Topeka girl publishes book after brain surgery

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Easton Beightel of Topeka loves sports, she excels in school, and now she’s written a children’s book called ‘I Heard You Were Feeling Rough’.

“My book is a children’s book, the pages are simple and in the back some of the pages are what you’d find in like an activity book. Word search. Crossword. Scavenger hunt” says Easton.

Easton wrote the book to help encourage other children who may be battling health issues in a hospital following her own medical journey with brain surgery. In November 2022 after a series of unexplained headaches and a Grand Mal seizure, doctors discovered Easton had a massive brain infection that required immediate surgery.

“When they are telling you that, it buckles your knees and you can’t even describe the feelings we had” says Andrew Beightel, Easton’s father.

Doctors had to remove a large portion of Easton’s skull and it took three separate surgeries to remove the infection. The process left Easton with paralysis on the left side of her body. She had to learn to walk again and went through many hours of physical and occupational therapy. But throughout the ordeal, Easton always kept a positive attitude.

“Every time she had to go back in, she was like I’ve got this. I can do this, she had friends and family rooting her on” says Candice Beightel, Easton’s mother.

Easton wanted to encourage other children like her to stay positive too. She came up with the idea for the book, wrote the material and came up with title.

“It’s about stuff that helped me through the hospital and about keeping a positive attitude” says Easton.

Easton is now recovering from a fourth surgery May 2 to place a prosthetic skull inside her head. Antibiotics helped clear the remainder of the brain infection and doctors say Easton’s prognosis is good. She hopes to be cleared to return to her softball team sometime over the summer. Easton says she hopes her book might keep spirits strong for other children just like her.

“One of my quotes I went back to in my mind a lot in the hospital was it may be stormy now, but it never rains forever” says Easton.