This may be a first for me. I’m about to tell you the story of a baby pig who has changed my life. I know, it sounds very strange coming from me. My life has been influenced by some of the top authors of the self-empowerment industry. And now a pig?

This little guy changed a lot of lives earlier this year. His name is Chris P. Bacon. He was born with a serious problem—his hind legs were deformed and he couldn’t walk. But this little pig was lucky. When he was a day old, Chris P was brought to a Florida veterinarian who wasn’t about to give up on him.

It’s a common practice for animals with these types of deformities to be euthanized. But this vet, Dr. Len Lucero thought otherwise.  “He was so full of life,” he said. “I wanted to give him a fighting chance.”

Dr. Len brought Chris P home to his wife and two children, who also fell in love with the tiny pig.  Since he wasn’t able to use his hind legs, Chris P would compensate by lifting his backside off the ground and balancing on his front legs. But Dr. Len worried that when the Chris P grew larger, he’d have more difficulty maintaining his balance.

So, Dr. Len rummaged through his kids’ toys and created a makeshift wheelchair for the little pig. When he videotaped Chris P’s first lesson and put in on You Tube, a million people around the world went wild.

                             The Incredible Chris P. Bacon Video

One of the viewers was our Acquisitions Director Patty Gift, who happens to love anything that has to do with pigs.  When she sent me the video link, I was awed by the baby pig who was beating the odds, showing everyone that challenges can be overcome and demonstrating that you really can do whatever you set your mind to, whether you have two legs or four! I knew then that Chris P. Bacon’s story would make a very inspiring children’s book. When I shared the video with my wife Kristina (who has co-authored 10 of Hay House’s children’s books) she was anxious to get started on this one.

The Chris P. Bacon Children's Book

I’m very proud that we have brought Dr. Len and Chris P. Bacon into our Hay Housefamily with the upcoming release of our latest children’s book, Chris P. Bacon: My Life So Far… It’s a beautiful story about how it’s okay to be different. Or as Chris P says, “Yooooo-neek!”

This book also has a special meaning for me personally. My Dad became a quadriplegic when he was 30 years old, so I grew up knowing firsthand the difficulties and challenges you face when you have to start living your life from a wheelchair. I also have a nephew who contracted a rare disease as a baby and has never been able to walk.

Chris P. Bacon says his mission is to help all the people who are different and show them that “it’s cool to be unique.” Hay House has been helping him fulfill this dream by donating copies of our Chris P. Bacon children’s book to a list of hospitals and children’s facilities including St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

If you know of any other children’s hospital or facility that would benefit from a donation of our Chris P Bacon books, please let me know on my Facebook page. 

 When you do receive your copy of Chris P. Bacon, take a look at the page that shows a crowd of people cheering for this amazing pig. You’ll see an illustration of my nephew. Each time I look at it, I am reminded of Cole’s positive attitude and the way he sees opportunities instead of obstacles. I’m so proud that we could include him in this book.