durhamlawyer
29-04-13, 01:26
Hello All,
I just wanted to share this. A friend of mine who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (she was one of the passengers on the busses blown up on 7 July 2005 in London) is writing a book and is appealing for help on Kickstarter. You can read more about the project here (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1606119916/these-histories-travel-with-me).
If you can't make a donation, please read her inspiring story, which I have placed below. It just shows how you can heal and overcome just about anything.
These Histories Travel With me
The interwoven stories of trauma survivors who taught me the way you use your second chance to help others is the path to healing
Why I'm writing This Book
On July 7th 2005 I boarded the number 30 bus at Euston station, London.
I had no idea that eleven minutes later, the man I followed up the stairs would detonate a bomb only a few seats behind me, killing 13 passengers and wounding many more of us. The story of that day has been told by many, however many of the valuable life lessons I learnt that day, and during my recovery since, remain untold.
Throughout my recovery from July 7th, I have not only discovered a passion for peace advocacy, but I have been fortunate enough to have had some remarkable people enter my life, each with their own experience and inspiring story of surviving a trauma. By sharing their experience and wisdom, and helping me - each have taught me a valuable lesson and inspired me by their bravery to help me recover.
The days in which I make the greatest recovery are the days on which I have been able to help others.
This is the biggest lesson each of these incredible people have taught me, and the message I wish to share in my book in order that more people can benefit from these incredible experiences and stories.
The words These Histories Travel With Me feature in a piece of art work at my local metro station, which I discovered the first time I ever used public transport again. Discovering it that day was a magical experience, it filled me with faith and the words sum up how I feel about my recovery, the creativity it has stirred in me; and not only the people we lost, but the people who have since come into my life because of that day.
Throughout my recovery, I have always been inspired by the courage of others; and I recently took the brave step to share some of the secrets of my Post Traumatic Stress Disorder via my blog, something I never imagined I would share, details I had kept from even my friends and family.
The response I received from both fellow trauma sufferers and professionals working in the field was profoundly inspiring, and made me realize how much I could help others by sharing this story, and also how PTSD has impacted my life.
I was overwhelmed with messages from people telling me how healing my writing is.
http://reallylisafrench.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/a-life-with-post-traumatic-stress-disorder/
The aims of the book are to share my story and the interwoven stories of the remarkable people I have met. They include a Nobel Peace Prize winner, bereaved family members, Peace campaigners, and founders of remarkable charities and other lesser known trauma survivors. Each have played an inspiring part of my recovery and have walked along side me and shown me the lesser trodden path to recovery and personal growth.
This book will be a tribute to their courage, compassion and bravery.
My story may start the day my life changed on July 7th, but the interwoven stories start many years before, some before I was even born.
My journey will take readers from the streets of London to the Minefields of Cambodia, climbing up mountains, falling through the sky, and detonating landmines; becoming an Olympic Torch Bearer and pushing my own personal boundaries to name just a few of the places and things I never imagined that day would lead me to explore.
Why I need your help
Crowd funding this book is important to me as it will once again show that together we can make good things happen because of the bad things.
People came together and showed such incredible solidarity and kindness after July 7th, and I so want to help that happen again. That day taught me we are all incredibly kind, but so often it takes tragedy for us to overcome our embarrassment and show our kindness to strangers. That day taught me to never be embarrassed about showing kindness ever again. If we learn to show a little more kindness to strangers in our day to day lives, the world really would be a much more remarkable place to call home.
Funding for the book will allow me to dedicate the next 6 - 9 months working with two professional published writers to revisit each of these special people, researching the remarkable history to their stories, and interviewing them so their stories can be told in their own special way, interwoven in my own story.
Inspired by the remarkable response to my blog posting on PTSD, the objective in producing this book is that not only will these inspiring and remarkable stories be shared, but that copies of the book will be printed so they can be read by more PTSD sufferer's, their families and trauma professionals so that they can benefit from the stories and wisdom. I'm sure in 5 years time printed books will be viewed as much as relics of the past as cameras with film in them, and cassette players.
You can view film footage of my trip to Cambodia in 2009 at the following links - but so much more has happened since then, and even the whole story up to that point could not be fully captured in 26 minutes of film... I have so much more to share.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9eb1sqd8WA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jawBFTr1TY
Initial Target: £10,000 will fund the 'basic' project - to ensure that the project WILL happen
This will fund me being able to work with two professional writers to interview the UK based inspiring people of the interwoven stories, and produce the book in e-format (limited numbers of printed book to be produced for funders and contributors).
Stretch Target - £20,000 - this project has so much more potential!
This will enable me and one of the co-writers (a professional journalist) to travel to Asia to meet and interview in person two of the inspiring people of the interwoven stories. Mr Tun Channereth, and a 7/7 survivor now working in rural Borneo.
