Ryan Shtuka went missing from Sun Peaks Mountain Resort in February, 2018.

Image Credit: Submitted/ B.C. RCMP

Kindness and community support are the main themes in a children's book about the disappearance of Ryan Shtuka at Sun Peaks Mountain Resort near Kamloops.

Shtuka was only 19 when he went missing on his way home from a house party at Sun Peaks in February, 2018, and family, friends and caring strangers have continued to search for him ever since.

Primary school teacher and family friend Indigo Johnson is in the process of publishing a book about the tragedy, with encouragement from Ryan’s mother Heather.

READ MORE: What missing man Ryan Shtuka might look like on his 25th birthday

Indigo Johnson from Little Fort is publishing a book called The Kindness Quilt, inspired by missing Ryan Shtuka.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Indigo Johnson

The book draws attention to elements of kindness and community that emerged from an otherwise tragic situation.

The story centres around a little green dinosaur, the symbol used for Ryan since his disappearance, and highlights how Ryan's disappearance brought so many supportive people together. A social media page set up for Ryan has 32.9K members from across the country and beyond. 

“This book is reflective of the beautiful community of love, support and kindness that has been built around the Shtuka family and the disappearance of Ryan, a cause near and dear to my heart,” Johnson said.

In the book a little green dinosaur goes on an adventure and gets lost.

“His parents look for him and gather animals to help with the search,” Johnson said. “A unicorn tells the legend of a kindness quilt that gets brighter with every act of kindness until it shines bright enough for the dinosaur to find its way home.”

Johnson currently lives in Little Fort and teaches in Clearwater. She was living in Kamloops when Shtuka went missing and still attends the searches at Sun Peaks every year with Ryan’s family.

READ MORE: Everyone invited to annual Run for Ryan Shtuka event, candlelight vigil at Sun Peaks Resort

Johnson’s book is called The Kindness Quilt and started as a university project two years ago.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED

Shortly after completing the course assignment, Johnson decided to publish her book. She researched for months, flipping between traditional publishing, fully self-publishing and hybrid publishing, which is a combination of the two with a team of editors, illustrators and marketing experts working on your book with you.

Johnson opted for hybrid publishing and is currently working with a Canadian hybrid publishing company to bring The Kindness Quilt to bookshelves. 

The publishing company estimates the book will be published in about six months.

“I was not thinking of being a writer before this,” she said. “Once I’d written it I was happy with it and posted it on Ryan’s page and all of a sudden people wanted to buy it.”

The primary school teacher is open to more writing opportunities in the future. 

“I give the biggest thank you to Heather and her family for sharing Ryan with us and allowing me to share this book,” she said. “I hope that it's yet another avenue to share Ryan’s story and bring awareness to all missing loved ones as well as celebrate the incredible community here.

“I hope Ryan’s story can one day have the same ending as this one.”

Read more stories about Ryan Shtuka here.

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