Author's Story!

Hi,

My name is Frank Ryan, and I am the Author of a Book called “Why Am I Different”? As a young child, I was informed that I had a learning disability. I was never formally provided with a diagnosis at this time, but when other classmates were studying French, I was taken to a special classroom to learn English. I would return to normal classes with these other children, and I always felt like an outsider. I am unsure if I projected this image onto myself or if it was because I was different. What I do know is that I felt alone and had a very negative self-image. As the years progressed I began to feel worse about my abilities, and I eventually gave up on myself. I failed grade 9 because of this, switched schools, and was lucky that a guidance counselor at the new school, truly wanted to help. She did numerous tests and informed me that I had an eye-tracking issue. While it was great to know what was wrong, the damage to my self-esteem had already been done.

I would go on to high school, barely passing my courses, and eventually failed out in grade 12. For the next 17 years, I would struggle with depression, as I felt like a failure. In 2019, I injured my back and while this seemed devastating at first, I have come to realize it was a blessing in disguise. I contacted an institution called The Murphy Centre, where I would attain my high school diploma, and little did I know how this experience would change my life. I passed the needed courses and did so in three weeks when it was expected to take 3 months. I came to realize during this time that it was not my abilities that held me back, but the belief in myself that stopped me. I have gone on to attend a local college, where I am completing a two-year course in accounting, and I have achieved a 4.0 GPA.

During the summer of 2023, I decided to volunteer but was unsure where to apply when I started looking. I came across a listing for volunteers at a local learning disabilities association and went on to complete tasks for this organization. I have learned about others during this time who went through the same things I did, and depression can be common in those like myself. It was the first time I felt like I was not alone in my struggles and felt myself being pulled in the direction of wanting to do more for this organization. One day while on my daily walk, it hit me that I could take the information I had been researching, pair it with my own experiences, and create a book to help any child, feeling the way I did, know that they were not alone. It also presented me with an opportunity to give back to an organization that I felt was trying to do good. So with this being said, I am donating $5 from every sale to the Learning Disabilities Association of Newfoundland and Labrador. If you decide to purchase this book, I thank you in advance for your contribution. I have come to believe that the negative way we view ourselves is what holds us back and with this book, I hope to change lives through my experiences.

Frank Ryan