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Commercial News, Tuscola Journal/ |
COMMERCIAL NEWS By Linda McGurk COVINGTON, Ind. — She’s worked as a firefighter, a flight nurse and as a nurse in the surgical trauma intensive care unit at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Ill. Recently she became certified as an integrative life coach, and in a matter of months she’ll be a certified wellness coach. Now Kim Busboom of Royal, Ill., can add children’s book author to her already extensive résumé. “I’ve always loved to write,” Busboom said, “but it was never a goal of mine to write children’s books. It just presented itself to me and I was brave enough to take the leap to do it.” The idea for Busboom’s debut book, “My Secret Best Friend,” came to her in the middle of the night. “It hit me at 3 a.m.,” she recalled. “It was like God was speaking to me and telling me to write this book. It just flowed from somewhere.” Still sitting in her bed, Busboom started writing fervently about a young girl named Kerri Ann, who feels lonely and sets out to search for a new best friend. As the morning turns into afternoon and Kerri Ann still hasn’t found her friend, she finally realizes that what she’s searching for is closer to home than she thought. “The big meaning of (the story) is that the things we’re looking for in life aren’t always where we think they are. I’ve had several adults tell me how much the book means to them,” Busboom said. “My Secret Best Friend” is the first of a series of five planned children’s books by Busboom. The second, “The Angel who Didn’t Fit In,” is just about to hit the book stores and Busboom will have both on hand for a book signing at Taylored by Grace in Covington, Ind., during Apple Fest Saturday. “I just loved the story and how it came about. I think it’s very well done,” said Cathy Coffman, owner of Taylored by Grace. Coffman plans to carry Busboom’s books in the newly expanded children’s area of the store. “I thought this was a good opportunity to bring in a fairly local writer with a fabulous story that goes well with my store.” she said. All of Busboom’s children’s books encourage the young readers to think about integrity and self-confidence. “They have meanings that help kids get back to the basics,” Busboom said. “I think we as a society have gotten away from that a little bit because we’re so busy, but it’s our duty to take time to talk with our kids instead of watching TV. They need self-confidence and self-assurance.” Many of the characters in Busboom’s books are based on people who have touched her heart in different ways, and her own sometimes difficult life experiences have served as a bottomless well of inspiration for the plot lines. Busboom, who grew up in the Tuscola area, was diagnosed with diabetes at age 11 and received a kidney and pancreas transplant in 2001, after being on dialysis for 10 months. In June she was injured seriously in a car wreck and she still goes to therapy twice a week, which has delayed her plans to open her own practice as a life and wellness coach. “It just goes to show that you can have all the plans in the world and they can just be uprooted in a heartbeat,” Busboom said, but “I’m a firm believer that everything I’ve been through has made me who I’ve become and made me a better person. It’s made me stronger and my faith is very deep because of it,” Busboom said. IF YOU GO Kim Busboom will sign her recently published children’s books “My Secret Best Friend” and “The Angel who Didn’t Fit In” at Taylored by Grace at 215 Fourth St. (south side of the courthouse square) in Covington in conjunction with Apple Fest Saturday. The book signing will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT, and Busboom will do readings at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
TUSCOLA JOURNAL By Colleen Lehmann Sometimes God works in mysterious, magical ways ... certainly that's what Kimberly Rogers-Busboom of Royal believes. How else to explain a casual remark made to friends one day in church, repeated in a hospital ICU room some time later, that led to a collaboration resulting in the publication of Busboom's first children's book, "My Secret Best Friend." Busboom, the daughter of Sharon and Bill Rogers of Camargo, formerly of Tuscola, says "everything about this process has been magic. I got the idea for the book in the middle of the night, and couldn't put the pen down. I had it written that night." Her late-night literary activity was mentioned in passing to some good friends in church one day. Later, the husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor and ended up in the Carle Hospital ICU room where Busboom works as a critical care nurse. "Their daughter, Julie Becker, came to visit him in the hospital one day while I was there, and she happens to be a graphic artist who was starting her own company, Dirks Publishing. Her mom had mentioned my book idea to her, and during that hospital visit we talked about it. She asked me to send her the story, which I did, and she told me she wanted to publish it, just like that," said Busboom. The storyline centers around a young girl named Kerri Ann who, one day, tells her mom she needs a new best friend because hers are all busy. She sets off around the