Miracle Monday: books bring comfort in boy’s health battle

It’s Miracle Monday, and today we meet a five-year-old boy who looks forward to his frequent visits to Golisano Children’s Hospital. AJ Wilbur gets a new book every time he comes to the hospital.

His autoimmune disorder is something doctors are still figuring out.

When he flares, he spikes sky-high fevers, followed by swelling in his joints and terrible GI issues.

It usually follows a virus, which is part of the reason his mom, Maryann, moved AJ and his brother down to Sanibel from New York.

“Here, when you’re outside, most viral illnesses don’t do well in UV light, and so we get a lot less viral illnesses down here, so the flares are less frequent,” Maryann said.

Their recent move put them within walking distance of the Sanibel Library.

AJ earned dozens of books through the library’s reading program and donated them to the children’s hospital.