Local teacher inspired by student writes book in her honor

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – A Washburn Rural High teacher said she didn’t know much about Cystic Fibrosis, until sever years ago when she was assigned to a student with the disease.

Courtney Turcotte Bond said she was so inspired by her student Madison Taliaferro, she decided to write a book based on some of the things she went through. Madison was a high school student who grew up with Cystic Fibrosis, which caused her to miss a lot of school and learn from home. That is how Madison and Turcotte Bond grew close.

Turcotte Bond decided to write a book called “Breathtaking”, about a girl and a boy who she confides her secrets to. The story involves Cystic Fibrosis and organ donation. Madison had some influence on the book before her death in 2018.

“I told Madison that I started this book and that it was inspired by her and she was really excited about it,” said Turcotte Bond. “We had actually talked about the possibility to sit down with her to get a little more perspective from her about living with the disease and how it impacted her life as a teenager.”

Since she didn’t finish the book before Madison’s death, Turcotte Bond turned to Madison’s mom to help fill in the blanks on her story.

“We spend probably two hours in a coffee shop just talking and it brought back a lot of memories of how things were before her transplant and after her transplant,” said Madison’s mom, Desiree Taliaferro.

The book “Breathtaking” will be in stores on September 1st. CLICK HERE if you would like more information on the book

Her family also started a scholarship fund in her honor for Holton High students going into the medical field. Some of the proceeds of the book will go to the scholarship fund.