Magnificent Millie is a story about a tiny heart warrior. It’s a story about life. About love. About beginning, and endings.
It’s based on the true story of Millie Grace Robertson, born with a heart defect, who touched many lives at SickKids Hospital and at home, in her short life.
The book, self-published by Bradford West Gwillimbury author Stefanie Patterson, was launched this summer on Amazon, and, for two days, was on the best-seller list.
“The book release was really fun,” she said. “We felt really famous for two days. We felt on top of the world,” especially since all of the reviews gave the book five stars.
“That was really exciting for me, too. They were falling in love with Millie and her story.”
Patterson met Millie’s family at SickKids last year, where her own young heart warrior, her son Henry, was undergoing treatment.
When Millie passed away, Patterson felt driven to write her story — as a way to educate, and to reach out to other families who face the day-to-day uncertainties of life-threatening conditions. But first she reached out to the Robertsons, at their home in Nova Scotia, for permission.
Millie’s mom Caroline was quick to respond: Yes, but only if she could do the illustrations.
The result is Magnificent Millie, combining Patterson’s poetic words and Robertson’s sensitive and beautiful watercolours. It is written as a children’s book, but it has a message for all ages.
One purchaser sent Patterson a photo of a nurse at SickKids, reading Magnificent Millie to a patient.
“That was a very magical moment. That was priceless, because SickKids was Millie’s second home,” she said.
Patterson recently received the first quarterly report of sales for the book. In just the first seven weeks, 250 copies of Magnificent Millie were sold — not exactly a landslide, but, she said, “that was 250 families, 250 bookshelves. This was in people’s homes.”
The palliative care unit at SickKids wanted to place a bulk order, but instead Patterson and Robertson have decided to use the royalties to-date to donate 50 copies of Magnificent Millie.
“At the end of the day, I just couldn’t take money from SickKids,” said Patterson, who has been involved in fundraising for the hospital.
“They are very excited about it. It’s a wonderful resource for families going through similar situations,” she said. “If they run out, I’ll give them more.”
Millie spent her last days in the palliative care unit and at Emily’s House hospice. It will be extra special, said Patterson, “for the palliative care team to say, ‘We knew Millie, she’s awesome, and this is her book.’”
That’s not to say Patterson doesn’t hope for a wider distribution. She is thinking about sending copies of the book to the 11 other cardiac centres in Canada, hoping that they, too, might embrace Millie’s story.
“There’s a potential she could go across Canada,” said Patterson. She has even sent a copy to Jimmy Kimmel, “just to see if he’ll respond. He has a heart warrior as well. His son is the same age as Henry and Millie.”
Because at the end of the day it’s not about the authors, but about Magnificent Millie, Patterson said.
“I hope the momentum of this book continues, as we keep Millie’s story alive,” she said. “It has been a success. It’s for Millie — she deserves the world… Getting it across Canada — I’d settle for that.”
Patterson added: “One in every 100 babies is born with one or more congenital heart defects. Having a heart defect is a lifelong commitment; there is no cure. These children are our heroes — we can all learn something from them.”
For more information or to order a copy of Magnificent Millie, see magnificentmillie.com.
“We all come here from that place with the hope of giving and receiving love. For some of us, it takes a long time but for others it takes a short time.” – from Magnificent Millie.
