Isaak Beard (11), right, shows his cousin, Taylor Hamilton
(6), how information about the epilepsy condition she has
is conveyed by superheroes in a book written by University
of Otago graduate Dr Kim Chilman-Blair. Photo by Peter
McIntosh.
A young patient with epilepsy called Wendy might not know
her condition led to the development by two University of Otago
graduates of a series of comic books designed to help children
around the world understand medical conditions.
Dr Kim Chilman-Blair met Wendy during her medical training.
Her young patient was keen to know more about her condition,
but there was no child-friendly material to help.
Her colleague, Dr Kate Hersov, had similar experiences and
came to realise the need for such information was
international.
While working as a house surgeon in Hawkes Bay, Dr
Chilman-Blair completed a masters in entrepreneurship at the
University of Otago to give her the skills to develop the
idea of a multimedia health information system for children
with illnesses.
While it was hard work at the time, it gave her the incentive
and the discipline to turn the idea into reality and by 2006
she and Dr Hersov had founded Medikidz.
'What's Up with Wendy?', the first book in a series of
comic books co-authored by Dr Kim Chilman-Blair and graphic
novelist John Taddeo to help explain medical conditions to
children.
The first title in the series was
What's Up with
Wendy? Medikidz Explain Epilepsy.
The books, designed for children aged 10-15, feature five
superheroes - each specialising in a different part of the
human body - and a brain on legs.
Each book is co-written by doctors and graphic novelist John
Taddeo (of Marvel Comics fame) and peer-reviewed by leading
health professionals in the relevant field.
More than 20 titles were launched last September and in the
United Kingdom sales have already topped 600,000 copies, with
the books on HIV and leukaemia particularly popular.
Dr Chilman-Blair is now working full-time with the business,
which has 20 staff.
She said the hardest thing about the project had been her
temporary move to the United Kingdom to build the necessary
business relationships.
Books to help children understand conditions which might
affect adults around them are also being written, including
subjects such as breast cancer, bowel cancer and Alzheimers
disease.
Medikidz also offers children with illnesses a social network
site where they can share information and offer peer support
online.
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