New Children's Books: Understanding Spinal Cord Injury
To request a free copy of the books, please visit the National Paralysis Resource Center website at www.ChristopherReeve.org/Ask or contact an Information Specialist, available Monday – Friday, 7 am to 12 am EST, by calling 1-800-539-7309.
Children are endlessly curious. About the squishy playdough between their fingers. About the barking dog next door. About the moon in the sky. About everything. How does it work? Why does it happen? What does it mean? Their quest for answers shapes their understanding of themselves and the wider world.
Spinal cord injuries, whether newly acquired by a sibling or parent or friend at school, will naturally prompt questions. The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and Kennedy Krieger Institute have recently partnered to publish two books designed to help children better understand the ways injuries do – and do not – affect a person’s life.
“See What We Can Do, See Where We Can Go!” and “Some Walk, I Roll. Let’s Learn Why,” available for free in both English and Spanish, were co-written by Janet Dean, a pediatric nurse practitioner, and Emily Montag, a child life specialist, at Kennedy Krieger Institute.
Younger readers picking up “See What We Can Do, See Where We Can Go!” will learn age-appropriate facts about the brain and body – including that giraffes and humans share the same number of neck bones – as they learn more about how the spinal cord helps them play and color. Older readers encounter a more detailed description of the spinal cord in “Some Walk, I Roll. Let’s Learn Why,” along with information about changes to how the body works after injury, independence, and assistive technology, and tips for talking to someone about living with paralysis.
"As child life specialists, we are always looking for different resources for our patients with spinal cord injuries, and there are not a lot out there that are broad enough to reach a wide population of kids,” says Montag. “Besides providing that, these books are a nice segue for caregivers who want to talk with their children, but don't know where to start."
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The photographs in both books demystify the lives of people with paralysis, featuring children painting, playing sports, and simply goofing around alongside adults driving cars, using computers, and working as farmers, teachers and doctors.
Regina Blye, Chief Program and Policy Officer at the National Paralysis Resource Center, describes the books as a valuable new resource for families, libraries, and rehabilitation hospitals.
“Helping children better understand paralysis is a critical support for those living with injuries, whether it’s a sibling or friend, an older family member, or even a stranger,” Blye says. “Paralysis itself is not a barrier to living a full life, but the misperceptions and myths surrounding it can be. The National Paralysis Resource Center was thrilled to work with Kennedy Krieger Institute on a project that will not only serve the needs of our community but help increase awareness far beyond it.”
Read “See What We Can Do, See Where We Can Go!” here.
Read “Some Walk, I Roll. Let’s Learn Why,” here.