College Station author honors late son with children’s book on faith, courage

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - Local educator Stacey Payne is turning personal tragedy into an inspiring message of hope for young readers through her debut children’s book, “Mitchell, the Mighty Warrior.”

Payne wrote the story following the sudden loss of her first child, Mitchell. Born in September 2023, Mitchell died unexpectedly two months later in November from an undiagnosed congenital heart defect.

“Obviously that was very devastating, and I had to rely really heavily on my faith and just had to make a choice of how I was going to move forward,” Payne said. “I prayed a lot, and the Lord was very faithful and helped me turn that grief into a story.”

The writing journey spanned about a year and a half. Payne drew inspiration from the term “heart warriors,” a phrase often used to describe children living with congenital heart defects.

Payne designed the story to resonate with young readers while remaining accessible to anyone confronting frightening circumstances.

“I want it to be something that’s understandable for kids, but also relatable for anybody who might be facing something that’s unknown or scary, without making it too hard to read,” she said.

Above all, Payne hopes children take away a message of courage and faith.

Payne will host a book-signing event at Barnes & Noble in College Station on Saturday at 1 p.m., where copies will be available for purchase.

“Mitchell, the Mighty Warrior” is also available online through Amazon, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, and Payne’s website at painbooks.com.