Girl Scout's Book Sheds Light on Life with Tourette's Syndrome
Anna Bennett from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has achieved the Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn, for addressing the stigma around disabilities like Tourette’s Syndrome and mental health through her original book, Tourette’s Syndrome and Me.
Anna wanted to do her part in breaking the stigmas circling disabilities and mental health while educating others. Growing up, she learned firsthand how many people lack even a basic understanding of disabilities like Tourette's Syndrome. These experiences made her feel very alone, and she doesn’t want anyone else to have to experience them.
“I chose to address Tourette’s Syndrome specifically because I was diagnosed with it when I was 11 years old, and I had to educate my peers. I wanted other kids to have a simple way to explain Tourette’s Syndrome to their peers.”
As Anna was working on her book, she formed a test audience with children aged 8-12 from throughout the Midwest. She asked them to fill out a survey after finishing the book; giving her an accurate report of their takeaways. Once the data was collected, Anna adjusted some of the content to make it easier for everyone to understand.
“The book will be available for purchase on Amazon, Ingram Spark, Next Page Books, and free to check out at the Hiawatha Public Library and the Mount Vernon Middle School Library. My hope is for my book to reach a wider audience around the world. Change does not happen overnight; it takes time. That is why I am working on spreading the word about my book, so that it can make a bigger impact.”
Anna has sold nearly 100 copies of her book. All profit from sales goes toward donating copies to schools and libraries, increasing the number of individuals educated.
During her project, Anna regularly met with her team and was interviewed to feature her publication and progress. She learned how to overcome her anxiety, ask for help, receive feedback, and change her work while maintaining the original message. Her personal growth while working on this project, paired with her book, is sure to inspire countless others in the community.
