Part 1. This California girl flew to her Michigan hometown to read her first children’s book as the author AND illustrator, at her childhood library!

An overdue post about sharing over the summer my picture book, Yumi and Monster, inspired by my progressive disability, to a full house of friends, fam, locals, and followers in the town I grew up in; a perfect way to celebrate and wrap up Yumi and Monster’s first trip around the sun. 

Summer was furiously busy with lots of travel, full of stories I’ve yet to share, including this Yumi and Monster book signing at New Baltimore’s MacDonald Public Library. While I thought it was probably the worst book presentation I’ve done in the past year, nevertheless, it was memorable with some of the attendees in this group shot, and 100 signed copies left in Michigan! 

When I was in San Francisco a couple weeks ago, I rolled into a Barnes & Noble’s to see if they had my picture book, Yumi and Monster, inspired by my disability. Since its release, I hadn’t checked to see if I could go radnomly find a little piece of me on the Barnes’ shelves… and I did. It was sitting right there, looking back at me. 👀

Resilience, creativity, and adaptation have been key in transitioning from a physically capable existence to a predominantly cerebral one.

September is Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Month. During a recent annual checkup with my neurologist at the UCI ALS and Neuromuscular clinic in California, I gave them my signed picture book, Yumi and Monster, that I wrote and illustrated, inspired by my progressive disability. I’ve been living with a progressive and ultra-rare muscular dystrophy (GNE Myopathy) for almost 30 years. There is no treatment, including no real viable treatment research currently for my condition. And so I continue to progress into the abyss.

So much has happened, so much has changed, so much has been seen and experienced. Through every progressive milestone, I ask myself, “Can I handle more?” Sometimes I’m not sure…

What is grief and sadness but an expression of love lost.

Weeks ago, a friend sent an article headlining that Marjane Satrapi (1969-2026), the Iranian-French author-illustrator, artist, director, public intellectual, and filmmaker behind the celebrated graphic novel and animated film, ‘Persepolis’, had died in Paris at the age of 56. 

I’ve been thinking about this ever since. 

According to her family, Satrapi died of ‘sadness’ about a year after the death of her Swedish filmmaker husband, Mattias Ripa. They seemed to share a deep love, not just in the heart, but in mutual respect and admiration for each other’s creative craft. 

Her death was shocking, but not at the same time. 

The opportunity to share my personal story through my debut picture book, as the author-illustrator of Yumi and Monster, at Pixar was an incredible core memory experience. The best birthday gift I could have received.

It’s Rare Disease Day, so I wanted to share an honest snapshot of what a progressive rare disease can feel like.

This progressive rare disease has broken my heart a hundred times in a hundred different ways, but it also has been healing.

If even a celebrity is left on their financial knees due to illness, then how do any of us stand a chance?

Actor Van Der Beek died of colorectal cancer on February 11, at age 48, leaving behind six children and a wife. James was diagnosed in 2023. He died 2.5 years later. Colon cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among those under 50 and the second leading cause of cancer overall.

Instead of James spending his last days focused on what mattered most— his family, friends, and final moments with the world and self— James’ last 30 months were filled with figuring out not only how to stay alive, how to pay for it, but as the breadwinner, thoughts of what would become of his beloved family after he’s passed.

The mythology that if you work hard enough, you’ll have access to life has been broken with James story. The dilemma of paying for a multi-million-dollar cancer treatment is a story for many Americans, except this one is a celebrity. A GoFundMe campaign created for the family of the late James Van Der Beek has raised more than $2 million. But this is not the story for everyone. 

A new year, Instagram vs Reality. So far, the new year has brought the invitation to speak and share my story + debut picture book, Yumi and Monster, at Pixar in the spring AND at LA Children’s Hospital during Rare Disease Week. Normally, I don’t share before they happen, but the excitement of Pixar + Children’s Hospital is too much. This and Yumi and Monster winning an award are my big 2026 news, but the reality is I’ve not been well, and this year has already been a challenge.

This photo is from New Year’s Day 2 years ago. How I look and feel since December is more like the second photo.

