This powerful and hopeful non-fiction book features the personal accounts of 14 children, ranging in age from 7 to 16, who are living with serious illnesses or chronic disabilities. Each child shares their story in their own words, discussing the daily challenges, fears, and triumphs of coping with conditions such as:

• Cancer

• Diabetes

• Severe burns

• Cystic fibrosis

• Spina bifida

The book is illustrated throughout with black-and-white photographs taken by the author, capturing the children in their everyday lives—at school, with friends, and during medical treatments—to show that they are defined by more than just their illnesses. It was honored with the 1990 Joan Fassler Memorial Book Award for its sensitive portrayal of medical themes for children.