KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A grandmother and granddaughter from Knoxville are coming together to break the stigma surrounding people with disabilities.
"Game Day With Grammy" is a children's book based on the real-life relationship between "grammy" Gloria Gorss and her 20-year-old granddaughter Maya Alves.
The two published the book through Amazon in January.
"We just wanted to share our story because we thought little kids are often afraid of people with disabilities and walkers and things like that," Gloria explained. "We wanted to kind of write a story that maybe would help kids understand."
Gloria has dealt with health challenges that have impacted her mobility.
She uses multiple aides, including an oxygen concentrator, walker, scooter and service dog to complete daily tasks.
"We wanted to show that I can go out and do things. I'm not confined. I have a lot of options," Gloria said.
The book showcases what it takes to get "grammy" Gloria to a football game on a Saturday afternoon. It features illustrations by artist Hilary England depicting Gloria's service dog, a black lab named Grable, and granddaughter Maya.
"When I was younger, I didn't think much of it," Maya recalled. "But now, I've just come to really understand and be as helpful as I can with her."
Maya studies early childhood education at the University of Tennessee.
She hopes the book will encourage grandchildren who have grandparents with mobility challenges to be supportive of their loved ones.
"Just kind of building an understanding and just loving pretty much unconditionally your family members no matter what," she said.
The book is available to purchase on Amazon. Click here to check it out.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit Duo Dogs, the non-profit organization that connected Gloria with her service dog 2.5 years ago.