Four years ago, I found my way to Highlights Foundation for a children’s writing workshop. Remember the Highlights magazines that you may have thumbed through as a kid – that Highlights. The family created a nonprofit for authors and inspiring authors to learn together.

A fellow writer and friend in Minnesota suggested that it’s a really wonderful place to go to learn, meet people, write, and just be in a creative environment.

I made the leap and said, “Why not?” I had to submit a story – which needed work, but what story doesn’t need work. They match you with an author, and each day and him or her or they, help you with your work, with your story. It is a bit intimidating I am not going to lie. I knew no one, but you have to start somewhere. That somewhere I have found in life starts with “Hi, my name is Tessa,” and hopefully after a couple of sips of coffee, some words will follow.

It’s a little bit of a trek through NY and then Amish country, and after my GPS turned upside down and around – I spotted the Highlights Foundation Barn where workshop, food, and lovely conversation and writing ideas come together. Then, I found my cute cabin to house me and all my creative thoughts.

I learned quickly that many notable authors and illustrators have walked through Highlight’s one time or another. It is because Highlights’ community has this way of lifting you up, filling your head with nuggets of ideas, and often times, changing the trajectory of the next steps in your life.

There I met, Melissa Miles. A southern gal from Atlanta with a little bit of an accent. A pediatric nurse and a certified K-12 educator, I come to find out. She is soft, kind – yet focused, driven, on a mission.

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A couple of years later – Melissa makes an announcement of a Kickstarter campaign for her children’s book soon to be called Jeremiah Justice Saves the Day! She wrote a story inspired by a young boy named, Jeremiah.

Jeremiah so happens to have a tracheostomy – as stated in her book, “a tiny surgical opening on the neck into the windpipe (trachea). A tube is placed into this opening in order to keep an open airway and allow for effective breathing.”

She writes, “[I] believe special needs kids have always been superheroes.”

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Why It Matters, Melissa writes:

It matters. Children need books with characters that represent the world around them. Books with characters of different races, religions and physical abilities–just to name a few. Middle-grade novels are doing much better with inclusion and representation than they were even a few years ago. But we have a long way to go. Especially with picture books.

We ran the Kickstarter campaign for Jeremiah Justice Saves the Day last year, because we wanted to go beyond what’s out there already. We wanted to create a superhero with a remarkable ability, unlike any other. Thanks to Rashad Doucet‘s brilliance, we did just that. We were able to raise the funds to publish the book up front, which allows us to donate the proceeds of the book to this foundation.

His/her/they “disability”

is

His/her/they “ability”

There is no true disability. Each of us with all our wonderful foibles, our quirks, our strengths, as well as the parts of ourselves we are working on to make us stronger.

We are the sum of our parts – which makes us whole.

That makes you, and that makes me.

Are we perfect? No.

Perfection – Yuck. I am going to use the very grown-up word, yuck.

Are there areas that need improvement? Absolutely.

Are we an ever-evolving work-in-progress? Yes!

Are there mistakes that we have made, try to bandage them up as much as we can, then learn from them? Yes!

However, there is no “dis” in any one of us –

Every one of our “abilities” is our superpowers, and for Jeremiah, his superpower is “The Super Tornado Blaster!”

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Melissa’s Kickstarter campaign for Jeremiah Justice Saves The Day! It was fully funded, and more.

She also created the Superhero Success Foundation, a nonprofit for Jeremiah Justice Saves The Day!

Jeremiah Justice Saves The Day! is in print, hardcover. It is sold through the Superhero Success Foundation, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, indiebound.org, and other independent booksellers.

In 2019 alone:

18 hardcover copies of Jeremiah Justice Saves The Day! have been donated to a camp in Georgia for kids with tracheostomies. Each camper “Camp Trach Me Away” received their own copy.

31 copies were donated to the Savannah Chatham County Public School System. Each school in Chatham County with K-5 and K-8 students has a copy of the book in their media center.

25 copies went to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scotish Rite with the help of a social worker – helping to the book into the hands of children with tracheostomies.

Avenna Healthcare ordered a copy of Jeremiah Justice Saves The Day! for EACH of their tracheostomy patients! A huge undertaking!

Look at this beautiful Ardsley Living magazine spread on Jeremiah Justice Saves The Day! As well as other publications:

Melissa participated in a Superhero event at Southland Pediatric Therapy in Savannah. She has been to many book readings, signings with illustrator Rashad Doucet. Melissa has also been featured on the local news station WJCL, helping to raise awareness.

And now 2021- Book #2 is in the works!

Rashad Doucet is returning for more phenomenal illustrations. The title is Jeremiah Justice Saves Camp! introducing the newest superhero Bella Grace!

What more can I say?

If you are able, please donate to the Superhero Success Foundation for Melissa and Rashad can continue their wonderful work!

Instagram @supertornadoblaster

facebook: @jjsavestheday

Many blessings and much love. “PASHOWWW!!!”