April 14th, 2010
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She was only in the fifth grade when Mackenzie Bearup starting getting shooting pains in her knee that “felt like a bomb was going off.” Diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, she endures crippling pain on a daily basis. Anytime something touches her knee – even the wind – she feels immense pain.
Mackenzie could only escape the pain by reading. She started volunteering at a home for abused children and began collecting books for the children.
She has now started an organization called Sheltering Books to collect books for all children in need. To date, she has collected more than 38,000 books to donate to reading rooms, libraries and 27 shelters in six states.
Mackenzie Bearup has been featured as part of CNN’s “Heroes” series and her story appeared on Larry King Live.
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If every house in the US did this then we would save 18 million trees every year.
