A WOMAN who suffered from chronic pain almost her whole life has taken inspiration from her rescue dog to help children in foster care.

Alison Heaslewood from Bracknell started writing poems and stories when she was just six years old.

She went on to do an English Literature degree but in her mid-twenties she developed chronic pain in her arms which was diagnosed as central sensitisation syndrome and fibromyalgia.

She has now been relatively pain free for nearly ten years so wanted to share her experience of getting stronger into a new children's book.

Bracknell News:

The book called Bodhi the Pirate Dog takes inspiration from her loving four-legged Romanian rescue dog Bodhi.

READ MORE: World War Two retired spitfire pilot from Bracknell honoured with signed print

As children follow Bodhi and his friend Eugene the frog on their adventure across the Seven Seas, they’ll learn about friendship, self-acceptance and celebrating differences.

Alison said: “It was a very dark period in my life, and I thought my dream of one day being an Author was over. Being pumped full of painkillers did nothing to improve my situation. I was close to giving up work.

Bracknell News:

"When I found out my job wasn’t going to exist anymore, I wanted to do something positive, so I started planning how I would self-publish my first children’s book - Bodhi the Pirate Dog. A Kickstarter campaign seemed perfect as it’s a funding platform for creative projects and allowed me the option for people to donate copies to two great charities in Berkshire Women’s Aid and Compass Fostering Agency.”

Through the sale of her new book, Alison hopes to help Berkshire Women's Aid and Compass Fostering

She spoke of how Bodhi the 'nervous' rescue dog became the inspiration behind the book.

ALSO READ: Is England's biggest fan a Bracknell taxi driver?

Adding: "It took him three months to be brave enough to climb the stairs and one of the first times we went out he jumped at a door opening and knocked me to the floor.

"It was hard seeing him so afraid of the world and I found singing to him helped him relax. I made up the theme tune that’s featured in the Kickstarter campaign and started to imagine him as a heroic and brave pirate dog, travelling here by land and by sea, ready for all sorts of exciting adventures.

"I made Bodhi the Pirate Dog videos for my friends’ children. They loved the stories and I knew I had to write a book.”