Peter H. Reynolds Helps Dedham Cancer Patient, Christyne Daley Achieve Her Dream
Christyne Daley had a wish: to see her story idea - about her own childhood travails as a reluctant skater - become a book to help other children with their own fears and struggles. After years of doggedly pursuing what seemed increasingly as an elusive dream, there emerged a dramatic urgency around the project when Daley learned that she had stage IV cancer.
As Daley battled the disease with a dedicated medical team at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, she continued to work as a bartender at the Horse Thieves Tavern in Dedham Square. That’s where she shared her wish about her book project with regular patron Peter H. Reynolds, who also happens to be a New York Times #1 best-selling author and illustrator. Moved by her courage and commitment to her dream, as well as the quality of the story, Reynolds decided to illustrate the book pro bono.
The result is the independently published storybook Cranky Chrissy Learns to Ice Skate, inspired by the true story of Daley’s own struggles to learn how to skate as a child. Reynolds notes, “I fell in love with the book’s message about determination and resilience. It is about the power of love and what it enables us to do.”
With her signature effervescent spirit, Daley took to Facebook to share her joy about finally seeing her book in her hands. “My dream has come true. Hard times can be overcome! Fight hard! Never give up! If you fall, get up!”
Produced by Reynolds’ own publishing company Bravemark Publishing, the book can be ordered through The Blue Bunny bookshop in Dedham Square or online through TheDotCentral.com. All proceeds of the book will be donated to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
The initial print run of “Cranky Chrissy Learns to Ice Skate” is a paperback edition. A hardbound version will be made available at a later date.
Christyne Daley was born in Melrose, MA in 1961. She first learned to ice skate at the age of five at Spot Pond in Medford, MA. From there, she fell in love with ice skating and the rest is history. She competed as a singles figure skater throughout her childhood and teenage years.
After a hiatus to raise her family, she returned to her love of ice skating by joining the Esprit De Corps synchronized skating team at the age of 43. She was a part of this national elite team for 15 years, forming special friendships and strong bonds along the way.
Daley currently lives in Boston with her husband, Bob. Together, they have two children, Nicole and Christopher.
This isn’t the first time that Reynolds has helped make a wish come true for someone struggling with medical issues. In 2016, Reynolds worked with the Make-a-Wish Foundation to help realize the dream of Neshama Ryman, an 11-year-old girl who beat stage IV cancer after 18 rounds of chemotherapy and 28 days of radiation. Reynolds and his team at Boston-based FableVision Studios produced Ryman’s own original story called “The Klumz” as an animated short film that she directed and narrated.
New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds is the internationally-acclaimed creator of over eighty books, including The Dot, Our Table, The Word Collector, Happy Dreamer, Be You, Going Places, and Love You By Heart, as well as the illustrator of the Judy Moody and Stink chapter book series. Reynolds is founder of Boston-based educational media & interactive developer FableVision Studios that creates positive media, storytelling and tech-powered learning tools. Reynolds’ non-profit Reynolds Center TLC oversees InternationalDotDay.org, a global celebration of creativity which has attracted over 29 million participants in 200 countries. He founded the independent bookshop The Blue Bunny two decades ago in Dedham, Massachusetts.
