Charleston, SC, Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — When she was eight years old, Axi Mok and her parents rushed to UCLA’s emergency room. For months, Axi’s cognitive abilities had deteriorated. She started second grade a year ahead in math, reading, and writing, but by Thanksgiving she could barely hold a pen in her hands or count to 10.
After months of unanswered questions, a physician family friend—who also happened to be a renowned neurologist—suggested the answer which proved to be correct: Axi was suffering from Hashimoto’s Encephalopathy (HE).
Axi’s Herculean effort to heal herself began. Six years later, the entire family feels she’s in complete remission (despite the disease not having a cure) and seizes every opportunity to relearn what the disease has robbed from her.
One such opportunity: reading and writing.
“For a long time, I avoided books and writing, two things I loved the most before I got sick,” remarked Axi.
During Axi’s intense re-learning process, she worked with several tutors. One suggested returning to writing a short story as a way to reclaim the knowledge she lost and the passion she once held. Not knowing where to start, she focused on what she knew: herself, her twin brother, and her dogs.
“Writing my own stories was so much fun it gave me the confidence to overcome my fears …. the more I wrote, the more progress I made,” said Axi.
The short story meant to help her improve her writing is now The Adventure to the Ancient Iceberg, the first in what Axi hopes is a thrilling series of adventure books for middle-grade readers. It follows the story of 10-year-old twins Axi and Brandon who receive a strange package with an urgent message. Along with their talking dogs, they’re challenged to save an ancient iceberg from an evil Yeti’s wrath.
The Adventure to the Ancient Iceberg is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com. For more information about the author, please visit any of her social media platforms
Instagram: @axi_mok
TikTok: @aximokkk
About the Author:
Axi Mok is a young author from Los Angeles, where she lives with her parents, twin brother Brandon, two dogs, Jake and Kimchi, and three chickens. When she was eight, Axi was hospitalized with a brain disease that affected her memory, making her forget how to count and even write her own name. Recently, she discovered writing her own stories was an empowering way to overcome her fears and challenges. Axi’s debut book marks the beginning of many more magical adventures.
Media Contact: Helie Lee, [email protected]
Available for interviews: Author, Axi Mok
- The Adventure to the Ancient Iceberg