Military Kids Read and Cuddle Project Brings Military Aircrafts Down to Kid-Sized Hugs

Dover, DE, May 11, 2013 --(PR.com)-- In 2004 Mrs. Mahoney was on the brink of a mental break down. She had three beautiful babies, all 17 months apart, ages 1, 2, and 3, and her military husband had just received relocation orders to North Carolina and then a deployment a month later. She was placed in a situation where she had no family and friends around, did not know the area well, had three babies to care for, and lost her job in the process. Aside from the postpartum depression, she began feeling a state of panic each and every day, as if she were going to die, and just going grocery shopping became a struggle with three babies in tow. Not only did she fear the changes in herself, but she noticed small changes in her children as well and it became more so as they grew. Sometimes they would cry for no reason, they became clingy and attached, they couldn't finish sentences, and they wouldn't sleep. Most of the patterns resembled her own emotional toll, and as the years progressed, she sought counseling for herself, but her children couldn't seem to connect.

After much research and discussion with a military family group, Mrs. Mahoney realized this was a common problem in the military family community and even more so with the military children. As she volunteered at the schools, she noticed how the children's emotional patterns changed during deployments. They ranged depending on the child, but most became aggressive, or quiet, or just cried. Mrs. Mahoney, who's son became diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome during the time she was volunteering at the schools, had been working with her own therapist as well as her son's counselor on deployment related issues. This sparked an idea that she discussed with her three children.

Mrs. Mahoney began to talk and write with her children about the things that bothered them each day. Depression, stress, and confusion seemed strongest during deployments when daddy was gone, including for Mrs. Mahoney, but writing them down and going over what daddy might be doing at the same time, seemed to help them cope. This is when Mrs. Mahoney connected emotional comfort with visual characters that represented an object of daddy and showing what he may be doing or where he was going. Thus, Meet Robby the C-130 was born.

Since 2008, Mrs. Mahoney has written several Robby the C-130 books, spoken at mental health seminars, founded the first military children's foundation that was adopted by the elementary schools as clubs or after school programs, was a guest visitor at Lockheed Martin in Marietta Georgia (creators of the C-130) and nominated 2010 Military Spouse of the Year by Military.com and CINCHouse.

Now Mrs. Mahoney is expanding her next book to bring Robby the C-130's cousin, Freddy the C-5, into the stories along with a Robby the C-130 stuffed animal for the book. Crowd funding donations will help fund the design of the books, the printing, and the stuffed animal creations.

For more information or to make a contribution, visit www.militarykidsproject.info

Contact
Beth Mahoney
Owner/Author
proudmilitarykids@gmail.com
www.proudmilitarykids.com
302-760-9007