When life throws you a curveball so devastating that it changes everything you thought you knew about your future, some people break. Others, like Brandi Harrington, transform that pain into purpose. Her journey from a desperate mother searching for words to explain her son’s unimaginable medical crisis has become a beacon of hope for families across the country navigating their own “hard” moments. Today, Brandi stands as a Pacific Northwest children’s author whose heartwarming stories have given families the tools to navigate difficult conversations with compassion, with stories inspired by her real-life experiences that touch every page.
The Woman Behind the Words: Who is Brandi Harrington?
Brandi Harrington lives a life of integrated purpose. She’s a devoted follower of Jesus, a dedicated wife, a mother of three, a university lecturer, a workshop creator and a motivational speaker. Rather than pulling her in different directions, each role reinforces her core beliefs: that words carry healing power, understanding blooms through honest conversation, and that our hardest stories deserve the gentlest telling. This philosophy isn’t something she picked up from a self-help book or learned in a classroom; it’s woven into her DNA, evident in the way she approaches every aspect of her life.
Beyond the professional accolades and impressive credentials, Brandi finds deep joy in life’s simple pleasures. She loves sipping coffee at local coffee shops, where the ambient energy and surrounding conversations spark her creative fire. She treasure hunts for hidden gems at thrift stores and spends hours wandering the aisles of bookstores, a favorite pastime that never fails to fuel her creativity.
Perhaps most importantly, she knows that life requires showing up for yourself, your family, and your community when they need you most. Her well runs deep because she makes time for restoration outdoors by kayaking peaceful lakes, hiking mountain trails, or exploring national parks with her family in their converted Sprinter van. In the quiet of nature, she connects deeply with God, renewing her strength and her resolve to show up for herself and those around her.
The Heart of the Story: Oliver’s Journey
The genesis of Brandi’s children’s book collection cannot be separated from the story of her youngest son, Oliver. Born with only a 1% chance of survival, Oliver entered the world facing medical challenges that most parents can scarcely imagine.
“From the very beginning, his life has been filled with medical complexity, hospital stays, and hard conversations,” Brandi shares. “Many of which didn’t come with child-friendly explanations.”
When Oliver was diagnosed with focal seizures at age three-and-a-half, Brandi and her husband faced a daunting task: explaining this new, scary reality to Oliver’s two older siblings, who were just toddlers themselves. The medical jargon was overwhelming, and the emotional weight was heavy. She found a gaping hole on the shelves. Where were the books that explained seizures in a way that a young child could understand?
“How do I explain epilepsy to my 3, 4, and 5-year-old children in a way that is truthful, age-appropriate, and not frightening and not only explain it, but also share it in a way that supports, educates, and brings hope to other families?” she wondered.
She turned to the comfort she’d always known — writing. “Writing for me is like a good counseling session. There is no judgment,” she says. Her fingers flew across the keys, and in less than two hours, she had the first draft of what would become her debut book. It was a birthday gift for Oliver, a tangible piece of understanding crafted from love and necessity.
“Once I started writing, it felt like something that had been sitting inside me for a long time finally had permission to come out,” Brandi recalls.
Crafting Child-Friendly Language: Translating “Hard” into “Understandable”
The process of creating what Brandi calls “kid language” for complex medical realities is both emotional and meticulous. It’s a tightrope walk of ensuring medical accuracy, a task greatly aided by her husband, an emergency room medical provider, while fostering empathy and curiosity, not fear.
“I was very careful not to add too much emotion or tell the reader what they should feel,” she explains. “For example, my son is not scared when he has a seizure. However, I recognize that other kids may feel scared.”
Her first test audience was her own children. Her oldest child, just two years older than Oliver, became an invaluable editor. If a line caused confusion, Brandi rewrote it. If it sparked a moment of clarity, she knew she was on the right path. The goal was never to oversimplify, but to create a safe, accurate starting point for dialogue.
“I did, however, want to create a space where parents, caregivers, teachers, etc. could start having these tough conversations with compassion and accuracy,” she shares.
