Emily leads the way back to a happy life (From Gazette Series)

Emily leads the way back to a happy life

AFTER a serious car accident mum-of-five Paula Thorpe found herself in the grasps of a nervous breakdown. However, through the love and support of her family and the help of a green hippo called Emily she pulled through. Gazette reporter Liza-Jane Gillespie went to meet Mrs Thorpe to hear all about Paula's courageous battle and her little green friend Emily.

EMILY the loveable green hippo has been created by Cam mum and newly-published author Paula Thorpe not only with children in mind. The children's storytime character has also helped pull its creator out of some dark times.

The hippo takes centre stage in a 12-story series of new books written by Mrs Thorpe, the first of which - Emily the Green Hippo - has just been published. And the adventurous young mammal has proved a Godsend, not just to parents hoping to read their youngsters to sleep but also to the author herself.

Mrs Thorpe, 35, said it had taken her almost five years to bring Emily to life and into print.

She told the Gazette: "I started writing the stories in 2001 but is has taken until now for the first one to be published."

After approaching several publishing houses Mrs Thorpe eventually got her book into print at a self-publishing house in Ilfracombe, Devon. Her first title must prove to be a success before the new author can have any of Emily's other adventures printed.

During the series Emily gets up to lots of adventures including visiting the zoo, the seaside, the supermarket and the park. Mrs Thorpe said she hoped the stories would encourage children's imaginations.

She said: "I hope the books inspire children to look at things differently. They are short stories which are not too long for children to get bored and quick bedtime stories for parents to read."

Mrs Thorpe said she also hoped the success of her book would bring about change in her family's life after some difficult years. But to her partner of 17 years and now husband Stephen, the creation of Emily has already done so much for the family.

Mr Thorpe, 41, told the Gazette it was during his wife's nervous breakdown that Emily the Green Hippo emerged.

He said: "In 2001 we were involved in a car accident and Paula became withdrawn she wouldn't talk to anyone. She would sit in the summer house at the end of the garden for hours and it was during this that she started to draw."

Mrs Thorpe said it was during her darkest hour that her imagination and love of drawing took off helping her rebuild her life.

She said: "The accident had a real effect on me. I only had a bit of bruising from the seatbelt but I had to be in hospital for three days.

"After that I stopped talking. I wasn't sociable and I became a really bad passenger driver. I'd been a passenger when the accident happened and getting in a car afterwards was really hard for me."

The drawing that was providing a therapy at home became a way for Mrs Thorpe to travel in a car again.

She said: "I would take my notebook everywhere and concentrate on looking for things to draw rather than on Stephen's driving."

Mr Thorpe said for several years the entire family faced an uphill battle to help Paula through a difficult time.

He said: "It affected all of us including the children but we all pulled together."

The Thorpes have five children; Michelle, 17, James, 15, Katie, 13, Christopher, 11 and Liam, 6. And being a child, Liam is apparently Mrs Thorpe's biggest critic.

Mrs Thorpe said: "Every time I draw a new picture or finished a story Liam had to read it. If I get something wrong or he doesn't like something he tells me."

After five years Mrs Thorpe is now putting the nervous breakdown behind her.

She said: "Me and Stephen work together for a local cleaning contractor and we make bows for a bow factory but it is the book that is my real focus."

Mrs Thorpe said she is now looking to the future and the potential success Emily the Green Hippo can give them.

She said: "Lots of people have already read it and like the story so we are trying to get it into local libraries, schools and book shops.

"Emily is a wonderful character - I hope people will take to her."

Emily the Green Hippo by Paula Thorpe is available from Amazon.com and in Stroud Bookshop.