One day, Cristina “TinTin” Santiago found herself curled up in a ball sobbing on the floor of her shower. Her sorrow typically showed up once a month and she was able to shrug it off and keep on with her day.
But this time, her sadness felt different.
Cristina is an author of young adult/self-help literature, presents her first book ‘Just Breathe’. This beautiful book was written, designed, and illustrated independently during the pandemic. It is a story that wishes to take a step in educating mental health consciousness for earlier age groups.
This is a book targeted for children and teens full of connection and empathy with illustrations that go hand in hand with its insightful and meaningful message. ‘Just Breathe’ explores overcoming fears and anxieties for all ages. Cristina, who is a recent speaker for ‘TED Talks’ in San Antonio, Texas, gives us a literary experience that connects with the purpose of her conferences. The book will become available on December 11th 2021.
About The Book
A visit to the family pediatrician prompts Luna to admit to a personal problem. She is very nervous about starting 4th grade in her new school. To help, her mother takes her to see Tere, a therapist. She teaches Luna how to work with her emotions with simple breathing exercises that will calm her and ultimately show her that she has nothing to fear. Luna faces the ultimate test on her first day of school, delivering a heartwarming story and teaching young children and adults the importance of mental health consciousness
Cristina Santiago, who is also known as ‘Tintín’ is from Ponce, Puerto Rico. She studied in the University of Dayton in Ohio. She went through medical school in the Autonomous University of Guadalajara and has finished her career in San Antonio. In the present, she aspires to study psychiatry and become a mental health professional.
In her TED talks she personifies sadness into a life lesson. She describes it as more than a feeling, it is a profound lesson that can provide insight and a new learning experience that creates a different perspective. Sadness can be a great teacher if we listen to what it has to say to us as individuals. Cristina’s self-proclaimed goal in life is to break the stigma against mental health issues, through the use of creative outlets. In 2018, she was able to fundraise and create a photography exhibition called “Lo invisible no es tan invisible”, which translates to What’s Invisible Is Not That Invisible. The exhibition was filled with photographs that represented different mental health disorders and stories from her friends that explained what it meant to live with these disorders. This safe space was created to respond to the lack of awareness and conversation she saw among her peers as a medical student.
About The Author
Cristina Santiago, often called Tintin by close friends, was born and raised in Ponce, Puerto Rico – but don’t let that fool you! She loves to call herself a woman of the world. After earning her bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton, she studied medicine at the Autonomous University of Guadalajara and finished up in San Antonio, Texas.
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