First Thing First, Dream

Knowing how writing helped her son, Krystle took highlights from his journal to write First Thing First, Dream. In the book, Kyllan shares his first day at a new school where he uses a variety of coping mechanisms to help him through his transition. The book offers encouragement to children who may experience different disorders.

Officially  the pandemic is over, but for many children the impact continues.  As  children return to in-person schooling this fall First Thing First, Dream is  an inspirational collective effort of Kyllan Parker and his mother  Krystle Parker of how they’ve coped.  The easy reader also focuses on  attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  The Parkers are from Greenville, North Carolina.

In the summer of 2020 Kyllan  was transitioning from private school to virtual learning, then to  public school during the pandemic. Like many of us the pandemic was  disruptive but for him just 10 years old the added school transitions  were extra stress and anxiety in his life. Krystle a nurse practitioner  with 15 years’ experience in the medical and nursing field rose to the  task of getting her son back on track. At his mother’s suggestion he  started journaling as a therapeutic technique that helped him overcome  and get through the frenzy of wearing masks daily, excessive hand  washing, and isolating himself from others.

Krystle  Parker is an Adult Gerontologist Nurse with 15 years of combined  experience in the medical and nursing field.  She received her  undergraduate degree from Hampton University in 2007 and graduated from  Southern University in 2017.  In her spare time, she loves giving back  to the community and volunteering.

Parker  is the owner of Absolute Care Services of NC, a home health care agency  located in Greenville, NC, and the owner and founder of ILashpark - a  lash salon. She is also the vice president of the Greenville Theater Art  Center, a non-profit organization established to educate, elevate, and  expand the souls of aspiring artists.

She  host an annual back-to-school drive which provided backpacks and school  supplies to hundreds of children in her community.  She also hosts an  annual Thanksgiving food drive, which provides meals to families in need  during the season of giving.

Parker  is married with two sons -  Kyllan and Kyson Parker.  Her eldest son,  Kyllan Parker’s journal notes were the inspiration for her first book, First Thing First, Dream.