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An Experiment in Friendship

Author brings reality of von Willebrand Disease to life through
fictional character middle school girls can relate to

By Emily Roush-Bobolz, staff writer

A s a young, third-grade girl, Erin Teagan wanted nothing Kendall, who is heading into seventh grade and whose
more than to grow up to be a writer. As an adult, she favorite subjects are science and foreign languages, discovered

realistically chose to pursue a career in science. the “The Friendship Experiment” at this year’s Symposium

“I always wanted to be a writer from the time I was in third where the author was signing books. She read all 240 pages
grade,” said the Washington, D.C.-based author. “But I knew while at Symposium.

I needed to support myself, so I went Teagan has a Bachelor of Science in

into science.” Integrated Science and a master’s

Years after that young girl dreamed degree in biotechnology, and worked
of being a writer, she combined her for the National Institute of Health
love of writing and her knowledge Sciences as a scientist in the lab.
of science to write “The Friendship She worked beside another scientist
Experiment.” The middle grade novel who was also a doctor with hands-
is about preteen Madeline Little, who on patient experience with children.
has von Willebrand Disease and is Together, Teagan and her colleague
dreading the start of middle school. worked to discover a more efficient
way to diagnose vWD.

“It’s about her experience with the That scientific research and her
difficulties of entering middle school brother’s experience inspired the
while having this condition to deal book. For an entire summer as a
with on top of it all,” Teagan said. child, her brother suffered from a

As if middle school isn’t hard enough, virus called idiopathic thrombocyto-

Madeline has to come to terms with penic purpura. The immune response

her life with vWD. She would rather to the ITP virus caused the normal

help her father in his research lab blood clotting process to fail, leading

or write in her lab notebook than to excessive bruising and bleeding.
hang out with others. Despite her Photo credit: Emily Roush-Bobolz
Kendall related to the book because
reluctance, some new friends come along, until they discover of her interest in science. Her science teacher encouraged her
what she’s written in her secret notebook. to teach fellow students a portion of this year’s genetics unit

“I thought it was very well-written and eloquent,” said Elsa because of her first-hand experience with bleeding disorders.
Kendall, an 11-year-old from Virginia with mild hemophilia A.
“You always want to have friends in school and starting a new “One of the new students, who is a friend, has been asking a lot
chapter of school is kind of intimidating at first.” of questions,” she said. “I’m very glad she’s interested.”

Summer 2018 | Dateline Federation 11