Super Mom
She didn’t mean to be a hero. But when Gail Williamson’s brother died of cancer, leaving behind six daughters--four under age 18--she stepped forward to adopt them as her own.
Williamson and her husband, Tommie, threw open their three-bedroom home for the six girls in 1995, even as they were raising two teenage sons, one of whom was born with Down syndrome.
“We felt it was our responsibility because we knew if they didn’t get appropriate care as children they wouldn’t be successful adults,” Williamson said. “We wanted to be proactive rather than reactive.”
Last weekend, the 45-year-old North Hills resident beat out 38 other contestants from around the nation to be named Mother of the Year by American Mothers Inc., a national nonprofit group promoting the importance of motherhood.
A group of academics judging the event in Honolulu selected her on the strength of a brief speech, extensive biographies of family members, her philosophy on parenting and letters of recommendation from religious, education and business officials.
But friends and family, who believe Williamson’s devotion to either her job or home life would have been sufficient to earn her accolades, said the combination makes her a modern-day Superwoman.
“Every Saturday she takes me to acting class and stays the whole time,” said son Blair, 19, a professional actor with a slate of appearances in commercials. “My mom is the best, and I love her a lot.”
“Gail is incredibly dedicated, charismatic and full of life,” said Gloria Castaneda, her co-worker at Media Access, a San Fernando Valley organization promoting positive images of the disabled in Hollywood. “She believes in what she preaches.”
Williamson--a long-time volunteer who now heads the organization’s talent development and industry relations arm, preaches to producers, casting directors and writers the importance of moving away from stereotypical characters, singled out for their disabilities.
In their place, she and others at the Media Access Office have pushed for true-to-life depictions of people with disabilities, such as a callow lawyer who happens to be arguing his case from a wheelchair or a blind high school student who is worrying about what to wear for the prom.
Williamson’s involvement began in 1991, when she noticed a change in public reaction to her son after the airing of the ABC television drama “Life Goes On,” about a family that included a high school student with Down syndrome.
Encouraged, she helped Blair land a part as a special Olympics runner in a Procter & Gamble commercial. It was such a positive experience, she wanted to help him do it again.
But when she looked around for help, Williamson found no training or career development was available for children with disabilities.
During her search, she found the Media Access Office, which at the time was geared more toward advocacy for adult actors with disabilities, Williamson said. That’s when she became a volunteer and developed the Young Performer’s Division.
Well over a decade later, she has made an impression in Hollywood, said David Giella, casting director for the CBS television series “Touched by an Angel” and “Promised Land.”
In addition to promoting people with disabilities, Giella said, Williamson has encouraged actors with disabilities to improve their acting skills, thereby raising their chances of getting hired.
“When we need disabled actors, we call her and she sends who we need to our offices,” Giella said, admiringly. “She’s out there doing it louder, faster and funnier than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
During this time, Williamson’s brother, Blair Ford, who lived in Northern California with his six daughters, was slowly dying of cancer.
After his death, Gail and Tommie became legal guardians of their underage nieces--Emily, 17; Blair Danielle, 14; Lauren, 12; and Carol, 9--and surrogate parents for Jennie, 22, and Noelle, 20.
When they came to live with the Williamsons, the youngest girls had two months left of school before summer break, but completed the year by being home-schooled under independent study courses developed by their Northern California schools.
The family made other adjustments.
Son Tim’s room became the niece’s dorm. The living room was swapped with the dining room to accommodate a 12-seat table. The family’s budget was tightened considerably to make room for its newest members.
As a result, Williamson developed a new parental philosophy:
* Life isn’t fair.
* Things aren’t always what they seem.
* Never attempt to make a happy baby happier--this includes adult children and spouses.
* Each child is an individual creation, affected by outside stimulation that is sometimes beyond your control.
It was not only her accomplishments at home that earned Williamson the Mother of the Year title but also her work with all the children she has encountered, said Ruth Manning, president of American Mothers Inc.
The group has named a national Mother of the Year since 1935. Williamson is the third woman from California to be so honored.
“Gail is representative of all mothers across the country who will be celebrated this Mother’s Day,” Manning said. “Unfortunately, people like her don’t get enough recognition for doing the most important job in the world.”