SALT LAKE CITY January 14, 2019
Prepared to say goodbye to their newborn son, Preston, Karen and Sam Draper had to face one of the most difficult things imaginable: giving birth to a beloved and longed-for child, only to lose the baby soon after.
“Just weeks after our son was born,” Draper states, “I wrote my very first note to him. I wrote from my heart, from a place of love I’ve never known. It was penned as a hello/goodbye letter after we were told our baby was going to die.”
But Preston beat the odds and survived, living for another twenty-three years and touching for good all who met him.
Karen Draper began her memoir about Preston ten years before he died. She says, “Oddly enough, most people think I wrote the book because he died. I wrote it because he lived.” Draper knew that many diverse groups could relate to this somewhat unbelievable story. “Based on a myriad of magical, mystical and difficult life experiences, I wrote this book to make sense of it all,” states the author. “All the joy, the love, the loss and the courage.”
“I also wanted to put in order the chaos of disability,” Draper continues. “The chaos of illness and of death. To restore these entities in such a realistic, raw way so others could relate and be inspired by our story. After which we could begin again; a careful practice we’ve done many times before. But more importantly, I wrote this book for anyone working hard to become who and what they’re meant to be. At its core, this book is an inspirational, human story of how one family reacts when life repeatedly surprises them. It’s about love, courage, and letting go.”
“Karen’s memoir truly is a beautiful tale of love and courage,” states WiDo’s Managing Editor Karen Gowen. “It didn’t take long reading it to know that Preston’s life story as written by his mom is exactly the kind of book we love to publish through our company.”
Draper came to write the story because she believes in the power of storytelling. She chose to sign with the WiDo Family of Publishers™ because she wanted creative control in terms of cover design and staying true to the storyline.
“I also chose to go with them due to their professionalism and the clear and decisive language of their website,” Draper states. “And I was extremely impressed by the credentials of many of their authors.”
The Draper family loves food and enjoying good restaurants. “We have two children: one here on earth—a daughter, Samantha; the other a son, Preston, in heaven.” Although Karen Draper has many hobbies and interests, writing is a big part of her routine. She is currently compiling a collection of her poetry and has begun drafting an outline for a fictional story.
“I’m pretty methodical when it comes to writing. I walk first thing in the morning, then light a candle and meditate, say a mantra out loud at my desk, then begin writing on my iPad,” she says. “I can’t write with music in the background so I’m afraid my house is completely silent during my writing hours. Words start filling my head before I get out of bed.”
Karen Draper lives with her husband Sam in Frederick, Maryland. She is co-founder of CHAMPIONS (Children Having A Major Part in Our Neighborhood Schools) a pro inclusion advocacy/educational parent group. She was invited to testify before a Congressional subcommittee regarding the reauthorization of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). She served as Director of PEITC (Parent Educator Information & Training Center) which provided advocacy and resources for parents of children with disabilities. She was a consultant for the Maryland State Department of Education’s Neighborhood Inclusion Project, in cooperation with MCIE (Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education). Learn more about the author at her website https://nestpirations.com and on Instagram – karendraper_author