Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that causes irreversible damage to one or more organs and systems including the lungs, digestive track, pancreas, and other organs. Children with cystic fibrosis often have trouble breathing and lack proper nutrition. The severity and symptoms of the disorder varies from person to person.

Learning your baby has cystic fibrosis is the beginning of a lifelong and emotional journey. Parents often find themselves doing endless research, advocacy, emails, calls, filling out lengthy applications, endless appointments as well as frequent and lengthy hospital stays.

Children born with cystic fibrosis face their own emotional and physical challenges. Feeling different from your peers, missing school and other activities due to illness or infection and hospitalizations, and living with the symptoms and restrictions caused by the disease is difficult.

Deana Wilson, and her son, Liam, understand these challenges all too well. At three weeks of age, Liam, a spunky grade 5 student who likes math, science and track and field, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

Since his diagnosis, Deana has been Liam’s biggest advocate. She started Liam’s Mission as a way to share her knowledge and experiences with other families and raise public awareness about the disorder when her son was a baby.

Liam’s Mission, a charitable initiative, provides information and resources, support, advocacy and encouragement to other families. One of the initiative’s main activities is creating activity and picture books to help kids and teenagers with cystic fibrosis, families, professionals and educators understand the disease and its challenges. Deana has currently developed eight activity books. Each book focuses on advocacy, support, knowledge sharing and guidance through a variety of easy-to-do activities and practical tips.

Their recently published workbook, A Warrior Mind: Mental Health Workbook for Teens, was created to help children and teenagers understand and deal with their emotions and the mental toll having cystic fibrosis can take. The book is filled with supportive activities and tips to help relieve stress and develop daily mental health rituals.

Other Liam’s Mission workbooks include:
• Ultimate CF Workbooks for Both Parent & Child
• Between Treatments & Triumphs: A Workbook for Adult CF Warriors
• Breathe Brave: A Universal Guide to Loving Our Lungs and Living Fully
• The Warrior Mind: A Mental Health Workbook for Adults
• Brave & Brilliant: A Neurodiversity Workbook for Families
• The Brave Sibling Workbook
• Dear Teacher: A Parent Gift & Guide for Classroom Connection

Each workbook is designed for a specific audience so they develop a better understanding of the disease.

Along with the workbooks Deana has developed, Liam has cowritten and published two uplifting and engaging picture books: Liam, Strong as a Tree and Liam’s Hospital Stay. His third book, Liam’s Chronicles: The Spark within Liam’s Skates, will be available soon.

These stories and workbooks are invaluable resources for families and children with cystic fibrosis. Unlike most resources available to parents, these books are written exclusively by a mom and son who have firsthand, lived experiences and knowledge about cystic fibrosis. They’re sharing their experiences so other families and children with cystic fibrosis don’t have to feel so alone or overwhelmed.

All books and workbooks are available on Liam’s Mission website, Amazon, and Etsy. A portion of the sales proceeds goes towards Toronto SickKids.

Along with their books, Liam’s Mission has participated in several annual events and been interviewed for numerous media stories. Every December, they hold an annual toy drive for Toronto SickKids. Last year they collected two truckloads of toys.

Information about upcoming events, links to the interviews, and their books and other merchandise are available on liamsmission.ca