Los Angeles celebrates Yumi and Monster!!! I finally celebrated 7 years of writing and illustrating my debut picture book on a beautiful afternoon at Annabelle’s Book Club with a packed bookstore of friends and followers listening to me read Yumi and Monster, followed by a conversation and book signing. My book sold out at the event, and all it’s because of you! 💕

Our Pippi love is gone. 💔

It’s been 3 weeks since I flew to New York to promote my debut picture book, Yumi and Monster. What should’ve been one of the best weeks of my life turned into one of the worst, realizing a top fear: my Pippi girl dying and without me being there to comfort her.

After a red-eye flight, we arrived in NY on Sunday morning and immediately were immersed in Pippi concern. 50 hours after leaving Pippi (in LA), we had to make the heart-wrenching decision to put my love to sleep over the phone. Our time in NY consisted of rolling around the city or hiding in a hotel bed crying if I wasn’t in front of an audience.

Instagram VS Reality. My picture book, Yumi and Monster, which I’ve been writing and illustrating for almost seven years, is finally out tomorrow, September 2. The moment that inspired this story happened way back in 2012—13 years ago! So, this book has been a long time coming. It’s also my debut picture book, and I’m both the author and illustrator. The story is inspired by my rare and progressive form of muscular dystrophy.

This should be the most exciting time in my life, but I must admit that my emotions on my first Book Day Eve are complex. In true form, I thought I’d be honest and share how I’ve been feeling about my impending book day throughout the year.

The DEl war serves as a catchall manufactured distraction to disparage - a great distraction from the real cover story: the wealthiest man in the world, an unelected official, has unchecked access to our government, including pushing out top officials & illegally gaining access to Americans' payment system...

The Arts are democratic. Art is inclusive; it brings people together. Art looks for truth. Art embraces diversity, and that’s why art is a threat. That’s why we are a threat.

— Robert De Niro, 2025 Cannes Film Festival

Art and creativity have meant so much to me; it has literally saved my life. As a near-completely immobile individual, creativity is my movement, and I don’t know what shell of a person I’d be without it. For me, expression is essential.

What does it mean to be a mother or motherly? Is it just a noun for biological reference, or is it also the act of caring for others, biologically yours or not?

Today is about acknowledging the living moms, but I typically mention those we don’t think of.

*Actually, Mother’s Day was formed in 1870 by mothers who called for anti-war activism and a more just, peaceful society, not the corporate holiday we celebrate today.

This photo is Jason and I visiting my orphanage last year. We are Korean American adoptees. I was abandoned at birth, and my Korean name, ‘Young-eun Kim,’ was given to me by nurses. They named me after the clinic I was born in. I only recently realized they did this so my biological mother could recognize my name if she was ever to search for me in the future…

Medical expenses are the leading cause of bankruptcy in America. We're also the only first-world country without universal healthcare, yet we have the most expensive healthcare system globally.

It shouldn't be controversial to believe that a person's class shouldn't dictate whether they live or die. The idea that class is a reliable indicator of worth is problematic.

“There was a complete emptiness in children’s culture in Germany after the war. When all the Nazi books and culture had been thrown away, there was a vacuum, and then Pippi came and filled it up.”  - Astrid Lindgren

For the last couple of years, I’ve been consulting on the new PBS Kids series SKILLSVILLE, an animation that encourages kids to “power up” the skills they need for success in future careers and everyday life!

McMahon's directive is to oversee the department until she is no longer employed, making it clear that eliminating the ED as part of its "anti-DEI" agenda is the ultimate goal, which could mean that poor and disabled kids won't have a seat at education and opportunities.

For disabled people there’s an extra enigmatic layer around dating, relationships and intimacy. ‘How is this going to work?’ is not a question relegated only to prying eyes from strangers, yet also an internalized ember burning deep within. When you have an accident or are born with a disability and reach the age of sexual intrigue, no one tells you how sex works in this (new) disabled body. In fact, many doctors say your life, including your sex life, is over as they told me.