"Tell me how this place has touched your life, or the life of your family. Tell me what you think makes Children’s Mercy special. Make me smile. Make me cry. Send me pictures."
Tom McCormally, Director of Archives
Kansas City,
03
October
2016
|
12:52 PM
America/Chicago

The history of Children's Mercy: You can be part of our book

Writing the Book Blog

Director of Archives Tom McCormally is chronicling 120 years of Children's Mercy stories, and he would like your help. Here's an excerpt from his latest blog post, which includes how you can be part of history:

A forward is usually a short piece that goes in the front of the book that tells the story of the book: why was it written; what does it mean; why should I care? A preface or an introduction is just that: an introduction to the book. Usually by the author. But I was looking for someone else to write a bit.

This is a story about a hospital for children. Kids should write the forward.

That’s it! Maybe not write it in the traditional way — how would I pick just one? — but I want to take the words of kids, their stories, and use them as the basis for the forward.

“Why did this book come to be?”

I need your help.

I want children or their parents to answer one or two or all of these questions:

  • What was your Children’s Mercy story?
  • Why should the stories be put in a book?
  • Why is Children’s Mercy important to you?
  • Why is Children’s Mercy important to Kansas City?
  • What do you want people to know about Children’s Mercy?
  • If you could do anything for Children’s Mercy, or the doctors or nurses or other staff, what would it be?

Get the idea? Tell me how this place has touched your life, or the life of your family. Tell me what you think makes Children’s Mercy special. Make me smile. Make me cry. Send me pictures.

I know some children can’t write, so parents are allowed. But I’d really like to hear the story in the kids’ voices. This is, after all, their hospital. In a way, it’s their book.

You can respond here to our blog (and let me know if you want to keep your message private so I don’t publish it). Or, you can send me an email: thomas.mccormally@gmail.com; or tmccormally@cmh.edu. Don’t forget to give me your name and city of residence and let me know if it’s OK to contact you.

I’m not exactly sure how this will all come together. But then, I wasn’t sure a year ago how the whole dang book was going to come together. Now I know for sure, it’s a great story.

Just like I know you have great stories. Lemme have ’em.

Click here to read the rest of this blog post and other recent entries.

About the Writing the Book Blog:

Writing the Book Blog is just that ... a blog about writing The Book. In this case, the book is a history of Children's Mercy - Kansas City. Children’s Mercy is almost 120 years old and the last time a history was published was in 1961. There’s a lot of history to cover. There’s a lot of researching and writing to do. When its published, in June 2017, it will be about a 200-page coffee table book with lots of pictures and amazing stories of adversity and triumph, of compassion and determination, of research and discovery, or science and medicine, of community and love. The blog will discuss the writing process; will ask questions; will tell stories that may or may not end up in the book; and will chronicle the author's work, his mood and his creative (we hope) process.

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