‘You Matter, Little Lion’

When Kendall Dickerson wrote, “You Matter, Little Lion: A Sibling’s Journey of Faith, Feelings, and Finding Her Place,” the first-time author was writing from personal experience.

Dickerson’s son was born with a rare, severe congenital heart defect, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, and to have a chance at life he must undergo a series of three staged open-heart surgeries, all before he starts Kindergarten.

Dickerson’s son had two surgeries, the first at 4 days old and the second at 4 months, both at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth.

He is now 20 months old and thriving at home.

Dickerson said the children’s book was a great passion of hers but added that its genesis was not what might be expected.

“I didn’t set out to write a book, and I never thought I’d add ‘author’ to a title that I carry,” Dickerson said. “It is truly a God-ordained calling from the Lord and the fruit of my imperfect, yet faithful obedience to Him. I felt like God put it on my heart, and I simply put His idea that He gave me into action.

“I’ve always loved to write (ever since fourth grade, shout out to Ms. Vandagriff), but didn’t feel like I had a message to share until my family walked through a difficult season when my son was born in November 2024.”

While so much of the family’s focus has been on the Aledo author’s son, it was her daughter who serves as the focus of the book.

“The primary message of the book is to remind siblings of special needs children that they are deeply loved and that they matter,” Dickerson said. “The ‘Little “Lion’ is inspired by my daughter. I knew immediately that I wanted to use animals as characters instead of humans to help make the emotionally heavy topic gentler and more palatable for young children.

“I also knew without hesitation that I would use lions. They’re kind of a ‘thing’ in our family- my daughter’s favorite animal; and my son’s middle name is Daniel from the Bible, who is mostly known for his faith in the lion’s den. Lions also symbolize strength and courage, which are qualities that siblings of medically complex children display day in and day out.”

Dickerson said the story came together fairly quickly.

After she wrote the manuscript, Dickerson hired freelance illustrator Travis Smithe to bring the story to life.

She then sent out the manuscript to a few publishers and eventually signed with Trilogy Christian Publishing, feeling they were the most aligned with the mission of the story.

Dickerson said it was important to her to write the book, because she feels it is the brothers and sisters who are often overlooked, and they deserve a voice.

“I care so much about these siblings because I’ve seen my own daughter live through it,” Dickerson said. “I know watching their siblings go through surgeries, procedures, hospital stays, countless pokes and prods, and other medical traumas have a profound and lasting impact on them. Yet many young siblings are often left without the language to process what they are experiencing, and many parents want to support their children but don’t know where to start.

“’You Matter, Little Lion’ meets this gap by providing a gentle framework for connection to help siblings express their feelings, ask honest questions, rely on God through prayer, and remember that their story matters, too.”

While Dickerson said the writing itself went smoothly, the subject matter could be very difficult.

“The most challenging aspect of writing this particular book was the topic itself,” Dickerson said. “Since this story was born out of our own family’s story, it’s deeply personal and I’m living it in real time. Since the topic is emotional in nature, I was often brought back to the many valleys and lows in those early days that we experienced during my son’s health journey.

“I am so grateful to how far we’ve come, and this book represents God’s redeeming power and that He can use all things for His good and glory.”

Dickerson said having her book published has been a surreal experience and said if there is one thing she would like for readers to take away from her book is a sense of optimism.

“My hope and prayer are that this serves as a life-giving resource and encouragement for siblings, families, and caregivers and that it yields a glimmer of hope and healing,” Dickerson said. “I pray that it inspires families to have open conversation with their children and that relationships are strengthened and families are unified.

“I pray that brothers and sisters are reminded that they are seen, loved, cherished, and valued. And ultimately, I pray that this book glorifies God, the One who knows and sees and commands all things.”

“You Matter, Little Lion: A Sibling’s Journey of Faith, Feelings, and Finding Her Place,” can be purchased at kendall-dickerson.myshopify.com.

It will be available for purchase Sept. 15 on Amazon, Barnesnnoble.com, Walmart.com, and most major online retailers.