Feb 07, 2013
Meghan Freeman
St. Louis, MO (February 7, 2013) – St. Louis author Allison Redfern is preparing for the release of her first book on Saturday, Feb. 9. Porcelain Angel is a compilation of chronological journal entries from her mother and herself. Allison’s mother Jane lived with multiple sclerosis for 27 years, until she passed away in 1999.
Allison’s mom encouraged her to write from a young age. “My first journal is from when I was nine. I got a journal from Santa Claus.” She admits that her first journal entries were silly, but as she grew older, her quality of writing improved. “As I got older, the journal writing became more of a description of the events in my life.”
When Jane Redfern passed away in 1999, Allison and her sisters, Diana and Carolyn, took turns reading their mother’s journals. Allison found one common thread between her own writing and Jane’s. “Obviously, the constant throughout was MS and whether my mom was in the hospital, what was happening with her, when she got in a wheelchair, and other things like that.” Allison decided to publish a book comparing their journals as a tribute to her mother.
The book’s title, Porcelain Angel, refers to one particular piece in Allison’s mother’s angel collection. “Whenever my mother was in the hospital, we would bring that angel and put it beside her bed. It was sort of a symbol that when we weren’t there, she had a little angel watching over her,” said Allison.
Allison’s goal is to help others in similar situations find comfort. She initially intended for family members of people who live with MS to read the book. Now, she hopes her audience expands to people who are caregivers to a family member or other mothers and daughters – even those without a connection to illness. “There are things that she and I experienced that are just like any other mother and daughter relationship. Ours was just a different experience.”
Readers may purchase their copy of Porcelain Angel from Allison in person at the National MS Society’s 5th Annual Women on the Move Luncheon on May 1st. Women on the Move is an inspirational afternoon and an empowering way for women to support women in the movement toward a world free of MS – a disease that affects twice as many women as men. Allison will donate 20% of the proceeds from all purchases at the luncheon to the National MS Society to help fund research for a cure, as well as fund programs and services to help the more than 6,900 people currently living in the Gateway Area Chapter’s 90-county service area.
Allison’s book is also currently available for pre-order at Barnes and Noble.
To reach Allison Redfern for commentary or interview, call NMSS Public Relations Administrator Meghan Freeman at 314-446-4165. For more information about the Women on the Move Luncheon or the National MS Society, please visit http://gatewayMSsociety.org or call (800) 344-4867.
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 2.1 million people worldwide.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. The Society addresses the challenges of each person affected by MS by funding cutting-edge research, driving change through advocacy, facilitating professional education, collaborating with MS organizations around the world, and providing programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move forward with their lives. In 2011 alone, through its national office and 50-state network of chapters, the Society devoted $164 million to programs and services that assisted more than one million people. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested $40 million to support more than 325 new and ongoing research projects around the world. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. Join the movement at nationalMSsociety.org.
Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. Learn about your options by talking to your health care professional and contacting the National MS Society at nationalMSsociety.org or 1-800-FIGHT-MS (344-4867). You may also contact your local Gateway Area Chapter at www.gatewayMSsociety.org or 314-781-9020.