As always, in the writing of this novel I’ve taken some liberties with historical facts for the purpose of plot. Some medical treatments were performed either earlier or later in the book than was actually the case. Lobotomies were performed at Willowbrook from 1948-1954. I’m not sure if any residents were sterilized, but it happened frequently in similar institutions. Geraldo Rivera’s expose actually aired the same day it was filmed because Riviera was worried someone would protest the raid and block the story. There was no cemetery at Willowbrook but some children, mostly babies, were illegally buried there.
I have no knowledge of male attendants working on the female wards in Willowbrook, but considering the huge staff shortages and the fact that women worked as attendants on men’s wards, it certainly seems possible. While I drew inspiration from the legend of Cropsey and the true story of convicted child kidnapper and suspected serial killer Andre Rand—who had previously worked at Willowbrook as an attendant—the Willowbrook employees in this novel are purely imaginary. Lastly, it is important to note that the use of words such as “idiot,” “moron,” “retarded,” “feeble-minded,” “crippled,” and “colored” were used as historically accurate terms to represent the era in which the story takes place.
During the writing of The Lost Girls of Willowbrook, I relied on the following books: American Snake Pit by Dan Tomasulo; The Willowbrook Wars by David J. Rothman and Sheila M. Rothman; A History and Sociology of Willowbrook State School by David Goode, Darryl Hill, Jean Reiss, and William Bronston. I also watched Geraldo Rivera’s expose, “Willowbrook: The Last Great Disgrace,” and “Cropsey,” a documentary by Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio.
Even though Willowbrook was eventually shut down, the fight for disability rights is still ongoing. What happened there should serve as a reminder to us all that we need to be more protective of the most vulnerable among us, and that every human being has the right to learn and grow and, more importantly, to be treated with kindness, respect, and compassion.
If you’re interested in learning more about Dr. Bronston’s work to abolish institutionalization, you can do so at: PublicHostage PublicRansom.org. And if you’d like to learn more about making the future better for people with disabilities, please check out these resources: