I'm proud that my writing is making a difference

A two blog series on why I write is already in the queue: 12/12 and 12/26. This just came up today, December 6, 2017. It impacted me. I hope it impacts you.

NICU - An Insider's Guide is a book that chronicles the 60-day experience of my oldest granddaughter, Hadley Marie in two NICUs in San Diego in 2012. Originally a collection of "Hadley Happenings" that I'd posted on Facebook between June and September of 2012, I added some commentary on Hadley's first birthday. 

I used a print shop to print come stapled copies of Premature Grandpa and showed them to a few folks. People who saw that first book were polite.

I later used CreateSpace to get the book into a traditional soft-cover format.

Better formatting didn't help sales.

With direction from my publicist, Sherry Frazier, I rearranged the interior into sections, each with a specific experiential emphasis. I also added a glossary of terms used, a brief overview of fetal development, and a rudimentary explanation of the metric system. 

Finally, I changed the author's name to Dr. Chuck Downing. I have a Ph.D., so it's not untrue. As you can read in the "letter" below, I admit that my doctorate is not an M.D.

• NICU nurses love the book.
• Friends of relatives with NICU grandchildren love the book.
• People who've had children in NICU love the book.

It's sold a handful of copies. Literally, a handful.

While Hadley was in NICU, my sister Barb was a frequent visitor. Since Theresa, my daughter-in-law had a C-section due to emergency circumstances, she couldn't drive for several weeks. Barb was the chauffeur. Barb's also an insatiable photographer.

She took hundreds of photos/videos. I posted a few of her videos on YouTube. They are still up. Included was one the family called "Downward Dog." It's better known as "Hadley's Push-ups."

Click here for the link to the YouTube Video.

I was notified at the end of November that a comment was posted to the video. I looked at it. It was a father with a child in NICU doing the same kind of thing. I replied and suggested he might find my book of value.

Today, he replied with this comment:
I just briefly read through your book. It made me cry. We are still in the NICU with Reagan now being 11 weeks. She was born at 24 weeks, with her brother Logan. He only made it six days before going to heaven. As for now Reagan, she is still on the vent, but doing a little better every day (mostly). She has no brain bleeds, takes all her feedings like a champ, and is overall very strong. Her lungs are slowly coming along. Thank you for your book, I don't feel quite alone.

That made me cry.

It also made me feel good. Regardless of whatever happens from now on with NICU - An Insider's Guide, that book helped a grieving father by giving hope and making him feel not so alone.

I'm proud that my writing made a difference in someone's life.

Follow me on Twitter: @CRDowningAuthor and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CRDowningAuthor

My website is: www.crdowning.com

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