What began as a single manuscript soon became a collection. As Oliver grew and entered school, new questions emerged from his peers and teachers. Brandi realized her family’s “everyday norm” was unfamiliar to the wider world, and she saw an opportunity to educate with kindness. Each new book answered another pressing question: how to explain cerebral palsy, how to support siblings of children with disabilities, and how to understand differences in how people move and play.
“I can’t change our ‘hard,’ and our ‘different,’” she says. “However, I see these differences as a gift and use them to teach others.”
The visual component of Brandi’s books receives equally thoughtful attention. She partnered with illustrator Leighanna Martin, who began as an intern. Both women were new to their craft and discovering together how to create beautiful, inclusive picture books that would bring hope to so many. Every illustration Leighanna created was intentional, designed to feel warm, inviting and affirming.
“She illustrated my first published book, ‘Charlie & Chase,’ as an internship, and we instantly clicked because we were both new to what we were doing,” Brandi says. “It was her first time illustrating a book, and my first time writing one.”
Over the course of three years, they worked together to create books where children see themselves represented as whole people. Not victims or problems to be solved, but kids whose differences are simply part of their beautiful uniqueness. This commitment to authentic representation, combined with Brandi’s gift for language, has made these books invaluable resources not just for families directly affected by medical conditions but for siblings, classmates, teachers, and entire medical teams seeking language to initiate these crucial conversations.
Building a Bookshelf of Hope and Understanding
Brandi’s growing collection includes titles like “Wiggles and Shakes,” which explains epilepsy; “Silas Stands Tall,” which teaches about cerebral palsy; and “Charlie & Chase,” which provides support for siblings as they learn to navigate their own identity and importance within a family touched by disability. The impact of these stories has echoed far beyond her home. The feedback she cherishes most comes from parents who say, “This is the book I wish we had sooner,” and from children who finally feel seen. Educators and medical professionals use them as tools to foster empathy and understanding in classrooms and hospitals.
“My hope is that these stories continue to strike up meaningful conversations in kid-friendly, approachable ways, foster empathy, and give families language when they feel stuck or afraid,” Brandi says.
Her newest release, “Rosalie’s Special Prayer,” represents perhaps her most personal work to date. This book explores a question that haunts many families facing chronic illness and disability: Is God still good even when prayers aren’t answered the way we hoped? The story emerged from her second child’s own prayers as he sought to understand and accept his brother’s disabilities. Rather than offering tidy, neat conclusions, the book invites honest conversation, reassurance, and trust in God’s plan, even when that plan looks nothing like what we imagined. For Brandi, writing this book felt like a full-circle moment, giving voice to a lifelong pursuit of understanding God’s higher ways, a journey anchored in the truth of Isaiah 55:8-9.
The Next Chapter: Faith, Questions and Buttons
Looking ahead, Brandi sees her writing as an ongoing act of translation, turning life’s unspoken challenges into shared stories. Her recently published book, “Trouble With Buttons,” exemplifies this approach. The book addresses a very real challenge for children like Oliver who face fine motor difficulties. For these kids, buttoning a shirt isn’t a simple morning task. It’s a monumental challenge. Yet when Brandi searched for picture books depicting this struggle, she found a glaring gap in children’s literature.
“I searched everywhere for a book to help illustrate this challenge and came up empty,” said Brandi. “So, I wrote one! It is another book I am truly excited to share with the world.”
Beyond writing, Brandi Harrington actively seeks connection through author visits and speaking engagements, excited for future opportunities to extend the conversation from the page into communities everywhere. She offers tailored presentations ranging from classroom visits featuring book readings to author Q&As and writing workshops for aspiring authors. Whether visiting schools, libraries, community events or bookstores, she brings the same warmth that fills her pages.
“I want all families to feel equipped to start what can be uncomfortable conversations,” she says, “whether or not they are directly affected by disability.”
Through one mother’s refusal to let silence answer her children’s questions, countless families have discovered that the hardest conversations often lead to the deepest connections. Brandi firmly believes that, “There is no better way to start these hard conversations than a simple, ‘let’s sit down and read this book together.’”
Find Brandi Harrington on Instagram at brandiharrington_author or on Facebook or email her at brandiharrington.author@gmail.com.
