If you have taken your kids to local events featuring photo-ops and high-fives with their favorite superheroes, it’s likely you have indirectly crossed paths with my friend, Matt Morgan. Matt is the founder of the Iowa League of Heroes, (ILOH) whose mission is to “provide encouragement and support for children and families fighting difficult battles and bring joy to our communities.”
Last spring, Matt told me about a new project he’d been working on: “One Life Books”. His vision was to write and release a series of children’s books based on true, hope-filled stories of families he has been privileged to meet. As a self-professed kids’ lit junkie, I made him promise to keep me in the know!
Today, it’s my honor to tell you about the first One Life Book which was released in December 2018.
Stella From Pella and Her Magic Shoe is a story about a girl who receives a gift that empowers her to brightly shine the light that has always been inside her. This enchanting tale was inspired by 11-year-old Stella from Pella, Iowa, who lives with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1.
My family recently had Matt and his wife Laura in our home to talk about Stella From Pella and Her Magic Shoe. My kids had the privilege of listening to Matt read the book out loud to them and a delightful time was had by all!
Read on to get a glimpse of my conversation with Matt and hear the story behind the story of Stella From Pella and Her Magic Shoe. Don’t forget to comment below for a chance to win a copy of the book!
Erika: So, tell me why you started One Life Books. What are your hopes for the series?
Matt: The concept behind One Life Books started with my realization that we all just have one life. What I want to do is utilize my life to shine a light in this world while I’m here.
Erika: That’s thought-provoking! I assumed the title “One Life Books” referred to each life featured in the stories. Is it possible there’s a dual meaning there? Are you using YOUR one life and putting a spotlight on individuals whose stories too often go unnoticed?
Matt: Yes! My hope is to take my life and influence others with these stories in a positive way.
Erika: You learned about Stella through your work with the ILOH. Tell me about Stella and her magic shoe.
Matt: I was told about Stella by my friend, Arthur Smith. Arthur was working on a project with an organization called the Magic Wheelchair, which is an organization that grants wishes to kids who use wheelchairs. Different builders make custom shells for these kids according to their interests. Arthur was working on a magic wheelchair, a shoe, for Stella.
Erika: Tell me a little about the battle that Stella and her family face. The last page of the book mentions her SMA Type 1 Diagnosis. Tell me about that and what the magic shoe means to her and her family.
Matt: I’ve learned a lot about SMA through Stella’s family. It is sometimes described as a childhood form of ALS. When she was born, the medical personnel predicted that she had five months to live.
Erika: Wow! And how old is she now?
Matt: She is eleven years old! She’s blown their expectations out of the water! I understand there have been many close calls, but she has always come out on top. It’s miraculous.
Erika: I see in this picture at the end of your book that Stella is in her shoe in a parade in Pella! She almost looks like royalty, as she rightfully ought to be regarded.
Matt: Yes! If she didn’t already know she was special, the gift of the magic shoe, handcrafted just for her, leaves no doubt.
Erika: When we purchase a copy of this book, it looks like a portion of the proceeds goes to Cure SMA, an organization chosen by Stella’s family that is dedicated to finding a cure for SMA.
Matt: Yes, that’s a big part of the concept of One Life Books. Proceeds from each book in the series will go somewhere to help that child and family fight their battle.
Erika: The mission of DMMB is to connect local moms to each other both online and in person. As our readers learn about Stella, I imagine many of their hearts will go out to Stella’s mom. If they want to support Stella, her mom and her whole family, they can do so by purchasing a copy of the book. But is there also a way for our readers to reach out to the family with a kind word or thought?
Matt: Yes. There’s a Facebook page, Prayers for Stella. They would welcome any comments or words of encouragement. This book means a lot to them. It’s their baby girl’s story and it’s inspiring so many other kids who face their own unique challenges.
Erika: It’s an opportunity for people to find and value the humanity in each other. There’s nothing like a great story to make that possible!
You can purchase your own copy of Stella From Pella and Her Magic Shoe here. You can also stay in the know about future books in the series by following One Life Books on Facebook.
Matt has graciously agreed to give away a copy of the book to one lucky DMMB reader! To enter the giveaway, comment below with your favorite children’s book to read aloud. Giveaway ends February 1, 2019.
Erika and Matt, thank you so much for sharing our daughter’s story! It has been a blessing to be her parents and witness so many miracles through her lifetime. Being told she would live weeks or months was one of the toughest days of our lives but seeing her change lives without saying a word has been inspiring for all of us. Thank you for shining light on these amazing kids whose stories need to be told. I always say that she will probably change more lives in her lifetime than I ever possibly could. 🙂 Thank you and blessings to you both!
Sarah, it’s been so great to get to know you and your family through the book and through interviewing Matt. Lots of love and support over here for your beautiful family!
We love reading Super Heart Hero by Samantha Kelly and Zip Line by David Humpherys. My 6-year-old girl, Violet, has congenital heart defects, a pacemaker, and has had many surgeries and procedures. She is so brave but still gets scared sometimes when we have appointments or tests. They help her prepare but also, she’s been able to bring her books to school and her teacher has read them to the class. They help her peers understand why Violet gets a little more tired or misses some days of school. She will need another open heart surgery in the upcoming 1-2 years and I think they will help a lot. Thank you for sharing stories about special kids!
Amazing story! My favorite book to read is “The Story of Jonah”