Visting Mr Tun Channereth whom I met in Cambodia and was privileged to work alongside in my House building project in 2009 (this was documented in a BBC Inside Out documentary - links above). Mr Tun Channereth is Nobel Peace Prize co laurette for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, and quite honestly a truly remarkable human being. His story is truly inspiring, and needs to be told using his own words to really do him any justice at all. It would be such a shame if this target is not reached, and I have to share his story second hand. It really is worth every penny of the extra pledges, not least as I intend to interview him whilst building another house with him – as I did when I first met him in 2009.
I was humbled and touched when Mr Tunnereth told me I was ‘just like him, a survivor’ This stretch target will not only bring Mr Tun Channereths story to life in his own words, but I will build a house in the process, and leave yet another beautiful legacy in Cambodia.
I will also visit and interview another survivor of July 7th who has become a dear friend to me. She too has an amazing story to share and now lives in rural Borneo working in Malaysian primary schools, after being able to overcome her trauma, and get her travelling boots back on. I am very proud of her for doing this!
Do not mistake this part of the project as a holiday - my PTSD is at its very worst when I am travelling; I am actually a VERY reluctant traveler, and this will be a real test of my determination, and proof of my ability to challenge myself to help others. On my return from Cambodia last time, I actually cried for the whole 20 hour journey home.
Many people have told me I survived that day for a reason... help me achieve that reason by funding this project; and enabling my story to help as many others as possible.
If someone helps you, I have learnt, you should help someone else... help pass it on, and become part of it!
Contributing to this Kickstarter is your opportunity to be part of my journey of healing, and to help others who have experienced trauma and terrorism.
The days I am able to use my experience to help others, are the days I heal the most myself too.
.Want to help? This is all you need to do:
Go to the green box on the top right, click on the "Back This Project" box, enter your pledge* amount and select a reward.
From there, you go through the Amazon checkout process, and you are done.
Share the link with as many people as you can. If possible, personally contact 10 of them, and get them involved.
Send a link of our KICKSTARTER PROJECT to any editors or bloggers and friends you think would be interested in helping us.
If this project is successfully funded, your card will be charged the amount you pledged when the project reaches its deadline. If the project does not reach its funding goal, your card will not be charged. That's why they are called pledges (a promise to donate) not donations.
If you are able to, please pledge to see that this project can become a reality. If you’re unable to pledge or in addition to your financial contribution, you can help spread the word!
Here are three ways you can help let others know about this project:
·Email your friends asking them to check out this Kickstarter page and my blog www.reallylisafrench.wordpress.com
·Share this Kickstarter page on your Facebook wall or Twitter:
·You can also “like” us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/TheseHistoriesTravelWithMe
Follow me on Twitter @lisapeacefrench
Thank you so much for your support and compassion
I just wanted to share this. A friend of mine who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (she was one of the passengers on the busses blown up on 7 July 2005 in London) is writing a book and is appealing for help on Kickstarter. You can read more about the project here (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1606119916/these-histories-travel-with-me).
If you can't make a donation, please read her inspiring story, which I have placed below. It just shows how you can heal and overcome just about anything.
These Histories Travel With me
The interwoven stories of trauma survivors who taught me the way you use your second chance to help others is the path to healing
Why I'm writing This Book
On July 7th 2005 I boarded the number 30 bus at Euston station, London.
I had no idea that eleven minutes later, the man I followed up the stairs would detonate a bomb only a few seats behind me, killing 13 passengers and wounding many more of us. The story of that day has been told by many, however many of the valuable life lessons I learnt that day, and during my recovery since, remain untold.
Throughout my recovery from July 7th, I have not only discovered a passion for peace advocacy, but I have been fortunate enough to have had some remarkable people enter my life, each with their own experience and inspiring story of surviving a trauma. By sharing their experience and wisdom, and helping me - each have taught me a valuable lesson and inspired me by their bravery to help me recover.
The days in which I make the greatest recovery are the days on which I have been able to help others.
This is the biggest lesson each of these incredible people have taught me, and the message I wish to share in my book in order that more people can benefit from these incredible experiences and stories.
The words These Histories Travel With Me feature in a piece of art work at my local metro station, which I discovered the first time I ever used public transport again. Discovering it that day was a magical experience, it filled me with faith and the words sum up how I feel about my recovery, the creativity it has stirred in me; and not only the people we lost, but the people who have since come into my life because of that day.
Throughout my recovery, I have always been inspired by the courage of others; and I recently took the brave step to share some of the secrets of my Post Traumatic Stress Disorder via my blog, something I never imagined I would share, details I had kept from even my friends and family.
The response I received from both fellow trauma sufferers and professionals working in the field was profoundly inspiring, and made me realize how much I could help others by sharing this story, and also how PTSD has impacted my life.
I was overwhelmed with messages from people telling me how healing my writing is.
http://reallylisafrench.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/a-life-with-post-traumatic-stress-disorder/
The aims of the book are to share my story and the interwoven stories of the remarkable people I have met. They include a Nobel Peace Prize winner, bereaved family members, Peace campaigners, and founders of remarkable charities and other lesser known trauma survivors. Each have played an inspiring part of my recovery and have walked along side me and shown me the lesser trodden path to recovery and personal growth.
