We are so excited to share with you that a children’s book about life with FPIES was recently published! The book, “FPIES – The Mystery that Made My Brother Sick“, was written by a fellow parent of a child living with FPIES and is a real-life story about her son. Recently, we had an opportunity for an interview with the author. Here is what she shares about the book.
- Tell us about yourself:
Currently, my priority is being a mom, to two boys with FPIES. It’s not always been easy, but having a registered nurse degree has definitely been a help on this journey, to provide the care my kids need. I love exploring the outdoors with my boys, enjoy gardening, photography, playing the trumpet, reading and writing. Yet, most of my day is filled with homeschooling and taking care of my children, and trying to find safe foods especially for my younger one.
- What inspired this book?
I always wished there was a book on FPIES that my kids could read, and that we could use to share some of the challenges and symptoms with other families. I’ve been wanting to write this children’s book for many years, and finally started working on it 9 months ago. My dream was to write a book that children with FPIES could read and feel like they were not alone with this rare disease, and at the same time be a tool to help others understand a little of what life with FPIES looks like, and to help friends understand why we no longer participate in gatherings that involve food. I was also hoping for it to be an educational tool for adults, and include more detailed information on FPIES in the back of the book, and be a fundraiser for FPIES research.
- Can you tell us a little about the book?
The book tells the story of two brothers and their life with FPIES. It is told by the older brother, with text on the left pages and illustrations on the right. The reading level is for elementary age children, or can be read to them by older siblings, or their parents, or caregivers. The drawings were done by 14 yr old Alanna, a friend’s daughter. Even though it is only one family’s true journey with FPIES, I hope that other families can relate to some of it. Despite it being a story for children, it can also be used to inform adults about the daily challenges of FPIES. I want to thank the FPIES Foundation for letting me include 3 of their informative FPIES charts in the back of the book.
- Any additional information you would like to share?
The book is available in both Kindle and Paperback versions. 40% of the proceeds I make from this book will be donated to the FPIES Foundation to help fund research and FPIES awareness. I am so grateful for all the help we received from them, especially early on in our FPIES journey, when we felt so overwhelmed and alone in this.
This interview was conducted by The FPIES Foundation Co-Director, Joy Meyer with Corrie Barrie, author of ‘FPIES- The Mystery that Made My Brother Sick’. Corrie was born and raised in central Africa; where her parents worked for 25 years. As a child, she loved accompanying her mom to the hospital and watching her care for patients. She enjoyed writing and would send several hand-written letters to friends and family every week. During her first year in college, she took classes in literature, writing, and poetry at the University of Aix-en-Provence (France), before getting a BA in Sociology from Grace College, IN, and a registered nurse degree from Switzerland. After working in different hospitals, she worked six years in international breast cancer research. She feels blessed that currently she doesn’t have to work outside the home and can take care of their two boys. Corrie can be reached at eco4health@aol.com for questions concerning this book.
The FPIES Foundation provides suggested links to other Web sites as a convenience to you. The Foundation encourages you to evaluate websites yourself and discuss the information you find with your health care provider(s). Use of our Web site constitutes acknowledgment and understanding by the user that within our Website there may be links to other Web sites that are operated by parties or individuals that are not affiliated with The FPIES Foundation. Read more on our link policy at: http://fpiesfoundation.org/about-us-link-policy/ | The FPIES Foundation
