London, Ont. child with rare autoinflammatory disease pens book to share his experience
Global News
The book, The First Fire Dragon: An Autoinflammatory Adventure, comes from the imagination of nine-year-old Daniel Kinchlea, and will have its official release on Feb. 28.
The author of a new children’s book says he hopes his debut publication will help spread the word about his medical condition, and bring comfort to those who may be dealing with the same affliction.
The 35-page book, The First Fire Dragon: An Autoinflammatory Adventure, comes from the imagination of nine-year-old Daniel Kinchlea of London, Ont., and will have its official release on Feb. 28, also known as Rare Disease Day.
Featuring illustrations by Filipino artist Ar-Em Bañas, the book follows the world’s-first fire-breathing dragon as he “faces the odds of dealing with the strange reality of his body’s response to the fire inside him, and the strange symptoms that ail him,” the book’s synopsis reads.
In the story, set in a time before it was known such creatures could breathe fire, the dragon gets sick and moves into town to look for a cure, Kinchlea told 980 CFPL’s The Morning Show with Devon Peacock this week.
“He moves past a farmer who’s scared of him, and then meets a troll who doesn’t believe him. Knights are too busy to work with him, (and) a witch tricks him into eating something that definitely does not work,” he said.
“Finally, a physician gives him a water stone that heals him, and then he flies around sharing his story, and filling their books with knowledge, (and) meets some friends and they all live happily ever after.”
The dragon draws parallels to the real-life journey faced by its young author, who, since he was a toddler, has struggled with a rare autoinflammatory disease affecting his innate immune system, or the immune system you are born with.
Complications from the disease have come in the form of prolonged fevers and rashes, systemic arthritis, and more. Since he was young, Kinchlea says he and his parents have been back and forth between London’s Children’s Hospital and Toronto’s SickKids for treatment, which includes a weekly injection he says is painful.
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