This book will be a tribute to their courage, compassion and bravery.
My story may start the day my life changed on July 7th, but the interwoven stories start many years before, some before I was even born.
My journey will take readers from the streets of London to the Minefields of Cambodia, climbing up mountains, falling through the sky, and detonating landmines; becoming an Olympic Torch Bearer and pushing my own personal boundaries to name just a few of the places and things I never imagined that day would lead me to explore.
Why I need your help
Crowd funding this book is important to me as it will once again show that together we can make good things happen because of the bad things.
People came together and showed such incredible solidarity and kindness after July 7th, and I so want to help that happen again. That day taught me we are all incredibly kind, but so often it takes tragedy for us to overcome our embarrassment and show our kindness to strangers. That day taught me to never be embarrassed about showing kindness ever again. If we learn to show a little more kindness to strangers in our day to day lives, the world really would be a much more remarkable place to call home.
Funding for the book will allow me to dedicate the next 6 - 9 months working with two professional published writers to revisit each of these special people, researching the remarkable history to their stories, and interviewing them so their stories can be told in their own special way, interwoven in my own story.
Inspired by the remarkable response to my blog posting on PTSD, the objective in producing this book is that not only will these inspiring and remarkable stories be shared, but that copies of the book will be printed so they can be read by more PTSD sufferer's, their families and trauma professionals so that they can benefit from the stories and wisdom. I'm sure in 5 years time printed books will be viewed as much as relics of the past as cameras with film in them, and cassette players.
You can view film footage of my trip to Cambodia in 2009 at the following links - but so much more has happened since then, and even the whole story up to that point could not be fully captured in 26 minutes of film... I have so much more to share.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9eb1sqd8WA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jawBFTr1TY
Initial Target: £10,000 will fund the 'basic' project - to ensure that the project WILL happen
This will fund me being able to work with two professional writers to interview the UK based inspiring people of the interwoven stories, and produce the book in e-format (limited numbers of printed book to be produced for funders and contributors).
Stretch Target - £20,000 - this project has so much more potential!
This will enable me and one of the co-writers (a professional journalist) to travel to Asia to meet and interview in person two of the inspiring people of the interwoven stories. Mr Tun Channereth, and a 7/7 survivor now working in rural Borneo.
Visting Mr Tun Channereth whom I met in Cambodia and was privileged to work alongside in my House building project in 2009 (this was documented in a BBC Inside Out documentary - links above). Mr Tun Channereth is Nobel Peace Prize co laurette for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, and quite honestly a truly remarkable human being. His story is truly inspiring, and needs to be told using his own words to really do him any justice at all. It would be such a shame if this target is not reached, and I have to share his story second hand. It really is worth every penny of the extra pledges, not least as I intend to interview him whilst building another house with him – as I did when I first met him in 2009.
I was humbled and touched when Mr Tunnereth told me I was ‘just like him, a survivor’ This stretch target will not only bring Mr Tun Channereths story to life in his own words, but I will build a house in the process, and leave yet another beautiful legacy in Cambodia.
I will also visit and interview another survivor of July 7th who has become a dear friend to me. She too has an amazing story to share and now lives in rural Borneo working in Malaysian primary schools, after being able to overcome her trauma, and get her travelling boots back on. I am very proud of her for doing this!
Do not mistake this part of the project as a holiday - my PTSD is at its very worst when I am travelling; I am actually a VERY reluctant traveler, and this will be a real test of my determination, and proof of my ability to challenge myself to help others. On my return from Cambodia last time, I actually cried for the whole 20 hour journey home.
Many people have told me I survived that day for a reason... help me achieve that reason by funding this project; and enabling my story to help as many others as possible.
If someone helps you, I have learnt, you should help someone else... help pass it on, and become part of it!
Contributing to this Kickstarter is your opportunity to be part of my journey of healing, and to help others who have experienced trauma and terrorism.
The days I am able to use my experience to help others, are the days I heal the most myself too.
.Want to help? This is all you need to do:
Go to the green box on the top right, click on the "Back This Project" box, enter your pledge* amount and select a reward.
From there, you go through the Amazon checkout process, and you are done.
Share the link with as many people as you can. If possible, personally contact 10 of them, and get them involved.
Send a link of our KICKSTARTER PROJECT to any editors or bloggers and friends you think would be interested in helping us.
If this project is successfully funded, your card will be charged the amount you pledged when the project reaches its deadline. If the project does not reach its funding goal, your card will not be charged. That's why they are called pledges (a promise to donate) not donations.
If you are able to, please pledge to see that this project can become a reality. If you’re unable to pledge or in addition to your financial contribution, you can help spread the word!
Here are three ways you can help let others know about this project:
·Email your friends asking them to check out this Kickstarter page and my blog www.reallylisafrench.wordpress.com
·Share this Kickstarter page on your Facebook wall or Twitter:
·You can also “like” us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/TheseHistoriesTravelWithMe
Follow me on Twitter @lisapeacefrench
Thank you so much for your support and compassion