South Carolina author with cerebral palsy publishes her first children’s book

Aiken, South Carolina, author Karen Bunney, has completed her first book children’s book, and it’s an inspiration for any child living with disabilities.

The Aiken Standard reports that Bunney gets around in a wheelchair and throughout her life, has had numerous negative encounters with people, solely based upon her reliance on a wheelchair. She wrote a book to show those “haters” that having cerebral palsy and being in a wheelchair isn’t as bad as they think.

Bunney’s book, “Bunnsville Buzz: The Adventures of Bessie Bunny,” portrays the life and times of character, Bessie Bunny, whose ears and feet are so long that she uses a wheelchair to get around.

“Bessie was the type of bunny who always loved to smile. Although she realized not everyone was going to be friendly as she wanted them to be, she tried to emphasize her personality not her disability,” the book read.

According to Bunney, she used experiences she encountered throughout her own life and incorporated them into the story. For instance, although Bessie Bunny has physical limitations, she’s still able to dress herself, read, hang out with friends, do chores, and go to school. The author wanted to provide inspiration for children in wheelchairs, and help show them that they too, can still achieve many things, despite their disability.

“I wanted to have a role model for kids. I wanted to give them a good, positive inspiration about what it’s like to be in a wheelchair (and) to inspire kids to have an adventure because every day is an adventure.”

Bunney didn’t forget to include family members in her inspirational book. Bessie Bunney was born surrounded by eight bunny cousins. Throughout the story, the protagonist enjoys life as any other bunny would. She even plays tennis and hangs out with other bunnies at a cafe.

What happens when life presents you with a challenge at birth? How do you and those around you cope? How does it make you feel when you know you are different? Bessie Bunny was born different physically than other bunnies. Will this affect her life? How does she cope with the challenges that life presents? Read on to see what life has in store for Bessie, or should I say what Bessie has in store for life?

“Bunnsville Buzz The Adventures of Bessie Bunny” was published by the New York-based full-service publishing house, Page Publishing. It’s available at bookstores and on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google Play, and iTunes.

Bunney, originally from Manchester, Michigan, received her bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Texas at El Paso. She helps others with disabilities while working at an independent living center, and enjoys exercising when she can. She currently lives in Aiken with her mother.