Katherine Stanley: Proud of Myself

Katherine Stanley

Editor’s Note: when we ask for submissions, we usually get them sent to us by a parent or loved one who shares their proud moment. We received this from Katherine, herself, and thought she deserved an entire page. Good for you, Katherine.

My name is Katherine Stanley and I am 17 years old. I was born with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), and because of that I have had difficulties and obstacles that the average kid does not have to live with. In school, I was sometimes teased and bullied because I am different. Unfortunately, I became an expert on bullies. Bullies made me feel sad, embarrassed and bad about myself. I decided to stop feeling bad about myself and do something to make me feel good about myself. I took all the bad experiences and lessons that I had learned from bullies and made it into something positive. I wrote a book called A BOOK OF BULLIES. I don’t draw well, but my older sister, Laura, does. So, she drew illustrations for my book. I

submitted my book to a publisher, Grateful Steps Publishing, and it was accepted! Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (USA) read my manuscript and is sponsoring my book.

Published by Grateful Steps Foundation, where ideas and voices grow. They are committed to publishing voices that otherwise might not get heard, to preserving Western North Carolina history and culture and also to promoting conversation that traverses faiths and cultures. www.gratefulsteps.org

My book is for everyone who has ever known a bully. In it you will find the Tough Guy Bully, The Comedian Bully, The Cool Girl Bully, The Gossip Bully and others. My book is written in rhyme, and it is humorous and uplifting. I hope my book will make kids want to never be a bully. I hope it will make people want to be kinder to each other. I also hope it will encourage other kids with special needs to believe in themselves and have goals. Many people did not think that I was smart enough to become a published author, but A BOOK OF BULLIES is now available.

I plan to write many more books in my life. I have something to say that I believe people need to hear and I am determined to make my voice heard. I am passionate about my message. I came into this world with difficult problems that genetics forced on me, but I love my life. I will always do the best I can with what I have. I am happy and proud of myself.

Photo courteously Katherine Stanley

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This post originally appeared on our November/December 2013 Magazine