The book revolves around a 12-year-old from the fictional city of Brightville who suffers from a mysterious heart condition and aspires to be a crime-fighting superhero. After a hidden ancient artifact is found inside a unique medical device, Jessica’s dreams are realized.
Jessica is now tasked with balancing schoolwork, doctor’s appointments and surgeries related to her heart condition on top of keeping her new identity a secret. This is not an easy task, but Jessica is determined to make a difference in her community with the help of her super sidekicks called The Heartguardians.
“I started writing at a very young age, but it wasn’t until I started taking classes at NEIU that I began to learn how to really develop those skills and find my own style,” Thallhammer said in an interview with The Independent. Thallhammer has been featured in The Independent in the past with him and YellowCity, a literary journal produced by inmates.
The original concept for Jessica Warrior was a kindergarten picture book, but it eventually expanded to a larger age demographic of children. Thallhammer said it took four years of writing, rewriting, editing, formatting and finding an illustrator to make publishing this book a reality.
“I wanted to represent those with heart conditions, mobility issues, hearing impairments, the blind, and so many more,” Thallhammer said. “The Heartguardians are comprised of superheroes with those same disabilities, yet they use those attributes to consistently kick butt and defeat villains.”
The book was initially inspired by Thallhammer’s fiance, Taylor Worden, who suffers from an extremely rare condition known as Long QT, a heart signaling disorder that can cause sudden chaotic heartbeats or arrhythmias. Despite undergoing five heart surgeries since the age of 15, Worden maintains a positive and hopeful outlook on life. Thallhammer said that children experiencing the same difficulties “would benefit from a little of that positive thinking.”
Jessica Warrior includes interactive pages and a self-care journal.
“It keeps kids busy and lets their minds escape to a special place where worry and fear do not exist,” Thallhammer said. He went on to say that the book can be a form of escapism for children with disabilities who spend time in doctor’s appointments, hospitals or in recovery. The book can also help to educate children about how people with disabilities operate in daily life.
Thallhammer expressed the importance of having the book published as an example of a superhero who puts others first and does not allow an illness to dictate her life. “Jessica thrives on positivity, peace and hope. This story needed to be told for kids seeking just that.”
A sequel to “Jessica Warrior: The Heartbeat Hero” is currently in production. Thallhammer said his ultimate dream is to have the book adapted into screen form, whether that is through an animated television show or a movie.
A portion of all proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to pediatric heart health as well as PTSD awareness organizations for veterans, the latter in honor of Thallhammer’s father, who served in Vietnam. “I released Jessica Warrior on the anniversary of his passing in honor of such a selfless man. I know he’d be proud.”
“Jessica Warrior: The Heartbeat Hero” is available for purchase on Amazon, Better World Books and Barnes & Noble.
