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Lake Bell is telling her daughter’s story through her new children’s book.
On Thursday, April 17, the No Strings Attached actress, 46, made an appearance on Today with Jenna and Friends to discuss her new children’s book, All About Brains: A Book About People. Bell shared with host Jenna Bush Hager, 43, and guest co-host Tyra Banks, 51, that her book was largely influenced by a conversation her 10-year-old daughter Nova had in class during a 2020 share day.
“Other kids were sharing things like, ‘This is a stuffy I like,’ ” she said, adding that she suggested her daughter show off her epilepsy foundation badge. “She bravely said, ‘I have a share, and it’s that I have epilepsy,’ and of course that prodded a genuine conversation from other kids.”
“It was this very organic and authentic conversation about a pretty serious condition, and it was generous. It was loving. It was brave, and I thought, ‘Okay that is a great starting place for a lot of conversations about neurological differences.’ And, it’s really this peer-to-peer curiosity and conversation that inspired the book.”
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During an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE in October 2022 about her audiobook INSIDE VOICE: My Obsession with How We Sound, the actress shared that her daughter was in a “place of steady and calm in terms of her epilepsy.”
“I need to knock wood, but she’s been seizure-free for a few months,” the What Happens in Vegas star said. “So, I feel very grateful to celebrate her in that way. And it’s been a great year for her and for the family.”
Nova was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2020 at only 5 years old. Bell reflected on how she managed her daughter’s disorder. “It’s so hard,” she told PEOPLE at the time. “I think for parents with kids with epilepsy or any type of neurodiversity.”
The actress co-parents Nova with ex-husband Scott Campbell, 45, since their split during the year of her daughter’s epilepsy diagnosis. “Her dad and I are elated that she’s in a place of steady and calm in terms of her epilepsy, but we are committed to just supporting her,” she said.
Bell and Campbell also share son Ozgood, 7.
lakebell/Instagram
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The actress first announced her daughter’s diagnosis via Instagram, saying, “It’s taken me a few months to gather the courage to post about it because I do not want to endorse it’s existence.”
“I also didn’t know why I should share it. Why tell a bunch of strangers? However in a time where we are so isolated I crave community. We all do. We want to be reminded we are not alone in any reality,” she wrote.
In the post, Bell gave thanks to Campbell as well as the Children’s Hospital of L.A. for their research and support.”
“And above all, I am grateful… Grateful to have a partner in @scottcampbell who, with his research and smarts, is giving these seizures a worthy adversary,” she continued. “Scott and I, along with the care of the incomparable @childrensla, will conquer them.”
Referring to the seizures caused by epilepsy, Bell said, “They are like invaders, that come on without invitation nor warning. We will fight for Nova. For her future. For tomorrow. For today.”
The actress summed up the post with encouragement: “It’s a beginning of a long journey and I want/need to remember that I am not alone. And if you are dealing with a loved one with epilepsy, I get it… You are not alone.”
