This week I received a Google notification that there was a mention of my book “The Kangaroo Pouch” out there in the world. So, I investigated, and sure enough, it had been mentioned in two UK papers: the Mirror and the Grimsby Telegraph. (As a side note, you’d be surprised at the stuff “kangaroo pouch” yields on Google … sweatshirts, bellies hanging over jeans … more often than not, it’s got nothing to do with my book, so I was pleasantly surprised on Wednesday!)
“The Kangaroo Pouch” has been out since 2007, and every time it gets a mention, it brings me a warm feeling of satisfaction. It’s hard to put into words. I know how much my kids relied on that book, back when it was stick figures, and the paper curled at the edges because they read it so much. They would sit on the floor, chins resting on their bent knees, pointing and chattering about what stage we were at in the pregnancy. It helped them to understand this “thing” our family was doing. Back then (14 years ago), surrogacy was not mainstream. It was a fringe method of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). Telling children about the process was just one of many groups that would get educated: family, friends, teachers, etc. People didn’t understand it then. It’s much, much better today. And while infertility or the inability to have a child is heartbreaking, it is good to know that there is another way to bring a child into the world.
I didn’t plan on publishing “The Kangaroo Pouch,” but I’m glad I did. Hearing or reading that it is still helping other families and their children, makes me happy.
