Sandra finds the write way to help charity
AN author who has been living with Parkinson’s for 13 years has written a children’s book and a book of poems.
Sandra Green, of Huncoat, has written and illustrated a children’s book and a book of poems about her life – which have so far raised £1,600 for a local Parkinson’s charity.
Parkinson’s Awareness Week runs until tomorrow.
Sandra, 73, said: “I find literature and art as a way of expressing myself.
“Writing and drawing is a personal satisfaction and it tells a story – especially like the stiletto shoes poem I wrote because I had a pair of red stiletto shoes when I went dancing with my sister.
“It was a lovely time we had and it’s lovely to reminisce.”
Her book Treasure Trail is about children going on holiday and finding treasure, and her poetry book, The Poems of Sandra Green, features poems about her late husband and her life, animals and Parkinson’s disease.
The talented writer explained what it is like to live with Parkinson’s.
She said: “Everyone is different. My feet stick to the floor and I find it difficult to walk.
“Sometimes I will be halfway across the road and all of a sudden I can’t move and a car will come.
“It’s really nice when people help me out.”
The author penned her first book called The Tiger Who Could Whistle in 2014 and followed the story up with another called Jack the Tiger meets Henry the Elephant. These books were inspired by her youngest grandson Samuel, who made special requests for his grandma to bring characters to life, and he named the tiger Jack.
She has also written Declan the Dragon, Ben’s Story and The Lost Boy which were printed and sold locally. Treasure Trail and The Poems of Sandra Green were published with publishers this time.
Sandra spent the majority of her career in accounting. She became a holiday representative in Austria and Madeira and then settled down with her husband who she met back in England.
The grandmother-of-three is thrilled that her books bring joy to her grandchildren who read them, and the school which one of her grandchildren attends holds her books in the classroom.
Since Sandra retired aged 64 she has picked up on numerous hobbies such as painting, flower arranging, cross-stitch, drawing and making Christmas and birthday cards. One of her paintings was chosen to feature in the charity’s 2015 Mervyn Peake calendar.
The Mervyn Peake Awards are a celebration of the talents of people with Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s UK aims to encourage creativity in memory of the late Mervyn Peake, a muchadmired artist and writer who suffered from Parkinson’s.
Treasure Trail and The Poems of Sandra Green can be purchased from all good bookshops, including WHSmith and Waterstones.