Bubel Aiken Foundation to Publish Book

According to The Morning Call, Clay's Bubel Aiken Foundation will be publishing a book about Mikayla Resh, a girl who has cerebal palsy.

Cerebal palsy is a condition resulting from brain damage prior to or just after birth. It impairs one's ability to control movements such as raising an arm or bending a finger. Over 500,000 children in the United States suffer from this debilitating condition.

According to McCall, the book, to be titled "Our Friend, Mikayla [will tell] the story of a girl with disabilities [illustrating how] she's just like you and me. The students wanted to show in words and in drawings of a girl in a wheelchair at the playground, licking lollipops and playing."

A group of authors worked closely with Mikayla's school. Infact, 10 year old Melissa Mastro was asked to create the book's cover. "I felt when someone could see it people could see that you could have friends like this," Mastro told McCall.

The project is being spearheaded by Resh's mother. After the BAF heard of the project in late 2005, a $12,500 grant was granted on the condition of secrecy. Resh's mother hopes to eventually have a copy of the book in every school in the country.

"Our Friend, Mikayla" will be available for purchase via the Bubel Aiken Foundation's website soon.