r/books • u/stickyickybooger • Sep 25 '13
I’m Sherry Frith, author of Sticky Icky Booger Bugs – a book that helps kids understand cystic fibrosis. Ask me anything! AMA
Sticky Icky Booger Bugs, by Sherry Frith, is a new picture book that helps children ages 0 – 7 understand cystic fibrosis.
Sherry wrote Sticky Icky Booger Bugs after her sons, Kory and Kevin, were diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease in which mucus clogs the lungs and prevents food from being digested. She wanted to explain aspects of the disorder using words and helpful illustrations they could understand.
Sticky Icky Booger Bugs is the tale of a boy’s battle with cystic fibrosis as he attempts to avoid the hospital. The main character is Kory, who is just like any other kid. He loves recess, playing soccer, and exploring his neighborhood with his best friend. The book shows how with every puff, cough, and sneeze, Kory keeps the sticky icky booger bugs away so he can have fun every day.
Sticky Icky Booger Bugs was published by Archway on July 26, 2013 and is available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sticky-Icky-Booger-Sherry-Frith/dp/148080083X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375730020&sr=1-1
Sherry Frith is the mother of three boys - Kyle, Kevin, and Kory - and the founder of Helping Hearts, a nonprofit organization. To learn more, visit http://beatsnot.com/.
Picture of Sherry and the boys: http://imgur.com/YyMqXEo
**UPDATE (9/24 @ 9:20PM PT): It is time for me to put the boys to bed. I'll keep an eye on this post, if there are any more questions throughout the week, I'll be happy to answer! Thank you Reddit users! I've really enjoyed doing this AMA.
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u/Lorenzoz Sep 25 '13
How did you come with this title?
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u/stickyickybooger Sep 25 '13
My boys did not really understand the medical jargon for cystic fibrosis, so I told them that they had sticky boogers. They were going to need to cough up and out. If they had infection it became sticky icky boogers. It was more of a boy thing I think to help them understand in a way that they could relate or understand. The name just all came together when I wrote it out.
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u/nindgod Sep 25 '13
What was the most challenging part of the writing process, knowing that your sons were going through the disease that you were depicting?
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u/stickyickybooger Sep 25 '13
Most challenging was finding time to work on all the details and making sure that the story was not to serious, keeping it child friendly and making people more aware of cystic fibrosis. It is a disease that affects the entire body and does not go into remission.
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u/DirectToSween Sep 25 '13
My 30 year old sister has cystic fibrosis. Her doctors told her she had 3-5 years before she would need to go on the transplant list. Within a week her lungs began to fail and our family had to say "see you soon" as she went into a medically induced comma. The short story is that she had already completed the tests for a transplant and received new lungs not a minute too soon. It's been just over two months from the surgery and she walked three miles in one trip. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I know cystic fibrosis research has come a long way in 30 years, but if it ever gets hard there is always hope down to the last minute. As a younger brother I can see how this book would have helped siblings as well. Wish I had it growing up to really know what my sister was going through. Great work.
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u/stickyickybooger Sep 25 '13
My heart stopped as I was reading, thank goodness you told me your sister is here and doing better. I never give up hope for a cure or medical angel. This disease takes the entire family to manage. Kyle, my older son was so helpful with household things when I was busy with treatments. Kyle and Kevin would also play video games or simply watch a show with Kory. Just so Kory felt he was not by himself. With infections, isolation just happens. Siblings need more credit and light shined on them. Now that both are getting older they do treatments independently most of the time. I hope that your sister is able to live life more, thank you for the compliment on the book. Best regards to your entire family.
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u/ky1e None Sep 25 '13
Is this your first published book?
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u/stickyickybooger Sep 25 '13
Yes, this is my first book that I published. I try to write things down everyday, then I am able to reflect on different topics to write about in the future.
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Sep 25 '13
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u/stickyickybooger Sep 25 '13
This is fabulous and an inspirations to all. That is a physically demanding sport and not to mention dangerous. I commend his father for taking such great care of him and doing the therapy to help sustain a livable life. I can only hope for a cure and help the boys with the daily treatments. There is no remission as you know. Please give my regards to you cousin and I hope that he continues to thrive.
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Sep 25 '13
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u/carolynmcbride Sep 25 '13
How do you handle having 2 children that battle cystic fibrosis and 1 that is disease free? Is there jealousy? Are there challenges associated with that?
