BISMARCK, ND (KFYR) – Jonathan O’Konek’s son Seamus’ health problems began almost as soon as he was born. One day after his birth, he had to be flown to the hospital by helicopter for treatment, and nearly eight months later, he had his colon removed. He suffers from a medical condition that requires regular hospital visits. But Jonathan doesn’t want his son to be afraid of those visits.
When Jonathan visits the Bismarck Library with his children, he works on projects that are a little different from what he would normally do as a lawyer: He writes children’s books.
“I never thought I would write children’s books, but basically my children inspired me to share my experiences with them to help others and also create a memory in a time capsule for them,” said Jonathan.
Doctors diagnosed Seamus with Hirschsprung’s disease, a rare condition in which the nerves in the intestines do not develop properly. Seamus’s colon had to be completely removed.
Jonathan wrote his first children’s book, Seamus and the Horizontal Hospital, while his son was in intensive care.
“I was sitting next to him, next to his crib, which has this kind of raised crib that you can see through, and I just started writing. I started writing about the feelings I was having, the emotions of having a child in the hospital,” Jonathan said.
Jonathan’s story is about an older Seamus. He is nervous about going to the hospital, but Jonathan’s character reassures him that he has nothing to fear.
He said he wanted to make sure Seamus didn’t find the hospital a scary place, so every door at Horizontal Hospital leads to something new and magical.
The story ends with Seamus feeling fine. They make sure to read it before every hospital appointment. But it’s not the only book Jonathan has written. He wrote a book for Seamus’ older sister and another that features all three of them together.
“We are a community. The more we can help each other, the better the world is,” Jonathan said.
Jonathan said he hopes his books can help other children with difficult health conditions and their families.
You can purchase Jonathan’s books through Amazon, Books-A-Million, Waterstones or through his website. You can also borrow them for free from the Bismarck Veterans Memorial Library.
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