A young woman from Forest is hoping to raise awareness about the family dynamics of having a sibling with special needs through her new book.
Kylainah Zacharczuk, 22, released her first book, 'You Can Find Me In Her Shadow: My Sister has Special Needs And This is My Story', in late 2024.
It's now listed as a "#1 Best Seller" on amazon.ca.
"It's amazing, I can't believe it," said Zacharczuk.
The book focuses on Zacharczuk's life as the sister of a special needs child and her struggles to fit in.
She said she hopes the book raises awareness about how families with special needs children may be different than other families and encourages kindness and understanding.
"I had a really hard time finding anything to help me as a sibling and I had a really hard time relating to everyone because their life is so different," Zacharczuk said. "I really wanted to create a book that other siblings can relate to, feel heard, and know that they're not alone."
A synopsis of the book said Zacharczuk often felt caught between two worlds, living two separate versions of herself, longing for someone to ask how she was.
"I honestly think this book has changed me a lot," she said. "It's definitely brought me closer to my sister and to others. I'm still growing up, I'm still changing, and I feel like writing a book so young... I feel like there's more opportunities for growth."
For privacy reasons, Zacharczuk does not mention her sister's name throughout the book or her condition, only that she has a rare genetic disorder.
"My sister and I have a different type of relationship than a neurotypical sibling relationship but we're very, very close. Family is super important to me," she said.
Zacharczuk said there are no immediate plans for another book but she is considering partnering with her mother to create children's books, which would emphasis the importance of inclusion, empathy, and communication.
Since the release of her book, Zacharczuk has participated in a couple of small book signing events.
Community Living Sarnia-Lambton will host a book signing with Zacharczuk on February 20 at the Activity Centre, at 1091 Wellington St., from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Books will be available to purchase for $20.
Zacharczuk's book is also available locally at The Book Keeper.