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Girl’s rare disease inspires her to co-author book

Eleni Zoe Pournaras, 10, got finishing touches on ‘A Marshmallow Christmas’ done while in Sick Kids.

2 min read
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Eleni Zoe Pournaras is one of many SickKids patients who drew and painted their appreciation — as seen in this montage — for front-line health-care workers. She’s also the co-author of a new book.


Most kids in the hospital spend their time thinking about going home, but Eleni Zoe Pournaras spent her time in the Hospital for Sick Children putting the finishing touches on a book she co-authored and illustrated.

Eleni, who marks her 11th birthday on Sunday, has hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), a disorder in which blood vessels do not form properly. In Eleni’s case, her lungs do not function efficiently which results in low oxygen levels, something her family must constantly monitor.

Omar Mosleh

Omar Mosleh is an Toronto-based reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @OmarMosleh.

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