Lisa Dunn-Dern is inspired with the energy of ten. She is an author. She is a producer and host of a children's TV series that airs in Ethiopia. She is also a producer and radio co-host with her 15-year-old daughter.
Even though she wears many hats, her mission is interconnected in everything she does.
"I want to champion the rights of children all over the world through education. I'm not Oprah, but in my own way, I can send information and education to children by using the media to better the life of kids," Dunn-Dern explained.
"My goal is a message of hope and education. It doesn't have to be grand, but I want to empower kids to keep them safe. I want kids to want to read and want to learn. I want them to have a childhood. I use both radio and TV to get the message out."
"Dr. Duncan Dog On Duty!" is Dunn-Dern's latest children's book, which focuses on the use of therapy dogs in children's hospitals.
"My close friend has a dog with a big personality. He has become a therapy dog and so I started to follow the use of therapy dogs. I went to Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles to do research. I learned that the job is to watch the dog, not the patient. We needed to control our emotions because the kids didn't need fear or pity, and so we allowed the dog to do their jobs," Dunn-Dern said.
"Dogs have a special relationship with people. The doctor would let us know about the situation with the patient, maybe the night didn't go so well for the child. Then, the dog entered the room and everything changes. The dog actually uplifted the mood."
Researching the use of therapy dogs was a bit of therapy for Dunn-Dern as well.
"It takes a special person to work at Childrens Hospital. You see these tubes coming out of little bodies and it's emotional. But the dog takes over and they focus on the dog. If I felt sad, I geared my emotions to the dog. When one little girl was staring at me, I was overwhelmed. She was connecting with the dog but she also wanted to connect with me. So, you interact with the kids sometimes when they need it. The dog opens the door."
Dunn-Dern followed the therapy dogs from "Love on 4 Paws," for her research, but there are more than two dozen similar organizations around the Los Angeles and Orange County areas that are helping children in hospitals.
"I'm working on spreading the news about therapy dogs and maybe the book will influence hospitals who may not have a program. I want to donate books to the children's reading rooms in hospital wards as well, because it could expand the movement."
Service dogs are different than therapy dogs.
"People may see service dogs and those are often dogs who help their companion, maybe someone who has lost their sight. You're not allowed to interact with service dogs. But, therapy dogs you can approach. Therapy dogs actually interact with the kids. That's their job," Dunn-Dern said. "The power of a pet is impressive because they are spirit lifters. Therapy dogs even go into schools and where kids are reading below level, their reading improves. Dogs are pure love. They don't pass judgement, instead it's unconditional love."
Dunn-Dern's book also includes diversity in her book, which is expressed through illustrations instead of words.
"Everyone is different. Our bodies work differently. Some of us use wheelchairs, we're different colors, some are raised by a grandparent, and I wanted to express this through the illustrations because it's honest to the world we live in today."
As a producer and host of the children's series "The Lisa and Winston Show," on ETV Ethiopian Television, Dunn-Dern is reaching children internationally.
"We shoot the show here, but I am planning a trip to Ethiopia in the near future. On the show we explore planets and numbers. I speak in English because Ethiopia wants the children to learn English. I talk about the importance of drinking water because it hydrates your body and your brain. I use a puppet while offering a universal message."
Dunn-Dern also holds the title of mother to her 15-year-old daughter,
Chelsea, with whom she co-produces and co-hosts the Internet radio program, "Chillin' with Chelsea and Lisa: Mother-Daughter Duo Tell It Like It Is."
"There's a place for every storyteller in the world and it's my mission to share my voice on behalf of children of every age."