J.K. Rowling’s books saved a baby’s life, so she sends her a special message

For the millennial generation, the Harry Potter series is undoubtedly a huge influence that impacted millions of readers and movie-goers, but one family developed an even stronger bond to the series when it brought hope to their newborn daughter Juniper and her parents watching her in the NICU when she arrived 16 weeks early.

Their one-pound premature baby was having a rough night in the incubator when husband Tom began to read the first of the Harry Potter series to their young daughter in the hospital. He chose the series because it was a family favorite with their two sons Nat and Sam, and wanted her to experience the story as well.

He read out loud, “Chapter One: The Boy Who Lived.” Harry’s difficult time as a newborn and his ability to endure gave them strange hope that Juniper might do the same.

Kelley French, Juniper’s mother, notes that “[Tom] wanted Juniper, born barely viable at 23 weeks gestation, to hear a story about children who could fly. He wanted to read to her about a baby who survived the most powerful evil in the world because his mother stood by his crib and protected him with her life.”

Somehow, the story seemed to make young Juniper healthier! “When Tom read to her, she breathed better, held her temperature better, seemed generally more content.

 Tom read every paragraph in a soothing, sing-song voice, and when he stopped, her oxygen levels would plummet and the alarms would blare,” French continued about the experience.

“When Tom read to her, she breathed better, held her temperature better, seemed generally more content. Tom read every paragraph in a soothing, sing-song voice, and when he stopped, her oxygen levels would plummet and the alarms would blare,” French continued about the experience.

The young girl managed to overcome her time in the NICU and over time, grew up to be a healthier kindergartner when her story ws covered by popular radio program Radiolab. The podcast reached author JK Rowling.

French notes that she had received a Twitter message from Rowling, who told her that “that she’d cried [when she heard the program] and that she wanted to send us something.”

They eventually received a package marked from Edinburgh. Rowling had sent copies of her books, signed and sent for young Juniper!

When Juniper saw the books, she said, “She loves me,” and hugged the books quickly!