There can't be much in life harder than watching your child battle a serious illness. But if you're a writer, you have a chance to use that experience to help others. Jennifer Gladen is one such remarkable parent, whose book Angel Donor, was inspired by her own daughter's need for a liver transplant. Here Jennifer discusses how she approached writing about such a difficult topic for children.
* * *
WRITING ANGEL DONOR
by Jennifer Gladen
When I
started writing Angel Donor, I was nervous. How could I write such an important
story aimed toward children and not frighten them? Angel Donor is a story about
Olivia, a little girl in need of a liver transplant. It follows Olivia through
the day she gets a call that her doctors have a new liver for her. This is
certainly a topic which could easily overwhelm and frighten children. However,
the goal of the book was to be a book children in the same situation could
identify with. I knew the book needed to be informative and comforting.
When
writing children’s books about serious topics, it is important to be honest and
educational. I thought about the basic things a child goes through when they
are preparing for a transplant. I wanted children to say as they are reading
the story, “Oh yes, I felt that way.” Or
“I had to get an IV too!” It was important that children who are going
through the same things feel validated when reading the book. My hope is that
Olivia, the main character in the story, is someone who “gets it” for the
readers.
Although
honesty is important in the story, I also made sure there was a balance. Simple
things can be frightening to children, so it is important to choose the text
and descriptions carefully. It is a tricky performance to be able to show the
readers what Olivia experienced, yet not be too frightening.
Why
write a book about such a serious topic? The idea came to me when my own
daughter, Jacqueline needed a liver transplant at age 4. Many times, I longed for a book I could read
to her about the hospital, liver disease, or transplantation. As a teacher, my training told me the best way to
prepare a child for life experiences is to read and learn about them. This
time, however, I could not find a book to prepare her. “There should be a
children’s book about this,” I said to myself. And there, the idea for Angel
Donor was born.
It took
years to put it together. I worried I wouldn’t do the story justice. What if I
left something out? What if it was too scary? As any writer will tell you,
sometimes you have to silence that inner editor and “just sit and write”. But I didn’t just write off the top of my
head. I interviewed other parents of children with liver disease and asked them
what they would like to see in the book. I ran the manuscript by doctors,
nurses and social workers. Each bit of research helped shape the book and kept
the focus on helping children as they watched Olivia get her liver.
* * *
Learn more about Jennifer Gladen at her website.
Purchase Angel Donor from the publisher, at Amazon, or at Barnes&Noble.
