STATE — Emily Fleischman, a 16-year-old River Dell High School junior, has spoken to hundreds of students at elementary schools and synagogues all over northern New Jersey about Tourette Syndrome. Now she is getting out the message about the disorder that affects as many as 1 in 100 people through a different medium.
Fleischman’s new children’s book, “Emily’s Tic” – which talks about life as kid with TS, including her own challenges of facing bullying – is available on Amazon.com, as well as for download via Kindle or Nook on an iPad or iPhone.
“I was diagnosed with TS when I was 6 years old, and not until two years ago did I begin to talk about my disorder,” said Fleischman, who both wrote and illustrated the book with the help of her mother, Florence Fleischman. “Once I accepted the fact that I had Tourette Syndrome – I was born this way and this is who I am – I decided that my goal was to educate others about TS.”
The book also features a Tourette Syndrome fact sheet, information about the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome and Fleischman’s personal story – including the reason why advocacy for Tourette is such a big part of her life.
“For the past two years, I have spoken at schools about TS and explained why you should not bully others for their differences,” said Fleischman, the 2010 National Youth Ambassador from New Jersey. “I wrote ‘Emily’s Tic’ to educate young children about TS and show that it is hurtful to bully others.”
To learn more, visit www.njcts.org.
Connect with NJTODAY.NET
Join NJTODAY.NET's free Email List to receive occasional updates delivered right to your email address!