Iowa City Boy Writes Book To Remember His Late Father

By Chris Earl, Anchor/Reporter

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By Chris Earl

Story Created: Nov 18, 2009 at 4:56 PM CST

Story Updated: Nov 20, 2009 at 3:03 PM CST

Logan Trumbull has a big Thursday planned. Time for a final read-through...

"The cancer makes Dad too tired to go upstairs," Logan said as he read through his book, "Logan's Story."

In October 2007, Logan was weeks from turning eight. He spent months watching his father, Ray Trumbull, get weaker with late stage gastrointestinal cancer.

Playing flag football was an escape but, when the news came, one practice was cut short.

"Mom speaks softly that Dad died peacefully," Logan said from the book. "We all hug for a long time, especially me."

Logan's Story is a book about his experience: from seeing his father get sick, his death, and all the repressed feelings a seven-year-old had at the time.

Logan will read the book to his class on Thursday. Watch Logan read his book.

"When you have a 7-year-old, they don't really know how to communicate their feelings," said his mother, Deanna Trumbull.

But Logan has done exactly that, in words and even in his original drawings. Logan's early sketchings are on the inside cover, both back and front.

Add in a neighbor and illustrator to take Logan's words to a wider audience.

"This story itself was so sad but here was this adorable kid. Let's focus on football," said illustrator Mary Moye-Rowley.

That's what the end product is. A story told through the eyes of a child. Years from now, when Logan is a man -- he will always have these words...and thoughts... Of his dad.

"One day we will be happy again. I think football will always remind me of Dad."

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