Mackenzie is a young girl who many adults should strive to be like. Mackenzie was diagnosed with a disorder called complex regional pain. Dealing with chronic pain constantly, she often turned to books to help keep her mind off the physical and emotional pain. She didn’t want other kids to suffer with pain as she had in the past, so she created Sheltering Books when she was just fifteen. Sheltering Books is a nonprofit organization that collects and donates books to homeless shelters and hospitals. Her nonprofit also helps develop reading spaces, such as libraries and reading rooms, where these books can be kept, used, and read. Mackenzie is an incredible young girl because she never let her disability prevent her from doing the things she wanted to accomplish in life or let stereotypes define her abilities and potential. Instead, she turned her disability into her inspiration.
“When I read, it’s a real escape.”
—Mackenzie Bearup
This excerpt is from The Book of Awesome Girls by Becca Anderson, which is available now through Amazon and Mango Media.
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