Jacob Asbridge, Eta Gamma President, Zach Hershey and Amelia Firns-Hubert hold copies of the book Wishes for Ellie, written and published by the Eta Gamma Chapter. The three Society members provided leadership to the project.
When members of the Eta Gamma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Coffeyville Community College traveled to Garden City for the Kansas Region Honor in Action Conference, they had no idea this experience would provide them with the unique opportunity to write, illustrate, and publish a children's book related to a chapter scholarship initiative, a study of childhood cancer. Theme for the conference was the international Honors Study Topic The Democratization of Information: Power, Peril, and Promise.
Garden City Community College instructor of Children’s Literature and Storytelling Shelia Hendershot presented the conference’s keynote address. She stated, “The written word is more powerful than the spoken word. Is it? Let’s look at the history of the written word before we begin the process of writing our own words.” Hendershot then shared with attendees the history and deeper meaning of many children’s stories.
Challenged with the assignment to write and illustrate their own fifteen page book, the Coffeyville students turned to chapter experiences and two special children encountered this year, Ellie, a young cancer survivor at the Lombardi Cancer Treatment Center in Georgetown and Carrington Leeds, a young cancer survivor from Coffeyville. The students worked late into the evening to agree on the title and theme for the book. Saturday found the students gathered in the hotel lobby with laptop computers, colored markers, and a lively exchange of ideas.
The title, “Wishes for Ellie” was drawn from the many notes of wishes attached to a large mosaic elephant sculpture at the Lombardi Cancer Treatment Center. The children's wish notes contained poignant messages such as, “I wish there was cure for cancer,” and “I wish kids wouldn’t get sick.” The book features a picture of the Lombardi elephant covered with the children’s messages and the origami crane mobiles hanging down from the ceiling at the children’s Miracle Network Hospital in Washington D.C. Cranes are regarded in some cultures as granters of wishes. The book tells the story of a happy elephant named Ellie whose life was grand until she discovered a lump on her trunk. She became very ill and was sent to Carrington the Crane. The only way for her to feel better was to gather the wishes of the other sick children and bring them to the crane. Ellie traveled to the Lombardi Cancer Treatment Center where she met many children who were very ill and covered with their wishes, Ellie returned to Carrington who eventually granted the wishes and cured Ellie who was very thankful for the friends and family who had support her and children like her.
The final page shows pictures at a children’s oncology camp, Lombardi, Children’s Miracle Network Hospital and the national CureSearch meeting in Washington D.C. as well as the seventeen CCC students working on the book. Illustration was done by members Zach Hershey and Leslee Kesterson. The book is dedicated to the 13,500 children and adolescents that are diagnosed with cancer each year, the 40,000 children currently undergoing treatment and the 350,000 childhood cancer survivors. The book is especially dedicated to Ellie and Carrington.
Copies of the book may be ordered from the Eta Gamma Chapter for $19.95 plus $2.95 shipping and handling which is the publisher’s cost. Contact chapter advisor Linda McFate at 620-251-7700 x. 2076 for additional information.