Angel of Mine was inspired by my son, Shalin. For as long as I can remember, he has been a ball of boundless energy. He was so energetic that I was often exhausted by being constantly vigilant and trying to keep up with him. When it was time for his nap, I looked forward to a short break, but it sometimes took up to an hour as he continued to bounce around on the pillows, still talking and laughing until he finally gave in to sleep. Once asleep, it was difficult to imagine that this angelic, peaceful boy was just full of energy a few moments before. I was always amazed by the sharp contrast between his seemingly endless energy when awake and his angelic peacefulness while sleeping. This book is an attempt to capture that sweet contrast, as I know there are many other families who share the same experience.

I wrote Angel of Mine while Shalin was attending Victory Academy, a school for children with autism. The idea for the book first came to me in a dream as a tune that was intermingled with an image of Shalin as a toddler and the words “angel of mine.” When I woke up, I hummed the tune into my phone before it had a chance to fade away. With the tune in my head, I jotted down the words to the song as they came to me. Once I had the words, I realized they would make a sweet children’s book in addition to a lullaby. Magen Dignan, the music therapist at Victory, and Michael Allard, one of the many amazing teachers at Victory, took the tune and lyrics and turned it into a beautiful lullaby.

I knew from the very beginning of this project that I wanted the proceeds to go to charity and that Victory Academy would be one of the charities. Victory has been such a blessing for Shalin and for us as a family. It is a place where I know he is safe, and the teachers genuinely love him and advocate for him. They provide the direct social education that he needs, and they challenge him academically. Victory is an amazing school where every small win is celebrated, and all students have a safe haven where they have the freedom to be themselves.

When I began looking for an illustrator for Angel of Mine, I thought it would be very special and meaningful to have one of Victory Academy’s own students illustrate the book. It was at that time that I was introduced to Lily Schultz, a high-school student at Victory Academy. I knew after seeing her first few drawings that she would be able to capture the essence of the book through her illustrations, and that is exactly what she has done. I will be forever grateful to Lily for bringing this story to life.

The other charity we chose is Live Like Noah Foundation, founded by our dear friends, Keith and Cecile Michaelis, in honor of the their daughter, Noah Bella. Noah was born with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) and Heterotaxy syndrome. In her battle with CHD, she underwent four open heart surgeries, multiple hospitalizations and countless procedures. Everyone who met Noah felt her magic. She had wisdom beyond her years and was a deeply selfless soul. Despite all that she endured, she spearheaded efforts to raise over $100,000 for families impacted by CHD. She also advocated at the local, state and federal levels for CHD, which is the most common birth defect worldwide.

Keith and Cecile are two of the most amazing human beings we know. They started Live Like Noah foundation to carry on Noah's legacy. They focus on helping families impacted by CHD and support training physicians to learn complex procedures. Noah wrote 6 short stories in her 13 years, and part of their mission is to share her stories and love of reading with hospitals and communities through their Reading is Healing program. Lastly, Live Like Noah has an amazing line of apparel that embodies Noah's values and spirit. It focuses on motivating others to be kind, selfless, and brave.