Robey and the Dentist is being published by the family of the late Edward Saunders who died when he was 18 and wrote the story when he was just 11. Edward’s mother Tracey decided to publish the book with the support of crowd-funding and she turned to Kickstarter, to raise her target of £5k. She was touched and amazed by all the support she received and netted more than £10k in only 30 days.
Available through a dedicated website - http://www.robeyandthedentist.co.uk - the cost is £7.99 including post and packing. All the money raised is either going towards the book or to Meningitis Now.
The story was inspired by a teacher who asked all the class to write a bedtime story for his own little boy and is about a lad who is worried his dentist will think his teeth aren’t white enough. The moral of the tale is that clean teeth are more important than white teeth.
The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry’s spokeswoman and a Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry Claire Stevens described Edward’s view of dentistry as “remarkably insightful” for a boy of just 11.
Tracey Saunders said she was in no doubt that the dentist in the story is Edward’s own dentist, Derrick Thomas of Coly House Dental Centre. Dr Thomas, who was one of Kickstarter’s sponsors, said he was honoured to be identified in the story.
Ashley Pharoah, who wrote the TV series of Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes and like Edward went to Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital School in Bristol is also supporting the book:
“Edward and I had three things in common: we went to the same school, we once shook each other by the hand, and we both dreamed of being writers. I urge you to buy this sweet, funny, gentle book and make Edward’s dream a reality.”
Edward died when he was 18 from a virulent strain of meningitis, known as meningococcal group W (MenW). In the last five years the incidence of this rare strain has increased fivefold. Tracey has warmly welcomed the announcement that the Department of Health will be offering the vaccination against MenW to all 17-18-year-olds from August 2015.
As a result, she hopes that other families will be spared the shock and trauma that her family went through when they lost Edward in a matter of hours. He was a lovely son and a studious pupil who had just got the grades to go to Warwick University and along with fellow pupils of the high performing QEH School was featured on the front page of The Times.
After finishing his A-level exams, he went to a Pink Floyd gig in London with his friend Lewis. He returned happy and seemingly healthy. But later that day he complained of being cold and especially of having cold feet. In the early hours of the morning he told his Mum that he was feeling very sick – he thought he might have eaten a “dodgy chicken kebab” while in London. Two hours later she called an ambulance and he was rushed to hospital. By 10am he was dead.
Through her growing acceptance that the speed of the infection meant there was nothing she could have done to save Edward, she has acquired a determination to see that his legacy is a lasting one. While he wanted to be a shipping lawyer, he had told Tracey that one day he would be an author. She is excited about the numbers of books being ordered and knowing that many households around the UK will have a copy of the book with Edward’s name on it. Tracey is delighted that a copy will be in the British Library and she is planning to send a copy to Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
Why did Edward write about going to the dentist? Tracey has no idea. But children who read the book will get a positive message about cleaning their teeth and that will all be part of Edward’s legacy too.
Meningitis Now is the UK’s leading charity working to save lives and rebuild the futures of people affected by meningitis through research, support and awareness.