She says it’s like a bomb exploding in her knee. That’s what the distress of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy feels like, a localized-pain syndrome Mackenzie Bearup has suffered from since age 10. She turned to books to cope with the random, severe attacks. "When I read, it's a real escape," Bearup told CNN. "I try to take myself into the book instead of in the real world where I'm in so much pain." She wanted others dealing
...moreShe says it’s like a bomb exploding in her knee. That’s what the distress of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy feels like, a localized-pain syndrome Mackenzie Bearup has suffered from since age 10. She turned to books to cope with the random, severe attacks. "When I read, it's a real escape," Bearup told CNN. "I try to take myself into the book instead of in the real world where I'm in so much pain." She wanted others dealing with trauma—from child abuse, to domestic violence, to the homeless—to find that escape, too. Bearup began asking around for used books to donate to people in need, and her cause blew up. Her nonprofit, Sheltering Books, Inc., has gifted over 119,000 books to date.
Photo: Dosomething.org
