A Moncton father has written a children’s book about his young daughter, with the hopes it assists others.
Seven-year-old Avery Somers has Cerebral Palsy. She uses a leg brace called an AFO, which stands for Ankle Foot Orthotic. They call it Avery’s special shoe.
Her dad Jeff wrote the story ‘Avery and the Special Shoe’ in the hope it would educate others, and help them navigate their own journey of special, whatever that may look like.
(Photo: submitted)
“As Avery got a little bit older, her mom and I were kind of looking for ways to help us have a conversation with her and help her understand a bit about what’s going on. When she went to school, maybe some questions would come up, like why are you wearing that or what’s that for? We always would look to books to help us with discussions about growing up, and we weren’t finding much to help us with this particular one. So I thought maybe I could write something, and so I did,” Jeff says.
Once the story was finished, he realized it would probably be helpful to more than just his own family. He decided it could apply beyond just the people who wear a brace, but to others who have something special or unique about them.
Jeff has always been a storyteller at bedtime, and he had also written a little book for Avery’s little brother Rowan as he was learning to talk, but he had never taken on something more formal, getting an Illustrator and having a story published.
(Photo: submitted)
Avery says she really loves the fact there’s a story about her and her special shoe, “I hope it helps other people to know there’s someone like them in the world that knows how they feel.”
Jeff says one of the best parts is the response they’ve received so far from others, “We had a young family drive down to Chapters from Halifax who have little twin girls who just turned two, and one of them has the exact same scenario as Avery. They saw the book and knew they had to have it. We’ve also had a visit from the Coalition for People with Disabilities in New Brunswick.”
He adds the response has actually been a little overwhelming, but it has been excellent at the same time, “I’m just humbled with the response and I just hope it’s as helpful to everyone else as it has been to us.”
Jeff reached out to singer-songwriter and illustrator Meaghan Smith to be a part of the special shoe story. The Juno and ECMA winner, based out of Halifax, was thrilled to be part of the project.
The book is available at Chapters in Moncton, New Brunswick online.
(Photo: submitted)
