Facing a Bright Future

This is the third of three comic books written and illustrated by Kevin McCalla.

Follow Emily, a high school senior and valedictorian, navigating the milestone changes that come with graduating and having Cystinosis.

About the Author

Kevin Patrick McCalla was born on July 27, 1984, in San Diego, CA. His parents were
both in the United States Marine Corps, so Kevin moved around quite a bit. When the family
settled down in Kerrville, Texas, Kevin graduated from Center Point High School, and then went
on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from the University of Texas at Austin.
Kevin was diagnosed with cystinosis, an extremely rare disease, at the age of 13 months.
As a result of cystinosis, Kevin’s worsening kidney function eventually necessitated two
separate kidney transplants. Eventually, on January 31, 2023, Kevin died of complications from
cystinosis.

Kevin’s love of art and storytelling led to the creation of a series of three comic books to
both entertain and educate the cystinosis community.