When my mother-in-law called to tell me she’d been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis [ALS], I had to research it to fully understand what it was and how things would progress.
Most of us don’t know a thing about ALS until we find out someone we know and love has it.
And Love Speaks was Sandi's idea. After she was diagnosed with ALS, she asked her care team, "What books exist that'll help my grandchildren understand this?" They didn't have an answer, so she quickly said, "That's fine. My daughter's an author. I'll have her write one."
On the same phone call where she gave me the news of her diagnosis, she voluntold me to create a children’s book.
So I did. With Sandi’s approval each step of the way.
Word got out about And Love Speaks, and Hope Loves Company—the only nonprofit organization in the U.S. with the mission of bringing educational and emotional support to the children and young adults impacted by an ALS diagnosis—added the book to their Hugs of Hope care packages.
And Love Speaks has made its way all around the world…
Then we were chosen to send it to the moon as part of the Writers on the Moon lunar time capsule. As a former NASA nurse, Sandi was ecstatic about this news.
Sandi passed away January 2023. She left behind a whole family striving to bring more awareness to ALS in hopes that someday there will be a cure.
What makes this book special?
It started as an idea - an attempt to help children understand a difficult, scary concept.
And Love Speaks has since impacted countless children and their families all over the world.
And for Sandi's family, we now have this beautiful memorial to her and her kind-hearted spirit.
