A MOTHER who penned a story for her daughter after she underwent major surgery has been inspired to share her creation.

Lea Parris-Cambridge’s four-year-old daughter Lili had to have surgery for a hole in her heart when she was just eight-months-old.

Her mum was told there are three things Lilli could never have to ensure the problem does not return – earrings, tattoos and tooth decay.

As a result, the Britwell resident thought up an innovative way of making sure Lilli always brushes her teeth and created Dusty Donkey And The Big Yellow Toothbrush – an early learning story book.

The 45-year-old said: “It kind of started out as a quite crude PowerPoint presentation which I added a voiceover to so my husband could play it with her when I was out – I’ve still got that original somewhere! It was something fun to get her to brush her teeth and to learn about the world too.” Eventually, the story morphed into a physical book with illustrations which Mrs Parris-Cambridges reads at nurseries to children who interact with specially-made props.

Now the mother-of-three wants to make a series of books after self-publishing Dusty Donkey, with a 500 copy initial print run, with another 11 Caribbean-themed stories in the pipeline.

The lifelong Slough resident added: “I hadn’t really written anything since 1994 when I wrote a poem for a friend when they passed their driving test, I had never written anything for children, and I’m not the artistic type – I just bought some illustration software and created the illustrations myself. It was something brand new for me and now it all just flows.” The money from book sales will go to Great Ormond Street Hospital, The Donkey Sanctuary, The Auntie Foundation and Pink Lily Cancer Care – the latter of which Mrs Parris-Cambridge set up to raise awareness of cancer in St Kitts & Nevis after her and her mum Mary were both diagnosed with breast cancer within two weeks of each other at the beginning of 2007.

Mrs Parris has had the all clear, and Mrs Parris-Cambridge has not been given the official all clear, but the signs are extremely positive.

The part-time worker at Slough Volunteer Centre added: “It really brought it home how important life is and I’m grateful to be here and in a position to make a difference to all sorts of people. It is all about living life to the full.

“We are looking at donating between 20% and 40%, probably towards the higher number for the first book as it was inspired by the advice we received from Great Ormond Street where Lili had her operation.” Dusty Donkey is being sold for £7.99. For more information, email lea@mangoislandfriends.com