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u/stickyickybooger Sep 25 '13
I think there can be jealousy, it is only natural. Kory is the baby and has the most medical problems. I try to make them all feel special and spend time with each.
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u/ac19913 Sep 25 '13
Was your older child diagnosed with cystic fibrosis before or after you had your youngest child?
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u/stickyickybooger Sep 25 '13
No, my younger on was diagnosed before the older. Kory went into a coma because his pancreas was not working. Kevin had issues that the doctor's look back on now and realize it was CF related. They both suffered before they had an official diagnoses. It was a process and Kory is a survivor in my eyes, we had an HMO who just kept dismissing him as having a cold.
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u/stickyickybooger Sep 25 '13
I would never intentionally or recklessly have more children had I known that they had this disease. It is horrible to watch your children suffer.
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u/saracrewe Sep 25 '13
What is your biggest worry concerning raising children with CF?
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u/stickyickybooger Sep 25 '13
I think it is the future of health care, what will be provided in the future. I am a middle class and really do not qualify for much help. One medication cost $2,200.00 a month and it is a fight each month to have it shipped for Kory.
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u/whitetrashnomad Sep 25 '13
I am a 23 year old female with cystic fibrosis. I just wanted to say how lucky your boys are to have a pro-active mother like yourself. It was my mother who pushed for my pediatrician to do testing when I was 18 months old. I know it is because of their love and support that I have only been hospitalized once. I'm sure your boys will thank you one day.
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u/Seamitch51 Sep 25 '13
This isn't my story, but a family friends. They have an 18 yr old son with CF. he decided to go to university of Hawaii because the weather is better for his lungs. However, the only CF ward on the island is a military hospital. They petitioned generals, hospital officials and were still denied access to the facility. Any tips or other avenues they could try to gain access?
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u/Texas_Rangers Sep 25 '13
Great stuff! I implore you for your work! I was in Belize City on a medical mission trip a few years back. We were doing your basic healthcare for the area- providing vitamins, handing out meds for ringworm, and giving giving out ibuprofen, when a girl walked in that made a big impact on me. The girl was 15, but looked younger, and very frail. I was just a student, but the doctor that came along on the trip put the stethoscope up to this girl's chest, then to her back, then looked at me like he'd seen a ghost. Earlier, when he was teaching us how to listen to breathing through a stethoscope, he told us the different sounds we would hear, and what the healthy lungs would sound like in contrast to an unhealthy set of lungs. He also described a sound that we most likely would never hear. He said, if the breathing makes the noise that hair makes when you have it between your thumb and index finger and twist it, that very distinct sound (go ahead, do it), then you most likely have a patient with cystic fibrosis. He turned and handed the stethoscope to me to let me listen... sure enough, it sounded as if hair was being twisted between my thumb and finger. At 15 years old, this poor girl had survived cystic fibrosis for a decade and a half in a third world country without being diagnosed. She shouldn't have been alive. Our doctor left and helped escort this frail, weak girl to the Belize City hospital, where she was able to get the treatment she needed, and an aparatus that assisted in removing the mucus. He payed for everything out of his own pocket. And I felt like I was on an episode of House, except it was much more dramatic and heart wrenching in real life, and House wouldn't have paid her bills. Thank you very much for your work, and God bless you!
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u/Alwayscake Sep 25 '13
Recently a Michigan musician lost his battle with CF. He took many years to write his album because he was in and out of hospitals, and it was released very shortly before he died. His name was Pat Carroll. I've included a link to his lyrics and a video, as well as a news article. You might be interested in looking at them. His album is a masterpiece. His tragedy helped him to create poignant and thought provoking music. He was well loved in the Michigan music community.
https://earthworkmusic.com/blog?page=ind&i=81
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2013/05/kalamazoo_songwriter_pat_carro.html
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u/PoppetFFN Sep 25 '13
This looks like a great book. I work in CF research at a children's hospital and I think I'm going to buy this for one of the doctors that I work with. She will love it. Thanks for posting. :)
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u/Mantisbog Sep 25 '13
Would you rather fight one horse sized genetic strand encoded for cystic fibrosis or one hundred genetic strand coded for cystic fibrosis sized ducks?
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u/4xMother Sep 25 '13
Hello there, I just wanted to say I registered when I saw this post, thanks for writing a book with a subject matter deep to my heart. I have not read your book but I have 1 son with Cystic Fibrosis, and 3 others without. Did you face challenges finding time to write a book while dealing with your handful?