We have reached our target but we'd like to reach £12,000 if possible! We plan to increase our print run of the book by an extra 500 copies and we'll send free copies to every children's hospice in the UK. Children's Hospice South West and the Jessie May Trust will both be given a quantity of books that they can give out to their supporters, or sell them if they wish.
Lives Worth Living
Can you imagine living and coping with the knowledge that your child has an incurable life-limiting condition? It’s inconceivable, but this happens.
Lives Worth Living is a collection of true stories written by fifteen mums, which tell of the joys, and the challenges, of caring for children with life-limited conditions. Readers will share the happiness and tears, the struggle and the laughter, and will wonder at the amazing resilience of these families. This book is a celebration of extraordinary short lives that left lasting legacies. We really hope that you will support it.
Why has this book been written?
The purpose of the book is to help other families who are struggling to come to terms with an incurable diagnosis for their child. We also want the book to reach out to health and care professionals, so it can be used as a point of reference and recommendation for families in similar situations that are in their care. We also hope that the book will help improve understanding levels of the challenges that these children and their families face, and help to shape and influence the support systems for these families in our communities.
How much funding do we need?
We want to publish the book and need to raise £7,500 to cover all the costs associated with publishing. A proportion of this funding will also be used to create a supportive website for families in similar situations so that they can share their own stories. If we don’t raise the full amount, we get nothing! Ideally, we’d like to raise £10,000 so that we can develop a secure part of the website exclusively for young people to use, which is something that many of them have asked for.
This is a not-for-profit project
Proceeds from the sale of the book will go to Children’s Hospice South West (www.chsw.org.uk) and the Jessie May Trust (www.jessiemay.org.uk)
How has this come about?
The project is a collaboration between various people who feel that it is hugely worthwhile on many levels. Janet Cotter (who worked with families at Little Bridge House, one of Children's Hospice South West's three hospices); the fifteen mums who feel that their stories will help others; Southgate Publishers, a local publisher; Children’s Hospice South West, and many others who have generously given their time and expertise to make this idea a reality.
The authors are members of a small club that none of us would wish to join. The subject of child mortality is not something that is easily understood or openly discussed. The authors have found solace in the process of writing, and describe it as having been therapeutic for themselves and their families. The stories show the love, struggles and determination of parents to obtain a good quality of life for their children; they tell of the joys found in unexpected places and the daily battles for equality. Having read this book you will be left in no doubt that these children have helped shape the deepest values, beliefs and attitudes of those lives they have touched.
Please help us to publish this book (c164 pages), and take advantage of one of the many excellent rewards on offer.
Amy Newton has supplied the background song on the video and is one of our 'rewards'. http://www.amynewton.com
Alison Shakspeare is providing the free editorial. www.shakspeareeditorial.org
Fiona Prideaux is providing the writing one-to-one session. Her latest project that she managed is here: www.bit.ly/fivelives
If you'd like to see a longer interview with Josie, the mum featured in the video, please click on this link:
http://youtu.be/ldW7y96W5w8