In today’s guest post I interview Heather Yaskiw Foisy about her excellent children’s book.
Today I want to take a moment to introduce Heather Yaskiw Foisy who is a chronic illness patient, advocate, and author. Heather and I recently connected via an online chronic illness bloggers group.
Like me, Heather aims to help bring knowledge and resources to individuals in the chronic illness community. Today I want to share an incredibly special project Heather has been working on, a children’s picture book titled I’m the Biggest Helper with Momma’s Autoimmune Disease.
Let’s take a moment to learn more about Heather and this new book!
Heather, can you introduce yourself?
Hi, I’m Heather and I have been living with chronic illness all my adult life. When I was 20 years old, I first became ill, but it took me years to get a proper diagnosis. I was diagnosed with Sjögren’s at age 28, and lupus at age 32.
I am also a mom, to a wonderful 7-year-old boy, who lights up my life.
You consider yourself a patient advocate, can you tell us more about that?
Four years ago, I went into a health crisis that resulted in my lupus diagnosis and an inability to get out of bed most days. I also had to leave the workplace, as I could no longer work full-time. Depression accompanied my illness, as it often does for autoimmune disease patients.
I also suffered from depression. Relentless pain, difficulty doing the simplest of tasks, and waiting (and hoping) for medications to work left me exhausted and feeling hopeless. I had an unimaginable amount of grief from losing my job and gaining a crumbling body. The day-to-day pain, both physically and emotionally, was exceedingly difficult to bear.
I knew I needed an outlet for my pain, and one night, when I was tossing and turning, I couldn’t sleep, I got up and started writing. And in this I found reprieve. As a way to battle my depression, I started a website and blog. It was a place where I could process my illness and connect with other patients.
And now, I continue to find ways to turn my pain into a passion project to help my family and other families around the globe.
What made you decide to write a children’s book?
During this health crisis, my son began to ask many questions. He didn’t understand why I was sick and wasn’t getting better. Neither did he understand why I couldn’t go to the park to play some days. He didn’t understand why I couldn’t get out of bed.
It was heartbreaking to try and explain it to him. And so, I looked for a children’s book to help with an explanation. I searched and searched, and I couldn’t find a book that fit my situation. It was in that moment, that I knew if the book didn’t exist, I needed to write it. I knew that if my family needs this book, there are other families out there that need it too!
So, tell us about your book!
I’m the Biggest Helper with Momma’s Autoimmune Disease is a children’s picture book that teaches young children about autoimmune diseases in an easy-to-learn way. The book is broken into two sections.
The first section teaches children about autoimmune diseases, showing their invisible nature.
The second section gives examples of how a young child can help a parent or caregiver who may be in pain.
The examples come straight from our life. They cover simple acts like dressing themselves or pushing the wheelchair.
Who do you think needs to read this book?
Honestly, everyone! No matter child or parent, this book aims to educate and foster compassion. It is an excellent book for a family member, teacher, or friend who may have an autoimmune disease.
The book lists Sjögren’s, Lupus, Arthritis, MS, Crohn’s, and more!
What else do readers need to know about your book?
As a volunteer for both Lupus Canada and the Sjögren’s Society of Canada, I could connect with board members, asking them to read and review the book. Each charity authored a book review, which you can read on the back cover!
And we are focusing on fundraising efforts for these charities too!
When the book is purchased throughout our ETSY page, $5/book goes back to charity. We are currently supporting Lupus Canada.
Other places to order this book
Order Heather Yaskiw Foisy’s book on Amazon.
More book reviews
Check out some of my other book reviews.
