In a cozy café tucked away from Cambridge’s bustling streets, Melissa Krulicki sips her tea while carefully arranging colorful illustrations across the table. The elementary school teacher has just accomplished something remarkable – transforming her personal struggle with an invisible chronic illness into a children’s book that’s capturing hearts across the region.
“It wasn’t something I planned,” admits Krulicki, who has taught at Blair Road Public School for over a decade. “But when I found myself explaining my condition to my students time and again, I realized children needed better tools to understand invisible illnesses.”
Her book, “Some Days Are Different,” follows nine-year-old Emma, whose mother lives with chronic fatigue syndrome. The story navigates Emma’s confusion and frustration when her typically energetic mom suddenly needs to rest or cancel plans.
The inspiration came from Krulicki’s own journey with fibromyalgia, diagnosed four years ago after months of unexplained pain and fatigue. “There would be days I could barely lift my teaching materials,” she recalls. “My students would ask why I seemed fine yesterday but needed my assistant today. Their curiosity was genuine.”
According to the Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System, approximately one in five Canadians lives with chronic pain conditions. Yet resources explaining these complex health realities to children remain scarce.
Local pediatric psychologist Dr. Sarah Thornhill from Grand River Hospital believes Krulicki’s book fills a crucial gap. “Children typically process illness through visible cues – bandages, casts, hospital stays. Invisible illnesses challenge their understanding and can create anxiety.”
Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett attended the book’s launch at Wordsworth Books last month, praising its community impact. “This is exactly the kind of homegrown resource that builds empathy in our youngest citizens,” Liggett noted during her address to the crowded bookstore.
The illustrations, created by Waterloo Region artist Thomas Chen, use color cleverly – vibrant hues for “good days” gradually fading to softer tones during flare-ups. “We wanted to visualize something invisible,” Chen explains. “The art does what words sometimes cannot.”
Local parent Gregory Martinez found the book after his wife was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last year. “Our seven-year-old daughter couldn’t understand why mommy needed to rest so much,” Martinez shares while browsing at the bookstore. “This story gave us language we didn’t have.”
What makes Krulicki’s approach unique is her refusal to simplify or sanitize. The story acknowledges children’s frustration when plans change and their occasional resentment toward the illness itself.
“Kids are remarkably perceptive,” Krulicki says. “They know when we’re sugar-coating. The book validates that it’s okay to feel disappointed while still learning compassion.”
The Waterloo Region District School Board has taken notice. Curriculum coordinator Patricia Downey confirms they’ve purchased copies for all elementary school libraries. “Books like this support our broader goals around empathy education and health literacy,” Downey explains.
Cambridge Memorial Hospital’s pediatric unit has also incorporated the book into their resources for families managing chronic conditions. Child life specialist Jennifer Crawford notes, “When parents receive difficult diagnoses, they often struggle to explain changes to their children. Melissa’s book provides a starting point for those conversations.”
Between teaching duties, Krulicki visits local community centers and libraries for readings that inevitably draw both children and adults. At Hespeler’s Idea Exchange last weekend, several parents wiped away tears during the Q&A session.
“Someone always approaches me afterward to share their own invisible illness story,” Krulicki says. “It confirms how isolated many feel, especially parents worried about how their conditions affect their children.”
The book has sparked something of a grassroots movement in Cambridge schools. Blair Road Public School recently held a “Different Days Awareness Week” where students learned about various invisible conditions and created empathy projects.
School principal Rajinder Singh notes, “The conversations happening among eight and nine-year-olds are remarkably sophisticated now. They’re discussing how to be supportive friends when someone’s parent or even classmate might be having a difficult health day.”
As fall settles over Cambridge, Krulicki is working with local health networks to develop a companion resource guide for parents and educators. She’s also begun drafting a follow-up book addressing chronic illness in children themselves.
“The most powerful feedback came from a mother whose daughter has juvenile arthritis,” Krulicki shares. “She said her daughter slept with the book under her pillow because finally someone understood.”
For a community project that began as personal therapy, the ripple effects continue to spread. Local bookstore owner Martin Woodhouse reports “Some Days Are Different” has become his fastest-selling local title this year.
“People drive in from Kitchener, Guelph, even Toronto,” Woodhouse says. “There’s clearly a hunger for stories that help families navigate these complex realities.”
As our interview concludes, Krulicki receives a text – another local school requesting a visit. She smiles while gathering her illustrations. “If this book helps even one child better understand what their loved one is experiencing, then all the late nights and vulnerability were worth it.”
In a world where chronic illness remains largely invisible, Krulicki’s colorful pages are making the unseen seen – one Cambridge family at a time.
