WE ROAR Magazine Issue 01 - Magazine - Page 64
Erika is the first recipient of the Rebel Heart Publishing Scholarship!
Erika Joy Sneath, M.S., is an experienced
educator specialising in curriculum,
reading, English language development,
social-emotional learning, and special
education. After navigating multiple ankle
injuries and surgeries, she eventually
began accepting that chronic pain is a part
of her story. Stemming from a place of
promoting inclusion, Erika now invites
others to learn and grow alongside her.
Erika shares very openly about her life
experiences and why she's written a book
about chronic pain, "Time is precious.
Ultimately, the business is work and
finding a balance is key. Giving my day job
my all, my business my best, and the rest
of my life, including those closest to me,
getting what's left isn't enough. Time is so
valuable, and prioritizing is essential.
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"My business helps the chronic pain
community and those with a non-apparent
disability. We are all going through unseen
things, yet there's room for growth and
empathy along the way. At the same time,
we all have feelings as we navigate the
day-to-day with others. Adalene Plays
Many Ways invites multiple perspectives
and invites the reader to feel, not just read.
The big vision is to continue to raise
awareness about pain and represent
others in authentic stories that are
naturally
diverse
and
authentically
represent us."
"I wrote my children's book, Adalene Plays
Many Ways, to raise awareness for the
chronic pain community. As someone
battling
chronic
pain
myself,
I've
experienced firsthand how confusing the
journey can be. When my nephew asked
about my experience and how my pain
changed, I read children's books. He is a
naturally curious and gracious learner who
loves to engage in stories to understand
the world further. The only problem was
that my search kept coming up
unsuccessful. I struggled to find books that
captured a vague experience and not those
specific to a given person with a diagnosed
condition (e.g. mom has MS). So I wrote
one! Partnering with others, I am raising
awareness about chronic pain and
hopefully representing others.
