A Splash of Colour

From One Short Conversation…

“Hi Sis, fancy bringing these illustrations to life?”

“Absolutely — why not!”

Reading my brother’s heartfelt story completely captured my heart. We were all struggling with Shannon’s diagnosis, and suddenly, this gave me and Steve a focus — to create something special for Shannon and Fi. And what a journey it’s turned out to be!

My daughter bought me an iPad for Christmas, and I was itching to have a go. I’m not a fan of technology in the slightest — my kids will confirm just how clueless I can be!

Yet suddenly, Steve and I were diving into illustrations, working remotely through team meetings, pinging images back and forth, and figuring out how to actually print a book. And beyond that, we began to wonder if this could help others, too. It’s been a huge learning curve — and a big well done to my brother, who somehow became a web designer overnight!

Taking on all these challenges gave us a real sense of purpose and a renewed lease of life. We were talking daily, tweaking images, figuring things out as we went. Steve would say, “Can you do this?” and I’d reply, “No clue — but let’s give it a go.” We spent hours, late into the night, completely absorbed in the book... accidentally losing a few files along the way!

And somehow, through devastation, we’ve created something we hope is both positive and meaningful. When Shan finally saw the book, it was wonderful to see her embrace the idea. I hope she knows it came from a place of love. I’m so proud of her — her strength and outlook have been inspiring. Through this process, we’ve become even closer, and it’s been brilliant to discover how our different strengths have come together.

We truly hope the sincerity behind the book shines through — and that its message of hope reaches those who need it.