From the archives…

Kickstarter Update: April 9, 2021

I wanted to take a quick moment to update all of you on our incredible progress over the past 18 days and share a new illustration with you, inspired by a little boy I read about this week.

To date, we’ve raised over seven thousand dollars from over one hundred backers, and have been named a Kickstarter “Project We Love.” Most importantly, we’ve upped the number of coloring books we can donate from our original goal of 500 to several thousand copies. It’s unbelievable. And it’s all thanks to you.

I wanted to share a quick story of something that inspired me this week, because it served as a stark reminder of why these images are so sorely needed. In compiling sample images for the illustrator, I stumbled upon a story about a 10-year old boy who died by suicide after being bullied by his peers for his medical device. The story crushed me.

When I got my head back together, I sent a concept over to the illustrator featuring the little boy’s device. The moment it was done, I showed it to my five-year old. We talked about what an ostomy is and how it can save a person’s life. He asked me a few questions, told me he liked the sharks and then went about his day. But the interaction mattered. And I hope he remembers these moments one day when he sees something he doesn’t recognize and chooses to be kind.

To that end, I’ve decided to add a visual glossary to the back of the coloring book with kid-appropriate explanations of the devices featured in the book. I hope that it helps educated kids (and their caregivers!) so that we can all be a little kinder.

Thank you again for the love and support,

Lynne