Pigtails & Steel - Paperback

by Andy McCall (Author)

Honest, Raw, and Real life. A book for fathers by a father who has been in the same situation they are in. Nothing prepares you in life for losing your little girl. It can be a dark and lonely world for a Dad trying to live this life. This isn't one of those 12 steps on how to deal with grief books, but a story of one Dad finding out his little girl has cancer, her last days, and the year after losing her. When dealing with the death of a child, there is not much out there for fathers to latch onto and they can feel alone in the whole process. I know this because I did at times. My daughter Penelope had my heart from the first moment I saw her, and now all I want is for one more second to look into her eyes. Writing was my way out of my own head and the only way I could deal with the weight of emotions that took me over every day. I hope that there is something in there that lets you know that you are not alone and it is okay to feel that way. The three parts in Pigtails & Steel talk about situations that come up when dealing with a terminally ill child, the year of emotions that can follow that final day, and what to do now. Chapters include: "I Can't Protect Her From This", "How Are You?", and "I Don't Know What to Say". Portions of the sale of this book will go back to St. Jude Children's Hospital and used to continue Penelope's memory throughout the area in many different ways.

Author Biography

Andy McCall is an elementary teacher and high school football coach in East Tennessee. His first book Pigtails & Steel is a collection of thoughts on his grief journey after losing his little girl. He hopes that through his book he can reach other Dads going through these hard times and give them something to relate to and help them in their own journey. His daughter Penelope passed away from Stage 4 medulloepithelioma cancer a month before her 2nd birthday. Penelope did not spend a long time on this Earth, but her impact on this world cannot be measured. Along with his amazing wife Ellen, they have kept Penelope's name and fight alive throughout the community and places dear to them. You can find her story and their continued memory of Penelope on Facebook through Penelope's Path. Andy is also free-lance writer for Bored Teachers.