For immediate release: Friday, January 21, 2022
Omaha, NE. – Boys Town is pleased to announce the publication of Butterflies in Me: An Anthology Bringing Awareness to Mental Health written by Omaha local Denisha Seals on January 25th, 2022. After graduating from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Denisha became an artist, filmmaker, and author who uses the power of her pen to lift the voices of the marginalized and victimized.
Butterflies in Me is an original children’s illustrated book. The book was written and created for children from diverse backgrounds who have been diagnosed with mental illness. Equally as important, it is a support resource for those who love, work with, and care for these children. The book seeks to open a path of communication between all components of the “support village.” The book is designed to create open discussion and facilitate critical thinking among interested parties concerning the mental health challenges children from minority and marginalized communities face, which are often ignored.
”The stories in Butterflies in Me resonate for so many of us because we have either been these children at some point, known them as friends, classmates and/or charges,” said Rev. Dr. Nikitah Okembe-RA Imani, Professor at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. “This book is one of those books we needed ‘yesterday.’ I highly recommend it for parents and children, teachersand students, social workers, counselors, law enforcement officials, psychologist, and all who work with multicultural youth”.
Denisha, as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and trauma, advocates for more awareness and understanding of the emotional toll abuse victims experience, particularly of color. Her uplifting stories inspire readers to be strong, fearless, and full of hope. Not only does this book attempt to normalize distress among minority populations, it demonstrates powerful, inspiring stories of perseverance and hope for children who feel alienated, out of place or overwhelmed.
About Boys Town
For 100 years, Boys Town has been a beacon of hope for America’s children and families through its life-changing youth care and health care programs. In 2020, almost 500,000 children and families across the United States were impacted by Boys Town programs. This includes those who received services from Boys Town’s residential programs as well as those served by the many varied programs that comprise the Boys Town Continuum of Child and Family Services, including In-Home Family Services, health care services provided by Boys Town National Research Hospital and the Boys Town National Hotline. You can find more information about Boys Town online at www.Boystown.org.
