Sixteen year-old Mallory Obenauf has penned the book: "MAGNIFICENT MALLORY: Scoliosis Survivor.''
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An anxious mother with a struggling teen was on the phone. It was long past a busy family's bedtime, but that meant nothing to Bill Obenauf.
This, he understands, is how it works.
"The mom on the phone asked if her daughter could talk to our daughter, Mallory,'' said Bill (Michaels) Obenauf, of the Dwyer & Michaels disc jockey team on radio station 97X.
"There were some troubling post-surgery issues the daughter was going through," he said. "And like we always do, we said no problem and got Mallory to the phone. And like she always does, Mallory shared her first-hand knowledge and eased the situation with the young lady on the phone.''
It happens all the time.
Mallory is 16-year-old Mallory Obenauf, a one-of-a-kind bundle of positive energy who just completed her sophomore year at Pleasant Valley High School. She stars in the swimming pool, plays in the school band, was a cheerleader, is an honor student, performs with the Backwater Gamblers ski team, loves dance, has a job and is involved in a variety of charitable projects. She plans to be an orthodontist.
If that's not enough, she's also a published author, fresh from penning the 90-page soft-cover book, “MAGNIFICENT MALLORY: Scoliosis Survivor.”
The book recounts Mallory's battle with scoliosis, her lengthy surgery to correct an 85-degree curvature of her spine and the strength and determination she gained from enduring such a surgery.
It's filled with home and hospital photos, a
frank and honest description of the tough first few days after surgery
and the strong support from her doctor, hospital staff, family and
friends.
"The goal has always been to share what I went through and offer anything I can to those going through it,'' Mallory said early this week. "I hope through the book and through personal meetings, I can assist families whose sons or daughters may be faced with needing spinal-fusion surgery.
"I take joy in helping ease their fears about the unknown and to inspire them to believe in themselves; to overcome their challenges.''
The book is just the latest effort in the many ways Mallory Obenbauf has worked to inspire others dealing with the trials and tribulations of scoliosis.
In 2013, she was chosen to travel to Washington, D.C., with her surgeon, Dr. Stuart Weinstein, to be a patient advocate. There, she lobbied for advancement of musculoskeletal research funding, wowing legislators with her knowledge and ability to make her point.
Today, she sits on the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital Youth Advisory Council. There, she provides insight and feedback about her personal experiences and works to improve health care for kids and their families.
She is a recipient of President Barack Obama's Volunteer Service Award, and, since her surgery in 2012, has been awarded the Prudential Spirit of Community Certificate of Excellence.
Steve Grubbs, Davenport's Victory Enterprises CEO, thought so highly of Mallory he enlisted her for his team's speaker's bureau and then took her message to a variety of publishers. Digi-Tall took notice.
"It's been a unique and positive process,'' Mallory said, pausing to thank her dad, mother Donna, sister Megan and brother Zachary for their support. "It's been great for me, and I hope the message will be the same for others.''
The book will be available in print version ($25) June 19, at Digi-Tall Media’s online storefront, Story-e-Books at http://tinyurl.com/npygmu9. An e-Book version will be available soon and be sold from Story-e-Books.com, as well as BookieJar.com.
For more information, email magnificent.mallory.scoliosis@gmail.com.
Source: QConline, 11th June 2015
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