Like many parents of young children, every night Danelle Kressirer Matlack (‘05) tucks her son into bed and tells an inventive story to wind down the day.
It’s what she did with one of those stories that sets her apart.
One night, Matlack and 5-year-old Liam came up with the character of an alligator named Alfie.
Last year, Matlack used their favorite scaly character as the subject of a children’s book to raise awareness of an important children’s health issue.
Published in October 2014 by Mascot Books, “Alfie the Allergic Alligator Goes to School” promotes food allergy awareness and acceptance, a focus of the Matlack family since Liam was diagnosed with multiple life-threatening food allergies when he was six months old.
According to Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), this disease affects one in every 13 children (under 18 years of age) in the U.S. That’s roughly two in every classroom.
Since Liam started preschool this year, Matlack took the opportunity to use the book to ease Liam’s worries about school—like what others would think about his food allergy bracelet—while also teaching his classmates about his allergies.
“I get thank you notes from kids saying ‘oh, I get it now,’” Matlack says.
“It’s kind of neat that with these kids there’s a light bulb going off. And I get thank you notes from parents who appreciate our efforts to raise awareness. It’s just amazing.”
Because of Matlack’s daily storytelling with Liam, it only took her two days to actually write the book. After Liam fell asleep, with the stories fresh in her mind, she would go downstairs to write before hitting the pillow herself.
Though Liam wasn’t involved in the concrete writing process, he was part of the character development and illustration.
“His favorite part about helping with the book was working with the illustrator to decide what Alfie would look like,” Matlack says.
“He really enjoyed making the character come to life.” Liam also came up with the name Maverick for another character.
A first-time author, Matlack graduated from Cabrini with a degree in marketing and always enjoyed writing, she says.
After college, she worked in corporate communications, public relations and community relations for a bank. She decided to stay home with Liam once he was diagnosed with food allergies, to ensure that the proper attention was given to his diet.
At Cabrini, Matlack says she learned that everyone is part of a bigger plan. “Cabrini taught me how to use my talents to bring about change in society and to give back. Educating others is my way of being a responsible citizen.”
Now Matlack is touring libraries and elementary and middle schools in Pennsylvania to read the book and share the message it contains.
A post on the book’s Facebook page features a thank you card from a child at one of those schools, hailing “Alfie” as the “best book ever.”
What’s next for the Matlack family? Now daughter Leighton, age 3, wants a book of her own.
And with the success of Matlack’s first book, she says, “I might write a sequel to ‘Alfie’ too.”
This article was featured in Cabrini Magazine.