Children's Book for Sandy Hook Elem.
As many of you know I am a survivor of the Columbine H.S. school shootings. I have PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and I have had to overcome many trials to get where I am today. Every time I hear about another school shooting my heart breaks, as I am sure it does with everyone, but I also usually withdraw and have a hard time dealing with it. After hearing about the shootings at Sandy Hook I felt this way, but I also had a strong feeling that I needed to help in some way, and reach out this time.
I created a picture book entitled "It Gets Better", with the help of Liz Carlston author of Surviving Columbine, and Sarah Wood- talented photographer. The book addresses symptoms of PTSD, in children's terms and illustrates how things get better. It is meant to offer solidarity and hope. I received some special cards after the Columbine shooting that I would read over and over, that is what gave me the idea to do a picture book. That way if someone doesn't feel like talking, they have a book to look at to bring comfort.
Liz and I have decided to self publish through Amazon, so that we can get this book completed and delivered in a timely manner. If you donate $6 that will be two books for two children. Any extra money earned will be donated to the survivors. Once a big event like this is out of the media we forget that the people of Newtown still have a long road of recovery ahead. It took me 4 years, 3 therapists, 1 medical doctor and 2 sleep specialists to finally function with some degree of normality. Of course I did a lot on my own as well and had other help but right now I am talking cost. By the time I was seeing all of these doctors all of the money in the Columbine survivor fund was gone. It was very expensive and that in itself was an extra burden.
I appreciate any help you can give to this project, it will be a simple, but touching gift from all of us. Thank you, and if you have any questions please feel free to contact me anytime.