BY and ABOUT Children Who Have Passed Away
Starshine Galaxy Foundation features stories & books by and about children who have passed away. We define “stories” liberally to include short stories, books, poems, letters, songs, movies, drawings, paintings (and more). The driving interests are: 1) to provide a showcase for these treasures that would otherwise remain hidden, and 2) to give people a chance to meet children whose voices have been otherwise silenced by death and to get to know them through stories that are told by and about them.
Foundation Publications
A Book Abot Chaps (2011) – by Emma Mebane
A unique presentation of geometric shapes (“chaps”) by a 6-year old first-grader who is still developing her knowledge and skill. The numerous things that are “wrong” in A Book Abot Chaps are exactly the things that make it so right. A wonder-full little book that is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. AND it’s a “U-COLOR-2” publication, so you can create your own original masterpieces as you read along!
There Are No Alligators in Heaven! (2017) – by Jennifer Hale, Donna & Michael Evan Codell
There Are No Alligators in Heaven! is written by Donna and Evan Michael Codell in tribute to their daughter, Jennifer Hale, who died in December 2015 at the age of 43 from Cystic Fibrosis. Jennifer is also an integral member of the author team, as her voice is woven in from writings she completed at various stages of her life. Photographs are included to give readers a visual sense of Jennifer and her determined family. In December 2016, after the field work for this book and before its official publication, Evan died after a five-year battle with lung cancer.
Tributes to Lost Children (2016) – by Rod Mebane
A snapshot of how 147 families have honored their children who have passed away. This is a compilation of many different activities undertaken by families to pay tribute to their children who have died. The tributes are motivated by the families’ desires to keep their children still present in their loves, to have their children be remembered by others, and to have some good come from their devastating losses. Together, the tributes stitch together a heart-touching love story – that makes the children come to life so vividly, in our imaginings and in our hearts.
Featured Publications
Resilient Grieving (2017) – by Lucy Hone, PhD
Resilience. We all have it to some degree. It’s the ability to bounce back when something bad happens. But when that something bad is one of the worst possible things – losing a child – even the most resilient among us is challenged to re-gain a purposeful life. Lucy Hone helps us put it back together. A resilience psychologist whose 12-year-old daughter Abi was killed in a car accident in 2014, Dr. Hone offers personal and professional perspectives in Resilient Grieving that help grievers think about their own resilience and things that can be done to begin to restore areas of strength – accept the loss, grant forgiveness, redefine hope, be mindful, take action.
It’s Been a Good Life, Dad! (2016) – by Jerry E. Hendon
This book is the story of Kevin Taylor Hendon who died at the age of eighteen, following a lifelong battle with Cystic Fibrosis. Kevin grew up knowing he wasn’t going to live long, but he lived in a way that has inspired and touched many people. As you read his story, you will laugh, you will cry, and, whatever your life’s circumstances are, you will be inspired to try to make the most of every day and live life to the fullest.
Other appropriate titles will be added here as they are identified. If you know of a story or book that you think should be included, please click here to Refer a Story.