. There she received a BA and MS in speech pathology.
After ten years practicing speech therapy and teaching at Pace University, Mandel received her doctorate from Columbia University, picking up an MPhil along the way. During her time at Pace, she won many awards for teaching excellence, including the Carol Russet Award for Women in Higher Education. She retired in 2015.
Ellen works closely with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, among other organizations, and has received the prestigious Jefferson Award for her lifelong service.
Married to her childhood sweetheart, Dr. David Mandel, for forty-eight years, Ellen is the mother of two wonderful children, Leigh and Susannah, and has two beautiful grandchildren, Matthew and Jacob.
