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Below are a subset of reviews for Courageous Calla.
“Arya inspires those around her (and me) to be better; through this book, she helps children and their parents as they contemplate the ethical considerations surrounding clinical trials…Inspiring and accessible writing for children and their parents as they face the challenges of severe illness and clinical trials.” – Howard Forman, Professor of Public Health at Yale University. Follow him on Twitter @thehowie.
“I plan to present this remarkable book to all the children and families who enroll in my clinical trials. Both a useful reference and a comforting tale, it has the potential to become a best-seller. Arya has written an extraordinarily clear and accessible story answering a complex and daunting question: what keeps kids safe when they take part in a clinical trial? The main character, Calla, accurately portrays the confusion and fear children often experience during a long diagnostic journey and an unfamiliar clinical trial process. The author recognizes that, as a young child with a difficult diagnosis, her own fear might have been relieved if she had better understood the four key promises research study ethics are based upon. These promises are “hidden” in consent and assent forms, and most physicians, unfortunately, do not explain them well to the families and children. Arya presents them naturally at the level of young children through masterful analogies.” —Basil Darras, MD; Chief of the Division of Clinical Neurology and Director of the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Program at Boston Children’s Hospital
"Arya is EXTRAORDINARY! I thank Arya for bravely sharing who she is, what she has learned, her challenges and her victories with everyone around so this world can be better today than it was yesterday. Her courage and initiative are inspiring and healing." -- Jimmy Canton, CEO at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
“Singh has created an invaluable resource for all children (and their parents!) facing the scary and uncertain adventures of clinical trials. We are excited to see this work being shared with families of children with disabilities, and we believe it will provide readers with hope, confidence, and courage during otherwise stressful circumstances. Above all else, we love the story’s embodiment of the idea that disability is not a negative, but simply a part of life for many people." -Shane Burcaw and Hannah Aylward (also known as Squirmy and Grubs on YouTube). Follow Shane (@shaneburcaw) and Hannah (@hannahayl) on Instagram and subscribe to Squirmy and Grubs on Youtube.
"Arya's remarkable book is extremely well done and begins to fill a void in our ability to communicate with children who are considering trial participation. To be honest, I think many adults – adult patients as well as parents of patients – will benefit from the concise clarity of her writing. I hope it will begin to help more children understand that they’re not just being thrown into deep end of the pool without support, which I’m all too afraid is what is felt but not vocalized. I hope it also gives more children the words and opportunity to ask us more questions and enter into a real dialogue about our purpose, process and approach. This is a tremendously valuable, and beautiful realized, publication. -- John Day, MD; Director of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine at Stanford University Medical Center
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