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Escondido Teen Wishes to Publish First Book With Make-A-Wish®
WHAT: A public book release event for “Genesis”, a young adult novel co-written by local wish kid Gabriel and his best friend Danielle
WHY: Gabriel, 17, was born with myopathy fiber-type disproportion, a rare genetic muscle disease that has resulted in a deficiency of muscle, lung, and heart strength. From years of being the new kid in school, and feeling different because of his medical condition, Gabriel became shy and self-conscious around his peers. To escape, he found solace in reading books, particularly youth fantasy fiction novels. It wasn’t until middle school when Gabriel met Danielle, an outgoing seventh grader who wore down his normal social defenses, and shared his passion for similar books and movies, that he found his future best friend and co-author. Gabriel’s wish to publish his first book, which he and Danielle have been writing for over two years, has allowed the young writers to work directly with a professional publisher to help organize, edit, and finalize their story for others. The book combines themes from the Bible, Scandinavian and Celtic mythology, as well as elements of the supernatural and fantasy, but the story behind the book describes a deep friendship between two teens who have changed each other’s lives for the better.
WHEN: Sunday, October 29, 4pm—7pm Q&A session with authors 5:15pm: Book signing/mingling
WHERE: Barnes & Noble, 810 W. Valley Pkwy, Escondido 92025
ABOUT MAKE-A-WISH SAN DIEGO Make-A-Wish San Diego grants the wishes of children with critical illnesses in San Diego and Imperial Counties. Since its inception in 1983, the San Diego chapter has granted over 4,000 wishes for local children. www.sandiego.wish.org
ABOUT Gabriel Make-A-Wish Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKiT3TJ5Zd8