The Author
My Involvement
I am a former teacher who holds a BA in elementary education/ kindergarten. As an advocate for disability rights, I have served on advisory committees at the state, county, and school levels. I delight in the natural world, travel, and expanding my spiritual life. My husband, Kevin, and I have two daughters, Claire and Bridget, and live in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
The Illustrator
Tamara R. Sayre is an enthusiastic art teacher with a passion for portraying her art from an animal’s point of view. Her work has appeared in the Wyoming Wildlife magazine, publications for Cornell University, The Nature Conservancy, and various books for biology professors. Tamara currently resides in Genesee, Colorado.
Disability Group Involvement
• Partners in Policy Making, St. Paul, MN
• University of Minnesota Pediatric Resident Training Program, St. Paul, MN
• MN State Council on Disability, St. Paul, MN
• Ramsey County Citizen’s Advisory Council Developmental Disabilities Committee, St. Paul, MN
• The ARC Minnesota, Greater Twin Cities Region, St. Paul, MN
• Children Linking Families, DeafBlind family support group
• PACER Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Parent to Parent Lay Advocacy, St. Paul, MN
• Bridgeview School, St. Paul, MN
• A Chance To Grow, Minneapolis, MN
• ACR Homes, Inc., Roseville, MN
Writing/Education
• The Loft Literary Center, Minneapolis, MN
• First draft editor, Living With Adult Children, second edition Hey Mom, I’m Home Again by Monica Lauen O’Kane
• College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, MN
Theresa A. O'Kane
International Award Winning Author
2nd place Special Needs/Disability Awareness & Honorable Mention Picture Books 6 and older, 2018
Red Ribbon Winner, 2017