Kristin Jarvis Adams tells the inspiring and true story of facing a rare and menacing disease that threatened to take her son's life for nearly two decades. Grueling circumstances forced her to leave her thriving graphic and interior design career and reorient her days around her son's needs while still sharing life with her husband and daughter. During that battle, she also stared down the emotional, social, and physical realities of parenting a chronically ill child with autism who would only discuss his feelings with his protective and stubborn Araucana chicken named Frightful.
Kristin's story is a beautiful and remarkable journey of battling medical mysteries, relying on a superhero chicken, and ultimately developing a transcendent faith that ushers hope when all else seems lost. Through the lens of a wife, mother, daughter, and friend, Kristin welcomes readers into her experience with sassy, generous, vulnerable, and transparent storytelling. She inspires her readers to love without limits, be fierce when love demands it, and have faith in impossible circumstances.
Today, Kristin offers wisdom and encouragement to parents and families dealing with the challenges of raising children with unique needs. She understands the intersection of agony and hope, the loneliness within the chaos, and the need for a tribe to transform pain into laughter.
People don’t talk about the crippling fear that overcomes parents as they watch their children suffer through a life-threatening illness or disability. Desperate for a connection, I began writing blog entries and posting on social media, hoping to give others a glimpse into our world. The outpouring of love from that truth-telling kept me grounded. It allowed me to walk through a terrifying experience without becoming overwhelmed and solidified my faith in a God of mercy and grace. And most importantly, it gave me hope when people responded with notes of encouragement and letters from the heart.
The Chicken Who Saved Us came out of that truth-telling. It’s a messy, sometimes challenging, and ultimately joyous story that penetrates the heart and reminds us to look for hope in unexpected places.
While living in the hospital, I was only a wall away from another family’s pain, yet I knew nothing of their personal story. All of us were grappling with fear and doubt, yet there were limited resources around us for emotional support. Medical information is kept quiet under the HIPPA Privacy Laws for a good reason, but people’s stories often fall prey to these same rules, and it’s easy to become isolated.
I wrote The Chicken Who Saved Us to remind others—and myself—that we are not alone. Our stories are unique, but we share common emotions and a desire to be known.
When my son was born in the early 1990s, Autism was a rare disorder, affecting 4 in 10,000 children. Today, Autism Speaks reports as many as 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls are affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
No two kids are the same, and with so many neurodiverse children growing up with unique needs, it can be difficult for families to get the kind of support they need. In addition, many of these children have concurrent medical conditions, leaving families overwhelmed with the weight of responsibility for caring for their children.
The Chicken Who Saved Us is a story of resilience. It explores the intersection of agony and hope, grief and humor, and delights in the joy that shows up in unexpected places.
