Jeff Talks About Crohn’s Disease
Kellie Robinson, a freelance writer, was inspired to write “Jeff Talks About Crohn’s Disease” shortly after her brother, Jeff, who struggled with the disease for over 20 years, passed away due to complications from surgery. After doing some research, Kellie found although there was information available on the disease, not much was written in terms that a young child could understand. It was at this time the idea for “Jeff Talks about Crohn’s Disease” was born.
After getting the go ahead from the CH.I.L.D. Foundation, Kellie began fine tuning her children’s story, working with a gastroenterologist in Portland , Oregon and a child specialist in Sacramento, California. Together, they worked to ensure the story was not only medically correct, but also kid friendly.
And to turn it into a colouring book, she needed graphics that would tell the story. She was given the help she needed by Graham Harrop, Vancouver Sun news paper Illustrator.
When the story was completed, the search began for a publisher. After knocking on several doors, Kirk Integrated Marketing in Richmond, graciously donated their services and published the book. The end result is an informative story and colouring book.
Many children gathered in the Chan Centre for Family Health Education at BC Children’s Hospital, along with their parents and siblings, to hear Kellie talk about the book, which she generously handed out along with crayons and the happily sat down to colour in earnest.
It is Kellie’s hope that “Jeff Talks About Crohn’s Disease” will bring some comfort and understanding to the young child who is entering the often confusing and scary world of doctors, tests and procedures that precede the diagnosis of the disease.
With a generous gift from HSBC Bank Canada, these colouring books are distributed to libraries and doctors’ offices across Canada.
Books can be obtained free of charge by contacting the CH.I.L.D. Foundation.