Nadia Bartolo started reading stories to her son, Gabriel, when he was a baby, so when she was hospitalised and feared the worst she decided to write tales that would pass on important values to him.

“I wanted to put my values in the stories. I wanted to write the stories and use them as my aim to get out and read them to him,” Ms Bartolo says, as her son, now nine, affectionately places his face against hers.

Gabriel is proud to have been the inspiration behind the stories that have now been published in the book Puttinu’s Bedtime Tales, written by his mum, who has overcome her health problem.

Two years ago his mother had to spend six weeks in hospital due to a gastro-intestinal condition that made her very weak. About two weeks into her hospitalisation she was very down because medication was not working.

To top it all she was not seeing much of her son, who was then seven.

Nadia Bartolo and her son Gabriel who was her inspiration. Photo: Jason Borg

Her niece tried to cheer her up by sending her some drawings. Ms Bartolo thought to herself she would love to be able to draw so her father gave her some paper and colours. But she couldn’t draw. Frustrated at the situation she grabbed a pen and decided to write a story.

“I started writing and I enjoyed it. It got my mind off all the other stuff.

“I used to finish a story and, before going to sleep, I used to choose a new title just to have something to look forward to in the morning.

“I used to carry my manuscript with me wherever I went,” she smiles.

Ms Bartolo was surprised at how naturally the stories flowed out of her. She was an avid reader but had never written anything before.

It got my mind off all the other stuff

By the end of her hospital stay she wrote 11 stories, mostly based on animal characters and all aimed at teaching values.

“My father told me I would do something nice with the stories.

“So, eventually, I contacted Puttinu Cares Foundation and they encouraged me to publish a book,” she says.

The illustrated offering was vetted by a literacy specialist and is dys­lexia friendly.

The book, which costs €8, was sponsored by Methode Electronics and all proceeds will go to Puttinu, which supports sick children.

More details can be obtained from the Puttinu’s Bedtimes Tales Facebook page.