Healing and Hope Begin with a Brave Voice

There are moments in life that feel almost impossible to fully describe with words. After months of writing, editing, revising, praying, waiting, hoping, and anticipating, that is exactly how I feel as Ellie Finds Her Brave Voice is finally becoming real.

For so long, this book existed quietly in drafts, notes, late-night ideas, and whispered prayers. There were moments of excitement, moments of uncertainty, and many moments where I simply had to trust the process and keep moving forward one page at a time. To now hold this story in my hands and watch it prepare to enter the world feels both surreal and deeply emotional.

Ellie Finds Her Brave Voice was written from a place very close to my heart. It is a story about courage, safety, healing, trusted adults, and helping children understand that their voices matter. My hope is that this book helps children feel seen, protected, empowered, and reminded that they are never alone.

This book also carries a deeply personal dedication. Ellie Finds Her Brave Voice is dedicated to Mary Ann, who was my therapist and dear friend for nearly 15 years until her passing on May 20, 2025. There are some people who quietly change the course of your life simply by helping you believe that your voice deserves to exist. Mary Ann was one of those people for me.

Through some of the hardest moments of my life, she created a space where I could slowly learn what safety, trust, healing, and honesty looked like. She helped me recognize that surviving was not the same as living, and that finding healing often begins by finally allowing yourself to speak the truths you once felt too afraid to say aloud. Over time, she helped me become brave enough to find my own voice.

That journey is woven quietly throughout this story.

While Mary Ann helped me find my voice, there were also many others who walked beside me throughout my healing journey and who continue to support me even today. Healing is rarely something we experience alone. Along the way, God placed compassionate people in my life who listened, encouraged, prayed, and reminded me that I was never abandoned in the midst of my struggles. Some helped through words, while others simply offered their presence, kindness, patience, and willingness to stay. Each person became part of the story of learning that healing is possible, hope can return, and brave voices can grow stronger over time.

While Ellie’s story is fictional, the heart behind it is very real. The themes of courage, safe adults, healing, and learning to speak up were shaped not only by my own experiences, but also by the compassion and encouragement of the people who have helped guide me throughout the years. In many ways, this book exists because others helped me believe that healing and hope were possible.

One of the most meaningful moments throughout this entire journey came when I received permission from Erin Merryn to use the Erin's Law Foundation logo within the book. Honestly, it is difficult to put that feeling into words. It was one of those moments where gratitude, disbelief, humility, joy, and overwhelming emotion all seemed to exist together at once. Knowing that someone whose advocacy has helped protect countless children believed enough in this project to allow that partnership was an honor far beyond anything I could have imagined.

For those unfamiliar, Erin’s Law is named after survivor and advocate Erin Merryn, who courageously shared her own story to help prevent child abuse through education and awareness. Erin’s Law encourages age-appropriate personal body safety education in schools, helping children understand boundaries, safe and unsafe touch, trusted adults, and how to speak up if something does not feel right. Today, Erin’s Law has been passed in most states across the United States, helping bring prevention education and awareness to millions of children.

Because this mission matters so deeply to me, 100% of the proceeds from Ellie Finds Her Brave Voice will benefit the Erin’s Law Foundation and its continued work protecting children, supporting survivors, and helping schools and families create safer environments for young people.

In many ways, this book is more than a story. It is a prayer. It is hope placed onto pages. It is a reminder that brave voices matter, healing matters, and children deserve to feel safe, heard, believed, and loved. For me personally, it is also a quiet thank you to the people who helped me find the courage to speak, heal, and keep moving forward even when the journey felt overwhelming.

Thank you, Mary Ann. Thank you to everyone who has walked beside me throughout my healing journey and continues to do so today. Thank you to every person who prayed for this project, encouraged me, supported its mission, and believed in this story long before it was ever finished.

After months of carrying this story in my heart, I cannot fully express the joy of finally watching Ellie Finds Her Brave Voice begin its journey into the world.