Author, Therapist, and Gun Violence Survivor Tyreese McAllister is spreading her message of childhood trauma and gun violence with the publication of her children’s book, “Is My Lollipop In Heaven?” The poignant and thought-provoking book, which deals with the subject of children who have experienced the traumatic loss of a loved one to gun violence, is available for purchase on Amazon, www.tyreesemcallister.org, or www.ismylollipopinheaven.com.
McAllister was inspired to write the book after the tragic loss of her daughter, Ayana J. McAllister, to homicide in 2017. As a licensed therapist with over 25 years of experience in emergency mental health, McAllister realized the need for a resource that could help children understand and process such a traumatic event.
The book follows a group of children, each of whom has experienced a traumatic loss, as they come together in therapy to begin their healing journey under the guidance of a compassionate therapist. The scenario-based story touches on topics such as loss from a school shooting, domestic violence, police encounters, suicide, and military combat, among others.
Along with the book, McAllister has also created a companion guide for caregivers, “Too Hard to Bite, but Not too Hard to Lick.” This guide, created in collaboration with Dr. Jacqueline Maxwell, a Certified Grief Coach, provides parents, teachers, mentors, youth ministers, or any adult involved in a child’s life, with practical steps and advice on how to support traumatized children.
McAllister and her husband direct the Ayana J. McAllister Legacy Foundation, which aims to engage, educate, and advocate for minority communities disproportionately impacted by gun violence. The foundation’s mission is to promote personal and community safety, influence gun policy, and mobilize and engage minority groups at the local, state, and national levels.
The unsolved homicide of Ayana Jazmyn McAllister continues to weigh heavily on the hearts of her family and loved ones. Ayana was a 2016 graduate of Largo High School, a freshman at St. Augustine University in Raleigh, NC, and was tragically killed while at home on spring break in 2017.
“Our foundation works to bring attention to everyday homicide, which severely impacts the Black community,” says McAllister. “Black children are more likely to be shot on their way home from school than in a school shooting, yet this issue is not widely discussed or addressed.”
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Contact Person: Tyreese R. McAllister
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Country: United States
Website: www.tyreesemcallister.org