Novel About Girl with Cystic Fibrosis to Help Raise Funds for the Disease

The first of a series of young-adult fantasy books from Michael Seidelman features a teenage girl with cystic fibrosis (CF).

“No One Dies in the Garden of Syn,” whose main character is Synthia “Syn” Wade, explores topics that let young readers know more about the disease.

Seidelman will donate half of the book’s profits in May, which is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

“The more I researched cystic fibrosis for my series of books, the more I wanted to help raise awareness of this devastating disease while also raising money to help find a cure,”Seidelman said in a press release. “This May I am participating in Book Fairy drops [books hidden in public-transportation locations], book donations, and donation of book sales to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.”

Seidelman will also donate copies of the book to Ronald McDonald Houses in participating cities.

The book follows Syn after a stranger pushes her into a pond. She finds herself in a world where illness and death don’t exist. What at first looks like a utopia hides many secrets and dangers, however, including a threatening character who has darker plans for her.

Seidelman and several partners plan Book Fairy drops in three countries and four cities on May 10. The partners include New York’s Books on the Subway program, London’s Books on the Underground, and both Toronto’s and Montreal’s Books on the Transit program. The drops will feature hidden copies of the book in subways and other transportation-system locations.

The Books on the Subway and Books on the Undergroun’ programs caught the public’s attention in November 2016 when British actress Emma Watson became a Book Fairy. Watson became famous for playing Hermione in the Harry Potter film adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s books.

CF is a genetic disorder that can affect the lungs, pancreas, liver and intestines. In CF patients, mutations of the CFTR gene lead to an abnormal amount of chloride and sodium crossing the cell membrane, causing a thick mucus build-up in the lungs.

CF is one of the most common lung diseases in children. The life-threatening disorder causes lung infections and digestion problems.