Our Daddy is Invincible

Our Daddy is Invincible

Shannon Maxwell with illustrations by Liza Biggers
Traumatic brain injury can result in confusing and frightening changes in a parent. Children already under the stress of a parent’s deployment face new fears when a mother or father is injured. This story book helps children understand the wounds of war and their emotions and reactions to the physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioral changes in their mother or father. Based on the author’s experience with her children when their father sustained a traumatic brain injury in Iraq, the powerful illustrations help children understand and cope with their fears, questions and hopes for the future.
Item: ODIN
Price: $16.00
Quantity Add to wish list

Full Description

With the deployments of our service members to Iraq and Afghanistan, many families have received the dreaded call that a husband or wife, mother or father, has been injured. The medical trauma of a brain injury is also an emotional trauma for the family. The relief that comes with the service member’s survival shifts to new fears and worries about impairments and disabilities. Children living in the midst of this turmoil are confused, anxious, fearful and overwhelmed. 

Our Daddy Is Invincible! is based on the real life experiences of the Maxwell family after LtCol Tim Maxwell, USMC (ret) had a traumatic brain injury while serving in Iraq. It draws upon the reactions and coping strategies of other families with wounded warriors as they struggled to help and support their children. This is a wonderful resource for families to help children understand their emotions. It also helps them find hope for the future as they learn what it means to have a parent with a disability and that building a new normal is a life long process.

Liza Biggers’ captivating colorful illustrations bring the story to life and superbly capture the family’s emotions.  Her brother, Ethan, was deployed to Iraq and was wounded with a traumatic brain injury. Her personal experiences are evident and carefully woven into every beautifully drawn image.

Details
Item ODIN
ISBN# 978-1-61751-003-8
Pages 36
Year 2010

Authors

Shannon Maxwell

When Shannon Maxwell had to tell her children their father had been seriously wounded in Iraq with a penetrating traumatic brain injury, she did not know how to explain what life would and could be like now. She wanted her children to know that daddy was still daddy, even if he walked or talked differently, or couldn’t remember things, or couldn’t do the things he used to do.

Our Daddy Is Invincible! is the resource she produced to help other families in similar situations. Maxwell drew upon her family’s experiences to create a child’s journey of discovery to find new ways to enjoy life together after traumatic injury of a parent or loved one.

“As a family, we work to focus on the positives and wanted a way to reassure and highlight the possibilities for our children and those of the families we were working with, but we found no resources to assist us in that endeavor,” said Shannon Maxwell. “Our Daddy Is Invincible is a collaboration that we hope will bring comfort to all families.”

Liza Biggers

The book is movingly illustrated by Liza Biggers, whose brother Army Spc. Ethan Biggers succumbed to injuries one year after a sniper’s bullet penetrated his brain during his second tour of duty in Iraq. Bigger was at her brother’s bedside for most of that year as one of his primary caregivers.

LtCol Tim Maxwell, USMC (retired)

He is President of SemperMax, a company dedicated to working with and aiding wounded warriors.  He retired due to combat injuries after twenty-one years of service. He deployed six times throughout his career with three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. During his final deployment to Iraq, LtCol Maxwell suffered a severe traumatic brain injury on October 7, 2004 when his forward operating base in Kalsu was mortared and shrapnel tore through the left side of his brain. Through his recuperation, he discovered that for himself and others, recovery was enhanced by being together with other wounded warriors. Today, due to his extraordinary leadership and vision, Marines at the Wounded Warrior Barracks (Maxwell Hall, named in his honor) located on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, find improved recovery through team healing. His insight is attributed to the development and establishment of The Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment.

Contents

Page 4

Page 10

Page 15

Page 18

Page 20

Page 29

Excerpts

Alexis’ Foreword

As a child, growing up, I always thought of my daddy as a superhero. This helped me when he was deployed overseas and went away on trips because I thought he was invincible and could never get hurt. When he came home wounded, I was ten and a little confused. “How could by invincible daddy be hurt?”

As I learned more and finally saw him, I realized that the best part of him was there – his love for me. Even if the bad guys got him, he was still my daddy – a little different, but my wonderful father who loves me. My superhero would heal. Superman is hurt by Kryptonite, but he gets better and bears more bad guys. Same for daddies and mommies! You should always be proud of your parents because even if they had to leave you for a while and got hurt, they did it to protect you and your family. They risked their lives for you and for others who needed help, life Superman does for the people of Metropolis. Your parents are strong and brave and can make it thought anything – and so can you!

I’m now sixteen and each day my daddy and I are able to enjoy life together more and more, despite his injuries. He comes to my soccer games and helps me practice. We go the beach, watch movies, play video games, and cook together. We can’t play all the same games we used to, but we’ve found some new ones and continue to have fun. Some things had had to change, but it doesn’t have to be all bad. Different can be good, too!

I hope you enjoy our story and Mrs. Biggers’ beautiful illustrations. You, too, can find joy with your daddy and mommy.

Maxwell Family 2011
 
Shannon Maxwell
 

Send to friend

: *
: *
: *
 

Customers who bought this brain injury product may also be interested in

more offers