Local Author Christine Staple Ebanks WinsMarch 2024 International Impact Book Award
Somerset, New Jersey – April 15, 2024 – Local author and parent advocate Christine Staple Ebanks has achieved a significant milestone with her latest book, ‘Raising Nathan Against All Odds: Discovering the Blessings, Joy, and Purpose in Raising a Child with Disabilities.’ Christine’s book recently received the prestigious March 2024 International Impact Book Award, affirming its impact and significance of including the voices of families and individuals with disabilities in the literary world.
Christine is an accomplished author, parent-professional advocate, and speaker with over fifteen years of experience advocating for the rights of children with disabilities and their families in Jamaica. She entered the parent advocacy field driven by the birth and diagnosis of her fourth child, Nathan, with Cerebral palsy. Facing the grim prognosis that he might not survive infancy and receiving minimal support post-diagnosis, Christine sought help in the United States. It was there that Nathan, at 2 ½ years old, underwent his first comprehensive evaluation and she received training and an intervention and home management plan.
What’s more, this experience gifted them with hope: the possibility that with the right therapy and intervention supports, Nathan could be supported to develop to his fullest potential. In 2007, Christine took action, founding the Nathan Ebanks Foundation. Its purpose? To give voice and representation to the issues children with disabilities and their families were facing, and to advocate for them to be included in community and national development planning in Jamaica. For over fifteen years, she has been designing training programs for parents and professionals to support children with disabilities in various settings, including home, school, and the community.
In 2020, following her family’s immigration to the United States, and to the Franklin Township community in Somerset County, she established Raising Special Needs Inc. (USA) and expanded her initiatives to encompass several other countries, including the United States, Dominica and the broader Caribbean. Through these organizations, alongside her writing and speaking engagements, Christine has significantly amplified the voices of children with disabilities and their families on local, national, and regional levels, profoundly impacting countless lives.
Her experience stems two distinctly contrasting worlds: Jamaica, where resources are scarce, and the United States, with its intricate support systems. These environments have vividly illustrated that effectively supporting a loved one with disabilities demands faith, support, patience, grit, know-how, and unwavering determination, regardless of one’s country or community.
Christine shares her insights and expertise with a wide audience through her contributions to publications such as Human Services Today, published by the National Organization for Human Services Professionals, and Accessibility Journeys magazine, which showcases accessible travel possibilities and best practices for individuals with disabilities and their families. Beyond these works, Christine actively participates in various boards and committees. She has served as a member of the National Disability Advisory Board in Jamaica and is currently an active member of her local Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) Group in New Jersey.
Outside of her professional commitments, Christine treasures her interests. She is passionate about spending quality time with her family, nurturing her faith, reading, and taking long walks in nature. Her guiding philosophy is encapsulated in the words of Desmond Green, “While we may not be responsible for the state in which we find the world, we cannot deny our responsibility for how we leave it to those who follow in our footsteps” (Visions of Jamaica, 2010). Christine exemplifies this ethos through her unwavering dedication to improving the quality of life for her son and countless others with disabilities, leaving a lasting legacy of inclusivity and support for future generations.
Learn more: https://internationalimpactbookawards.com/
