Mary Lous Surprise is a story of a young girl named Mary Lou who has leukemia and who is missing her classmates. After hearing the news at school, Henry decides to throw a party at Easter time at her house with cake, ice-cream, balloons, and games. Through all the excitement, Mary Lous friends, teacher, and principle all learn that happiness is doing for others. I wrote and illustrated Mary Lous Surprise when I was eleven years old. For over thirty-six years, the homemade book was tucked away in my mothers attic, hidden in an old suitcase I used to carry around as a child. Getting ready to move, my mother rediscovered it and gave it me. When I reread the story that I wrote many years ago, I discovered several uncanny parallels to my adult life. I knew God wanted me to share it as a testimonial of hope for others. I feel I am living proof that life goes in a full circle. Like Mary Lou, I too, have cancer which is also a white blood disorder and is very similar to leukemia. I have had it for fourteen years and have relapsed for the fifth time as of last year. Over the summer the cancer has spread and I start chemotherapy for a third time in January. It was not long before I started work at Island Hospice as Volunteer Coordinator for THA Group, that I felt my calling was to help others. I recruited my children Sims fourteen and Stephen seventeen, as Island Hospice Teen volunteers. I wanted them to learn important lessons in life like the benefits of helping those in need. There are a number of other aspects in the book and from my childhood that now have so much relevance. Not only does Mary Lou have cancer, but they go to visit her on Easter. This year April 8th, my husband Stephen and I will have been married twenty four years and it falls on Easter. Mary Lous teachers name is Miss Beatie and that is the teacher on the popular television show Little House on the Prairie, which was my childhood favorite show. My daughter and I watch the reruns today. Henry and the children play games with Mary Lou to cheer her up. I play games now with our hospice patients to cheer them up and relieve stress. The cover was recreated by my daughter just like we found it, but put on a lime green paper. My children discovered that all cancer types are given a color and lymphomas is lime green and the celebration month is September. The book was just discovered in the month of September and my childhood favorite color just so happened to be apple green. I truly believe God gave me the courage to write the story so young because I believed in him so much. He knew one day I would find the book at just the right time in my life, so that I could share it with others who need encouragement. I believe everything is for a reason and there are no such things as consequences. I have shared my story with patients, nurses, children and veterans. I now want to share it with you and your family. Mary Lous moral of her story says it all happiness is doing for others. I would love to hear your comments. Email: buttimer1@att.net.
About the Author: About The Author/Illustrator Mary "Kent" Buttimer is a mother of son Stephen 17 years old and daughter Sims 14 years old. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia and has lived in Savannah, Georgia for most of her life. Kent has been married to Stephen for 23 years, but has been together since high school for 33 years. She has a Jack Russell named Bingo of 7 years and a cat named Surf for 5 years. Kent is a graduate of University of Georgia where she majored in early childhood education. She taught 2nd grade and then moved onto marketing. Kent has operated with her husband three businesses: Kent Advertising, Image Sign Company and Estus Outdoor. She currently works for THA Group Island Hospice as the Volunteer Coordinator for Georgia and South Carolina. Kent holds several titles: Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Godmother, Baseball Mom, Soccer Mom, Basketball Mom, Volleyball Mom, Volunteer Coordinator, Author, and Cancer Survivor. She loves children, fishing, tennis, golf, Ping-Pong, watercolor painting, animals and helping others. Her favorite is fishing with her children and husband. Kent is a Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma cancer survivor of 14 years. Her goal for Mary Lou's Surprise is to provide inspiration to individuals suffering from cancer, especially children. Kent feels her time is so precious now and she wants to provide hope and encouragement and make a difference in the lives of others. A special thanks to those individuals who believed in the book and all those who have offered prayers for her family.