Expressing personal Childhood Trauma With a Strong Message to All - Friends of Southport EXCLUSIVE

“Little one, the time has come for you to read your story and unleash your pain in full. Anyone can listen to your story, learn from it and grow as a result.”

A lady from Southport, Annabel Iris Arco, has bravely written and published a book centred around her own childhood trauma and healing.

The book “Little One’s Whisper” is a poignant account of the loss felt losing her mother very young , being passed between different carers, then landing in her father’s house under the care of an abusive step mother, who is called “Hands” in the book.

An extract from the book:

“It is too late, Hand’s temper has snapped. She pulls me from the very high stool by my long dark hair to the floor and kicks me as I try to get up. I need to collect the clump of hair that rests on the floor of the kitchen now. I won’t run away until I get every piece, after all, this hair belongs to me. I climb upstairs, my head so sore. I run into the room and shut my door…… I hear Hands climb the stairs and I get ready to handle the next attack. This time I am caught off guard when my cheek is blown with one solid smack and I am shoved against the wall, hurting my back. I close my eyes, cover my ears, she is screaming loudly and demands that I look at her. Who would want to look into those hazel eyes of disdain? I would rather keep my eyes closed.

It allows me to escape from the present moment somehow and endure the horror. I don’t know if all little ones are like me, but somehow my body has special power. It can go into off-mode for up to an hour. She has now walked off and slams the mahogany door, saying if you tell daddy there will only be more.”

The author later describes how uniting with her deep faith and counselling has helped her recover from the pain. She addresses her inner child as “ Little One”. During the book she likens her ordeal to the analogy of being trapped inside a snow globe.

Annabel revealed to Friends of Southport:

“The message I mostly want to get across is that the voices of children and the differently abled need to be heard. In fact , it requires to be heard so profoundly that we need to change societies’ norms. That we accept that equality and social care is so much more than lip service. We must as a society take the time to view the world through the eyes of those who are vulnerable, and dare to ask ourselves what can be done to improve our world. I also want the reader to take the time to visit places of personal pain within, to heal, to grow and to become the best they can be.”

Annabel explains how her own healing took place through revisiting her childhood memories and addressing herself from her now adult perspective.

“It was very cathartic to write the book. I also owe a depth of gratitude and professional admiration to my counsellor, who was my emotional partner in writing the book, through her amazing support when it became difficult. Her name is Anne Aitken.”

Annabel also wants to share this message:

“I really want to encourage others to be brave enough to search for the right counsellor for them. In a world where we are prepared to invest financially in clothes, holidays and cars to make us feel better, I would urge anyone who is struggling to be willing to pay privately to tend to the emotional wounds of life. It is an investment that is priceless.”

Annabel Iris Arco was a secondary school teacher for 14 years and explains that she wanted to be an advocate for children in pain:

“I released then that education has its limits to free children from trauma, the NHS mental health services are over stretched. There is a need for government change..”
Annabel is now hoping to put her dream into reality of helping the abused and hurting:

“I intend to use any money made from the book to set up an independent charity for those who are hurting, especially the disabled and children in adversity.”

Two talented female artists, also from Southport, donated illustrations to Annabel to support the charitable cause. The book cover of the girl whispering from inside the snow globe was drawn by Dawn Summerlin and the internal pencil drawings were by Julie Rowlandson.

We asked Annabel where her inspiration came from, to give her the final push to put pen to paper about her childhood, and she replied,

“I was inspired to write my book when someone said to me.. you cannot fix people's grief.. only walk with them in their darkness. I then pondered if we cannot fix others grief, can we fix our own? So I set myself as a human hypothesis and took myself under my characters name ‘Little One’ back to my mother's womb. From there my character grew up through the 18 chapters - as a nod to the 18 years of childhood. I confronted grief, abuse, social issues, and disappointments in my life.. ending with the devastating end to my teaching career following life changing surgery. I concluded that the only way to " fix" grief is to face it, rather than numb it through various escapisms and distractions. Throughout the book I urge the reader to join me in my process of change, and call upon legal changes for vulnerable children and greater support for children's grief and trauma.”

The book is launched today (Monday 10th January 2022) on Amazon but is also available in Waterstones, Barnes and Noble and worldwide.

As mentioned, the author, Annabel has a dream to raise money to help the disabled and vulnerable. Please support her by buying the book and in any other way that you or your business could help.

Friends of Southport would like to congratulate Annabel on her book. I actually read “ Little One’s Whisper pre release myself just this week, and would like to comment:

“It is a moving, sometimes shocking account but also has insightful philosophical discussion in the text. The author’s emotions and her innermost thoughts are encapsulated in a romantic, strong, writing style that flows from her heart as we travel on her journey with her. The narrative is gripping throughout and resonates with the wounded child many of us still have within us ; and it reminds us of a simple faith in love and God.”

Reported by: Claire Kelly 'Friends of Southport'

We also would like to include the following links for reference, if anything has touched you from reading this:

Citizens Advice

The author’s personal Southport based Counsellor’s website:
http://www.anneaitkencounselling.co.uk/

The author’s email:
annabelirisarco@gmail.com

Amazon link to purchase the book HERE