I have had the pleasure to connect with a fellow child life specialist, Shannon Alford. She is not only doing amazing work with patients and families at a children’s hospital, but she is also a loving mother and the author of Stars in the Sand: Finding the Light of the Lord in Unexpected Places. She writes under the pen name, Leigh Snyder
This is a beautiful book that captures the struggles that families endure and how their faith can be questioned and also used as a source of healing, hope and resiliency.
Here is a little bit more about the book and Shannon.
Stars in the Sand: Finding the Light of the Lord in Unexpected Places
Before you take your child to the hospital…
Stars in the Sand offers an insider’s view of a children’s hospital. The warm and witty stories provide practical information on
- How hospitalization affects children and their families
- Ways to support children’s development during hospitalization
- Techniques to increase coping and offer comfort through illness and injury
- Ways faith can be challenged and strengthened through trials and crisis
- Examples of strength, hope, and inspiration
Can you ever think of a time more trying to one’s soul than enduring that of the pain of your child? Stars in the Sand compassionately shares an insider’s experience into the world of a Child Life Specialist. The brilliant and warm stories reflecting the divine presence of God in a children’s hospital permeate the book and share hope when circumstances can challenge even the strongest will. The stories are brief and to the point, yet they provide spiritual insight and provoke though. They also show that even though we place a lot of faith in current medical technology, we should never untether ourselves from the most glorious source of healing—the miracles of God’s blessings.
—Tony Anders, author, Artisan of the Human Spirit
Shannon Alford is a Child Life Specialist at a large children’s hospital whose work is to help children cope with the stress and anxiety that often accompanies hospitalization and medical procedures. Shannon’s experience includes working with hospitalized children of all ages from the ER to ICU. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Ed, and daughter, Audrey. She is currently working on her second book.
Click Here to order your copy of Stars in the Sand
You can contact Shannon by email at Shannon.childlife@gmail.com and follow her on Facebook.
