11-year-old B.C. advice book author marks birthday with fundraiser for late sister

Esquimalt, B.C. -

Before we can appreciate what Felix Townsin is hoping to get for his upcoming 12th birthday, we need to go back to the home video showing the then-five-year-old opening a box-full of books.

“(It’s) not just any book,” the boy says with a smile, pulling the hardcover out for the camera to see. “(It’s) my book!”

Felix was a published advice author at five years old.

“My parents would give me topics,” the now-11-year-old explains about the writing process. “And I’d just put all the advice from that topic in the book.”

It’s titled Don’t Floss Your Toes (Before You Floss Your Teeth) and features pages filled with pre-school advice ranging from, “People will still like you if your socks don’t match,” to “Don’t climb up buildings unless you are inside,” to, “Eat your toast upside down — the toppings taste better when they touch your tongue.”

“He had a very unique and crazy perspective on life,” recalls Felix’s mom Cheryl-Lynn Townsin.

Her son also had big admiration for his little sister Lexi.

“She had a spirit that wanted to make the world a better place,” Cheryl-Lynn says.

Felix was Lexi’s biggest fan.

When the girl recorded a video to Santa saying she didn’t need him to bring her a present (“It’s good for you to take a break so you can relax”) – that she only wanted relief from the ultra-rare Blau Syndrome that was causing her debilitating and excruciating inflammation throughout her body – Felix committed to helping find a cure.

“He wanted to make everything better,” Cheryl-Lynn says. “And he had no way of doing that.”

Until, that is, he wrote that advice book as a fundraiser.

But then — two years ago — Lexi died unexpectedly.

Now, the boy is offering his book again to help others living with Blau.

“Felix is my hero,” Cheryl-Lynn says, fighting back tears. “He has shown me that I can live after a loss that I didn’t think I could live through.”

Through his website, Felix is using his book to try and raise $10,000 before his 12th birthday next week.

“I hope (Lexi) is up there and really proud of our work,” Felix says.

The website also includes a video of Lexi sitting at a piano singing, “The sun will come out tomorrow.” Felix is hoping, like the lyrics to the song, his efforts can help another family find their happy ending just “a day away.”