"Inside Suzie" - A Mother's Tribute to Her Disabled Daughter
New children's book captures the inner feelings and outer joy of young Suzie
GENESEO, Ill., Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- When first-time children's author Ginny Pettit sat down to write about her severely disabled daughter Suzie, "the words just poured out of my heart."
Her recently published book, "Inside Suzie," tells of the inner feelings and frustrations of a disabled little girl. "I thought about the choices I'd make for her, and maybe they wouldn't be the ones she wanted," said Ginny. Unable to communicate her desires, the story shows Suzie dressed in a red shirt instead of her preferred blue one and ending up with green beans instead of mashed potatoes at dinner.
However, Suzie does have a special gift - her spirit is filled with love, patience, and joy. "Suzie was quiet, but she also was cuddly, sweet and cute. She loved to laugh," said Ginny.
Suzie was born in 1973. "For the first 6 to 8 months, she didn't hit the developmental milestones like she was supposed to. She just kept falling further and further behind," said Ginny.
Although Suzie's parents never received a specific diagnosis for their daughter's disabilities, she did have cerebral palsy and seizures. "It was harder to find information about disabilities then. It was before the internet and even finding books was difficult," remembers Ginny.
Thirty years ago, Ginny decided to write a story about her daughter. Powered by her love for Suzie, Ginny said the words came easily, however the manuscript was never published.
In 2014, Suzie passed away and the story was read at her funeral. "It just captured who Suzie was," said Ginny, who decided to work in earnest to publish the book.
She enlisted her daughter, Joey Pettit, to illustrate the work. "It was a big responsibility for me to try and capture the essence of a person I loved. It was so important for me to honor her memory," said Joey.
Using a combination of line drawings and watercolor, Joey's brightly colored illustrations "absolutely captured Suzie's mannerisms," said Ginny.
"Suzie represented constant peace and joy for me," said Joey. "If you were having a bad day, you could sit on the couch with Suzie and just feel better. There was such a sweetness about her."
Though the story is about Suzie, Joey said she feels all kids will be able to see themselves in the story. "They understand how hard it is to find their own voice," she said.
The mother-daughter duo hope "Inside Suzie" will inspire parents and children alike. "I hope this book helps children think about their disabled classmates differently. They're children who want to be included and want to make friends," said Ginny. "I want the book to reach people's hearts and help them learn to love the disabled and accept them for who they really are and see the intrinsic value of their lives."
Ginny added, "We all come in different shapes and abilities. Suzie was who God created her to be, and she had so much to share and offer."
"We hope people will be touched by the book, and will want to share it," said Joey.
Additional information about "Inside Suzie" is available at www.insidesuzie.com. The book also is available for purchase online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ginny Pettit lives in Geneseo, Illinois. She is a wife, mother of six and grandmother of 14. She and her husband, Bob, were blessed with a very special daughter named Suzie who brought great joy to her large extended family. "Inside Suzie" is told in remembrance of their daughter and the love she shared with her family for 40 years.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Joey Pettit is Ginny's youngest daughter and Suzie's sister. She loved being a part of a project honoring Suzie's memory. Joey has two small children of her own, who she tries to shower with the love she has learned from Suzie, their parents, siblings, and entire family.
Contact:
Ginny Pettit
[email protected]
(309) 314-2527|
www.insidesuzie.com
SOURCE Ginny Pettit
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