Jane Gagliardo was a throwaway employee, fired after working nearly a decade for this leading vaccine maker when her disability surfaced. Fearless and impassioned, her story will leave readers empowered to stand up for themselves, even if it means standing alone. This 2002 landmark case changed the law and challenges the way corporations do business today. This riveting dramatic account sheds fascinating insight into the world of vaccine production, both past and present, that will have every reader searching through their immunization record—this corporation literally runs in the veins of millions of Americans
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What people are saying…
“Rev. Sherry Blackman is to be applauded for both her wonderful story-telling in the book, Call to Witness: One woman’s battle with disability, discrimination and a pharmaceutical powerhouse, and her advocacy and support for another amazing woman who had the courage to stand up against social injustice. This book and Jane Gagliardo’s story will stand as a monument for how one woman can change the face of the world.” Dr. Nancy O’Reilly, Psy.D. WomenSpeak.com and WomenConnect4Good Foundation, Inc. Keynote Speaker and Author of Timeless Women Speak: Feeling Youthful
“Call To Witness is a ‘must read’ for anyone who roots for the good guy. Author Sherry Blackman is a skilled and gifted writer who immediately draws you in with her exquisite prose and holds you captive until the last page. You can’t help but care deeply about this true story of a remarkable woman and the loving family who supported her in an almost impossible battle against a very powerful corporation, all the while taming a potentially fatal illness.” Toni DeMaio author of the forthcoming novel, I’ll Know You By Your Heart.
“In Call To Witness, Sherry Blackman shares the story of Jane Gagliardo, who demonstrates disability is not synonymous with weakness. Though small in stature Jane emerges as a powerhouse of personal strength and tenacity whose fiery passion for justice illuminated the path for other Americans with disabilities to free themselves from corporate arrogance and indifference. Sherry provides us, the reader, with a template with which to gauge our own abilities, and a challenge to rise triumphantly above our own limitations.” Jean Taylor
“Call to Witness testifies to the strength of the human spirit, and to the courage of what it means to stand alone against any of the Goliaths of our day. Jane Gagliardo is the hero of the voiceless and the invisible…. Sherry Blackman is passionate as is inviting as she moves us through this compelling plot….” Dr. Wesley Ariarajah, author, professor, and the former Director of Interfaith Dialogue Program of the World Council of Churches, Geneva, Switzerland
Call to Witness 
Fabulous cover, terrific write up! I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy and course through to the credits!
Thanks, I can’t wait for you to read it! Thanks, too, for always encouraging me.
If you are a Minister of a church and you are preaching to people, then writing a book like this is very inappropriate. You should be ministering to people about the love of God and his goodness and try to help them change their lives because time is very short and Jesus is coming very, very soon. I guess you missed the part about “woe be unto false prophets”. You’ve missed the mark my dear.
One woman’s story how she stopped the cycle of abuse and refused to be bullied. Proof that we are never too old to set a positive example for our children and victims of abuse. Jane knows the only way to help people is to let them read her personal story of survival. It takes a brave woman to stand up to bullies and reveal her family secrets to help others..
Can’t wait to read this- I need to block out some time because I am sure I will not be able to put it down once I pick it up! So proud of you, Sherry!
Denise, we have known each other for so long, it is a deep pleasure to share this with you.
As someone who reads voraciously I can attest that Call To Witness is immensely engrossing;can’t wait to read your next book!! So encouraging to “witness” that justice can be served no matter your education, status or disabilities!
This is in reply to the comment left by Concerned Christian:Thank you for taking the time to respond to my book, Call to Witness. I am curious, did you read the book? I am responding to you, and since you don’t know me or my voice, please understand that what I am writing here is written in love….
I am sorry that you see this social justice story as one that does not fit in with your theology. But I believe that Christ came for the least of these, and those with disability, those who struggle with discrimination because of a disease, are the least of these in our day and age. I am not sure what you object to, perhaps the occasional gritty language, and I apologize if you were offended.
I see the love of God in this story in a multiple of ways, including the power of one person who believes enough in God that she was willing to stand up against injustice. The only people that Jesus “judged” on earth were the self-righteous ones. The story is full of examples of God’s grace, and I am sorry if that was not obvious to you. I would be happy to continue this conversation if you so choose.
I went to a book reading on November 2nd at our local library for “Call To Witness” I was amazed that not only did you meet the author Sherry Blackman, but Jane Gagliardo and her attorney Patrick Reilly. A few in the audience had read the book, the question and answer period was exceptional to be able to ask questions of the author, or Jane or her attorney. I bought the book and could not put it down. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to read Sherry Blackman’s next book.