neighborhood, encountering a number of folks, but just can't find anyone to fill that void and becomes discouraged. As she heads back home she suddenly becomes aware of her shadow--following her every move, staying with her no matter what--and realizes she can be her own best friend. "I like to write things that offer encouragement and self-discovery, and that center on integrity. It's important to me to spread those kinds of messages, particularly when you're dealing with children. Julie believes in those same kinds of principles, and we found a local illustrator in Champaign, Kati Dee, to help bring the book to life. Kati and I worked closely together to get the right look and feel, and the results are just beautiful. I couldn't be happier at how it's turned out. Julie felt the same way, she told me this is not your typical 'first book' effort--for me as the author, Kati as the illustrator, or her as the publisher," Busboom said. Sprinkled throughout the book are illustrative treasures that have special meaning to Busboom. It's no coincidence the policeman Kerri Ann meets in her journey resembles Busboom's brother, state trooper Kirk Rogers. Kerri Ann herself looks remarkably like Busboom did as a young girl, and one of the businesses in the background of an illustration is a family floral shop. The tie-in there ... Busboom's grandparents are retired Tuscola florists Bill and Irene Rogers. Finding meaning from adversity is something of a specialty for Busboom. Some of her greatest blessings have been a result, either directly or indirectly, because of challenges faced throughout her life. "When I was 11 years old, I was diagnosed with Type I diabetes. I can remember spending two weeks in Jarman Hospital while they tried to get my insulin regulated. There were the daily injections, testing your blood sugar, all the constant monitoring that comes from living with the disease," Kim said. Rather than let her medical condition limit her activities, Kim decided to go the opposite direction, using it as incentive to accomplish numerous goals she set for herself. Busboom chose to go into the nursing profession, and has done other related pursuits. Her professional pedigree consists of 16 years experience in nursing, including medical/surgical, orthopedics, radiology, post-op, trauma and pediatric ICU, flight nurse, parish nurse, and experience as a paramedic/EMT/firefighter. She is a Level IV unit leader in the SICU, currently serves as co-president of the East Central Illinois chapter of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and is completing certification in integrative life coaching and wellness coaching. "I've kind of always been an overachiever, and I do feel having a chronic illness contributed to that tendency. I never wanted to be left out of anything, denied anything because I'm a diabetic. Looking back on things now, I probably overdid it," she laughed. After years of living with diabetes, on December 14, 2000, at age 38, Kim was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure. That January she began dialysis--three days a week for four hours a day. On May 1, 2001, with her kidneys and pancreas failing to do their jobs, she was placed on the transplant list at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In the meantime, she managed to work part-time at Carle, doing chart review and patient liaison activities. On October 31, 2001, 10 months into her dialysis, Busboom was at work when she received the call for which she and her family had been waiting. "They told me 'Happy Halloween, we have your organs!' It was just incredible to hear those words, and I had such a calm descend over me after that. It was as if, somehow, I knew everything was going to be all right," she recalled. And, as it turned out, she was right. The kidney and pancreas Busboom received were a match and, after 23 years of being insulin-dependent, she was and continues to be insulin free. It has been the answer to a prayer for Busboom and her family, which includes husband, Maury, and adult son Brad. "I no longer have to inject myself with insulin, and only take minimal anti-rejection drugs. It's been my own personal miracle, and now one of my passions is diabetes education. There have been so many advancements made in medical technology and understanding of the disease process itself, to allow you to better manage the disease," she said. And get ready to clear some space on your bookshelf for Busboom's writings. This is no one-and-done effort for her. "I've got another children's book that should be coming out in August, called 'The Angel That Didn't Fit In.' I'm also working on a life guide of sorts for teens and pre-teens, taking every letter of the alphabet to center on some positive characteristic or moral value. I think it continues to be a difficult thing for this age group, with all the pressures and struggles in the world, to know how to develop and live a life of purpose and integrity. It's a real calling for me to help remind them that anything is possible; you just have to believe in yourself. Communication is the key to creativity and endless possibilities," Busboom said. To learn more about Busboom, visit her Web site at www.kimbusboom.com. You can also go to www.dirkspublishing.com. |