From a Blank Page to a Bookshelf

At just six years old, Nirav knew he wanted to be an author. He would cut and fold paper to create tiny comic books. 

"His drawings were okay," Nirav's mom, Shital, chuckles. "But his ideas were really good and so creative. When I would tuck him to bed at night, he'd always have something on his mind and say things like, 'I'm thinking of this new story that I want to write.' He just always has so many exciting thoughts growing in his head." 

One day in July 2020, Nirav woke up with intense jaw pain. Thinking it was a cavity, his parents took Nirav to the dentist. The dentist found a growth in the back of his throat, diagnosed tonsilitis, and recommended going to the doctor.

At first the doctor asked to wait and rule out any viral throat infection. Later, the doctor prescribed antibiotics, however after 10 days, instead of subsiding, the lump had grown to the point where Nirav could barely swallow.  

Nirav's parents scheduled a virtual appointment with a separate doctor who suggested he come in for a biopsy. After the biopsy, ultrasounds, and tests, the oncologist told Nirav's parents the terrible news. Nirav had a form of lymphoma. They packed their bags and headed straight to the hospital. 

Nirav underwent five rounds of extensive chemotherapy treatments, causing a domino effect of challenges and painful side effects for him. 

“His treatment was only three months, but so intense,” says Shital. “He’d get headaches and fevers from the medication. One time he even had to get a blood transfusion. I thought I would have a mental breakdown with all the complications going on.”

Nirav spent the most of his time in the hospital thinking about ideas for his future book. When he was too tired from his treatments to write, he’d tell his ideas to his mom to write down. When he was too tired to speak, his mom would read to him from his favorite mystery novels to pass the time.

“Eventually, he stopped telling me his ideas,” says Shital, “he wanted to keep the book a surprise for me. I would just smile and keep quiet because, when would this book happen, you know?”

Shortly after Nirav finished his treatment, the opportunity he’d been waiting for his whole life finally came, in the form of a wish. Nirav wished to be an author and got to work on his first mystery novel. 

Not without help of course! Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area called in Dallas Graham, Founder & Executive Director of the Red Fred Project Foundation, a nonprofit that provides writing and publishing assistance for children with rare diseases. Dallas was the perfect match for Nirav and became his mentor during the writing process. 

“Writing a novel is not easy,” says Dallas, “it takes time and requires full creativity from your mind and your heart.” 

His parents were initially unsure about the scope of the wish, but Nirav was determined. “I’ve only seen Nirav write comic books, so I wasn’t sure if this was something he could see through,” says Shital. “I asked if he wanted to do short stories instead, and I remember him saying, ‘No, I have this book in mind. It has thirteen chapters, and it’s going to be two-hundred pages long.’” 

Nirav wrote his book with guidance from Dallas over weekly virtual calls. Dallas would give Nirav goals, timelines, and character development homework to help Nirav spark more creative ideas.  

"Nirav was immunocompromised for the year he was writing the book and would tire quickly," says Shital, "He'd get frustrated writing and sometimes he would feel dissatisfied by what he wrote, but Dallas would help motivate him and give him confidence. Nirav had all the ideas in his head. He just didn't have the tools to put them on paper yet." 

Nirav’s persistence amazed his mentor. “I was so impressed with how he made time while battling his illness,” says Dallas. “He turned nothing into something.” 

Once Nirav completed what ended being 15 chapters, editor Anabelle Clawson Richardson and illustrator Grace Flynn, a former child author from the Red Fred Project, took over production. Dallas helped with the editing process and worked with Amazon for publishing. Then, The Rise of the Wildcards, was printed, and Nirav officially became a published author! 

"Nirav was so excited to see the book," says Shital, "when it finally came in the mail, Nirav read the whole thing that same night! I was so excited too because he kept most of the book a surprise from his dad and me. I couldn't wait to read it. I was so proud."

To celebrate, Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area held a book launch for all of Nirav’s closest family and friends, Nirav’s pediatric oncologist, Lisa Goodman, MD, and Nirav’s child life specialist, Gina Mackintosh, and volunteer wish granters at the San Ramon Community Center. 

Nirav discussed his creative process and hurdles of writing during a panel discussion with Dallas and Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area CEO Betsy Biern. "The most difficult part was staying motivated to keep writing," says Nirav during the panel. "There were times I’d get stuck or was unhappy with what I wrote. But every writer gets stuck, that's just part of the process. You have to overcome it and find an idea that's right for your story."

Guest enjoyed fresh popcorn and a colorful array of sweet treats generously donated by Make-A-Wish partner IT'SUGAR. The book launch also included a Q&A, an excerpt reading from the author himself, and a book signing—with all of Nirav’s fans lining up to get a photo and a signed copy of his novel. 

"This whole process turned this terrible thing into a positive experience and gave it a happy ending,” says Shital, “it gave him the confidence to get through. Since he was so positive and so strong through the whole thing, it made our healing journey so much easier. He turned this into something so much bigger. Look what you've done, Nirav. You published your own book out of this thing!" 

“I hope this inspires kids going through similar circumstances to always have hope and to try and stay positive,” says Nirav, “and to just know that if you stay positive, things will be better for you, and to always follow your dreams.” 

Enjoy Nirav’s thrilling mystery novel, The Rise of the Wild Cards, in digital or paperback on Amazon. 

Thank you, Tiffany and Ben Rowe, for helping make wishes like Nirav's come true!