A Salford author and mother is set to launch her fourth book tonight online about the struggles of parenting a child with ADHD.
Fiona Myles, 58, from Clifton, wrote the book titled ‘Georgie, Me and ADHD: Amongst Other Things’ based on her experiences of being a mother to her adopted daughter, Georgie, who has ADHD.
The author who originally hails from Falkirk in Scotland, went on to describe the problem with many of the books about ADHD saying they are “very technical or full of long words written by professionals”, which made them “difficult to relate to.”
“This book will help parents to realise they’re not alone. They’re not a bad parent, their child has special needs and they need to go with their child within those needs.”
This ultimately inspired her to write her own book from her perspective.
She said: “I wanted to hear the agonising depths of a parent, and I didn’t really find much out there so I thought I’m going to write that.
“I’m just going to write warts and all, how difficult it was, how wonderful it was at times with little breakthroughs so that’s the main ethos of the ‘why’.”
Fiona is an adoptee herself, and came into care of her great niece Georgie after complications that meant she could have been adopted outside the family.
“I had always wanted to have children but was never able to and then I found out I had a great niece that was quite poorly.
“She had a brain haemorrhage when she was born and she was not in a good way and her parents were unable to have her.”
Fiona became a mother to Georgie just before turning 51.
“Then began the journey of parenting which came as a bit of a shock to the system and how difficult it was to adapt to having a child,” she added.
In her book, Fiona describes these experiences from raising Georgie, who is now eight, ranging from Georgie’s struggles with allergies and being expelled from mainstream school to the more humorous shopping and holiday trips.
“We can’t go on a normal holiday. We can’t take our kid to Butlin’s or anything, we tried that and it was a pure disaster. That’s in the book, I’ve written a chapter how not to go on holiday, how not to go shopping.
“I thought that brings a little bit of humour.”
She also described how the public can sometimes struggle to deal with someone with ADHD like Georgie and hopes to help other parents relate.
“I wrote on my backlog if I had a pound for every disdainful look that I’ve had thrown my way as a parent over the past seven years, I’d be a millionaire.
“When Georgie kicks off, maybe in Asda or Tesco, it’s distressing for me because I’m aware of other people and it’s distressing for her because something’s obviously triggered her.”
Fiona said she “absolutely loves” people who will help and distract her, “but the people that just look at you like you’re the worst parent on the planet on buses, in shops, it’s not an easy journey.”
Even though it is difficult raising a child with ADHD and other complex needs, Fiona’s affection shines through.
“Georgie is the most incredible human being on the planet. I am slightly biased as I say that, but she has battled herself through some incredibly difficult situations.
“She has this wonderful ability to not really care about much, she just lights up a room.”
Whilst Fiona is writing about her experiences in the present, Georgie may read back on her early life one day too.
“Although Georgie is eight, she can’t read or write, but I had to remember that one day she may be able to read.
“So I had to remember that she may read this book for a start so I had to be quite careful about how I explained certain moments in time and certain people as well.”
Despite this being Fiona’s fourth book, Georgie might not have had the chance to read it one day if it were not for some of the kind donors online.
“Another very special thing about this book was it’s quite expensive to get typesetting and stuff like that done and I didn’t have the budget really to get this one out of the traps,” she added.
Fiona put a post on Facebook calling for a £25 donation in return for an advertisement in the back of the book, which proved so successful she had to shut down the Go Fund Me page.
“The response was so overwhelming, I was so overwhelmed by people’s willingness to help me get the book published.”
Fiona published her first book in 2021 about her own experience being adopted, falling into drugs and alcohol before finding stability in Christianity at 29.
Her books have helped people in drug rehab as well as being popular within the adoption community.
Even with her fourth book being released Fiona does not appear to be letting up.
Fiona commented: “I’m not part of any writers group within Salford at the moment, but I do know that there is one that I’ve heard about in our Community Centre in Swinton, but I don’t see much from writers.
“I have actually thought about it, I have a fifth book coming out for Christmas, but when I’m finished writing this year I think I’ll start a little writing club.”
“I love this community. I love Salford, I’ve been here for 20 years and I just love it, it’s so friendly. Very like Scotland actually.”
The online launch for ‘Georgie, Me and ADHD: Amongst Other Things’ takes place online tonight at 7pm.
The book can be bought through her own website or on Amazon.
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