Bourne author writes book on the life of late Stamford toddler Tommy Rodgers to raise awareness for Kawasaki disease

A toddler who died from a little-known disease is leaving a lifesaving legacy thanks to a new book about his life.

Tommy Rodgers, from Stamford, died from Kawasaki disease in January last year, aged just 14 months.

His mum Katie Youngs approached Bea Maskery after seeing the books she had written and illustrated about her own children.

Bea, from Bourne, was happy to help and, as a gift to her old schoolfriend, wrote and illustrated Tommy The Kawasaki King: How His Heart Saved Others.

“I like to see it as my son sacrificed his life to save others,” said Katie.

“He gave up his heart. So that's why we went with the title.”

She added: “I can’t thank Bea enough. She's so unbelievably selfless - she is taking nothing from this, except she knows she's done a good thing to help everyone and me.”

All royalties from the book, which launched on Thursday, will go to Societi, a charity which raises awareness of the disease and funds specialist training for medical staff to help speed up diagnosis and improve treatment.

It took a week after falling ill for Tommy to be diagnosed with the disease, and since his death, Katie and Tommy’s dad Dan have been on a mission to change this.

The town has also taken the cause to their hearts, such as the Stamford Townswomen's Guild who recently raised £800 for the charity.

“We’ve raised awareness but we need to reach more people and I'm not going to give up,” she said. “I have to continue to grieve out loud.

“We've still got a long way to go, but writing a book and getting it on to Amazon gives us the opportunity to start being able to reach worldwide.”

Katie sent the story of Tommy’s short life over to Bea as well as photos taken during his illness to help write the book.

Bea also leaned on her own experience of trauma, after her own daughter survived a cardiac arrest at the age of three months.

“I don't know first-hand of what it's like to have an infant loss, but I know the worry of having a really poorly child and not being able to do anything to help,” she said.

“She's a sassy, lively, healthy seven-year-old now, but there was a point where we didn't think she would be.”

The book is written primarily for children, but Katie and Bea agreed it was important to tell the story in a direct but sensitive way.

“Katie initially wanted it to have a happy ending where Tommy lived, but I said children are quite tough when it comes to talking about raw subjects,” said Bea.

“So we can still say that he passed away, but just in a really gentle way and that's what I tried to get across in the book.”

The book includes illustrations of Tommy’s symptoms to warn parents what to look out for.

Kawasaki disease primarily affects young children, causing inflammation of blood vessels, with symptoms which include persistent high fever, rash, swollen glands, and redness of the lips, tongue, and eyes.

It can lead to serious heart complications, but most fully recover if diagnosed and treated early.

“If you get the warning signs, you should have awareness, so the book tells what the symptoms can be,” Katie said.

“I can't get through the book without crying, but it's because I have to relive it every time I read it.

“But it's done in a very sensitive way, and we found that with children, you’re better off being brutally honest.”

The story also had a profound effect on its author.

Bea said: “I read it out to my wife and I had to stop halfway through while I bawled, and then I read it to my mum and I bawled again, and every time I read it.

“My heart just absolutely breaks for Katie, but she's been so amazing throughout all of this.

“For Katie to have a child pass away and then do absolutely everything in her power to make sure no other child dies in the way that Tommy did is nothing short of remarkable.”

The book is available on Amazon for £9.99 and the response has been encouraging.

Its Facebook page attracted 100 members within the first two hours, and by Monday the book had risen to number 11 in the Amazon best-seller list for children’s books on diseases and physical illness.

“I've had so many messages - my inbox has gone so crazy with people asking me where they can order it,” Katie said.

“I believe Tommy's changed so many lives already and I'm so proud of him for that.

“That is what I wanted for him, for his legacy to live on. That's what gives his death a purpose.”