My Life Beyond Asthma: A Mayo Clinic Patient Story

My Life Beyond...

by Hey Gee, Alfredo (pen name) (Narrator)

Author and illustrator Hey Gee brings to life an imaginative, adventurous story based on a real-life Mayo Clinic patient whose interests and activity aren't limited by asthma. This action-packed story shows how he manages his asthma symptoms in different climates and situations, with his cat sidekick, Alfredo, by his side and his inhaler always at the ready. A beautifully illustrated graphic approach provides a kid’s-eye view of living with, and beyond, this common childhood disease. Educational backmatter includes a glossary of key terms, additional information on asthma from the medical editor, and information about the book's creators.

Mayo Clinic Press Kids creates empowering health and wellness content in partnership with pediatric experts. Proceeds from the sale of every book go to benefit important medical research and education at Mayo Clinic.

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 2, 2024

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely one of the best of the Mayo Clinic Patient Story graphic novels thus far!

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm… Surely if you wanted to convey how a kid can live perfectly well and have a most adventurous life, you'd feature a story where the kid lives perfectly well and has a most adventurous life? This is the opposite – a fantasy where a kid living perfectly well and having a decent kind of life is the author, but not the subject. As a result what we get is this, a silly fantasy where you can tell from the first page to the last the kid is asleep and just dreaming of all his superheroic activity. Yes, between that and the preamble you can see tips and advice on what to think of and prioritise when asthmatic, but to say this is positive, affirmative and encouraging for asthmatic readers when it's all blatant make-believe, makes much less sense. I'd rather see what the asthmatic children have done that makes us sit up, take note and admire them. There's no character like that in these pages. There's a semblance of one with a credit for having written these pages, but that's a different matter entirely. I'd give one and a half stars, but it's for charity.

[sinag · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love the message this book is trying to tell the children, which is not letting your illness hinder you in doing life. The pages are very colorful and engaging and will definitely keep the attention span of children.