Local author raises diabetes awareness with children’s book

After losing two of her older siblings to diabetes and getting diagnosed with it herself in 2021, Shannon Ward decided to write a children’s book about the disease and has been working to make it available in Virginia public schools.

“Avery’s Sweet Adventure” is about a young girl with type one diabetes. The book is targeted toward elementary-age kids and tells the story about Avery getting diagnosed, what diabetes is, how it will impact her life, and how to track her blood sugar levels. 

“I would like to really get the word out there about diabetes, and I felt like this was a good way to do it and help these little ones to know that they’re not alone,” Ward said. “It doesn’t have to be as scary as it sounds.”

Ward said she started writing the book in August and officially released it on Amazon on Nov. 1. So far, the reception of the book has been very positive. She said people with diabetic children have reached out to her directly to get a copy.

The story writing was easy, she said, because she’s been around diabetes her whole life and watched her siblings grow up with it. Ward also worked in the school system for 14 years and directly interacted with kids diagnosed with the disease. She also illustrated the book using Canva.

Kim Petrasek, one of Ward’s friends, proofread “Avery’s Sweet Adventure.” She said she doesn’t remember any specific feedback she gave about the book, but she knows it was minimal.

“I thought she did a good job on the book,” Petrasek said, “and I think the pictures are appealing to kids, [and] the colors, and it just shows kids that there are some challenges, but they’re not impossible to work through.”

Ward has also been trying to get her book into the public school system. Right now she’s focusing her efforts in Virginia, she said, but she hopes to eventually take it nationwide. 

Despite her efforts, no progress has been made on making the book available in schools. Ward said she’s disappointed with their lack of interest.

“They’re not real receptive to it,” she said. “I’m shocked.” 

Petrasek said she thinks it would be a great addition to school libraries. As a preschool teacher, she said it’s something she would read to her students to help educate them. 

In addition to her own experiences with diabetes, Ward was also inspired to write the book because of the prevalence of diabetes in Western Tidewater, an area Southside Diabetes Dr. Dana Stallings said is part of the “diabetes belt.”

The diabetes belt, Stallings said, is an area of southern states with higher than average rates of diabetes. One reason for these higher numbers is because of typical southern diets consisting of fried and sweet foods. Stallings said another reason is because there are many food deserts in the area.

“Unless you live right in the heart of somewhere like Suffolk, where you can walk up to Food Lion or something, you don’t have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, proteins, things like that, that are good for a balanced diet,” she said. 

Stallings added that socioeconomic status is another contributor to higher rates of diabetes. Not only can this be seen in the price of healthier groceries, but it also limits transportation to and from grocery stores, she said.     

Writing a children’s book isn’t the only way Ward has raised awareness for diabetes. After her diagnosis, she won the Ms. Franklin/Southampton County Fair Pageant with diabetes awareness as her platform. She also created the slogan “Fight the spike” and joined the American Diabetes Association as a community outreach ambassador. 

Ward said she also has plans to write more books similar to “Avery’s Sweet Adventure.” She said she definitely wants to write one about grief, because she’s dealt with a lot of grief in her life. 

“For [Ward], especially as a middle-aged white female, to step out and say, ‘Yes, I have type two diabetes and here’s my story,’ she has, I think, had further reaching effects than what she’ll ever actually recognize,” Stallings said.

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