Heather Harrington has a big heart and a creative mind. After a tragic accident, she is using both to help people with disabilities.
Harrington has been a writer since she was 12 years old and was encouraged by her mother to write a book someday.
After pursuing a career as a massage therapist, she decided in December that the time to live her childhood dream was here. She took a sabbatical from her job, traveled to Maine to visit friends and took a terrible fall while roller skating.
Harrington has roller skated most of her life and traveled during the COVID pandemic to roller rinks across the country. She wanted to highlight something positive in the world and began a TikTok channel on roller skating.
While in Maine, she fell and dislocated her shoulder. After suffering from the dislocation over 14 hours in a hospital, doctors said her shoulder may never be the same and she may be disabled.
Harrington has many friends who also suffer from or care for others with disabilities. She has seen firsthand the impact a disability can have one’s mental, physical and financial health, Harrington said.
Determined to make a difference, Harrington wrote two books “Duck, Duck, Moose, Know You’re Perfect Just the Way You Are” and “Duck, Duck, Who are You?” She turned them both into coloring books, targeting small children. To accompany each book, she has created an audio file so young children can color and listen to the story at the same time.
Both books teach children that is OK to be different and to be themselves, Harrington said.
As Harrington recovers from recent shoulder surgery she is binding the coloring books and selling them on her website. The audio file is free with the purchase of the book.
“I thought, wouldn’t it be great if I could create another avenue for people with disabilities to have some sort of financial recourse to make ends meet,” Harrington said.
Harrington plans to donate all the proceeds from the books to people with disabilities through a giving program she created, she said.
“I just genuinely really care about other people’s health and disabilities and I want to help people. I want to do it in a way that will help bring positivity by doing something positive for all of us,” Harrington said.
