Former secondary teacher and new mum Jessica Walton was struggling to find a children’s book for her son that reflected her own family – so she wrote her own.

Introducing Teddy is a children’s book about a transgender teddy bear.

“What’s really nice with little kids is when you read them a story that reflects your family, you know that they’re able to identify themselves in that story,” Jessica told 7.30.

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Jessica was inspired to write Introducing Teddy after her father came out as a transgender woman, Tina Healy, about three-and-half years ago.

“When we were growing up Tina was so much fun, she was such an involved, happy, really down to earth dad,” she said.

“Tina came out to me when we were sitting together in a parked car in Fairfield and she had such a serious look on her face.

“I was so nervous about what it was that she was going to tell me and I didn’t expect it – it was just the last thing I would’ve expected.

“Then I went through, I guess I would call it grief, where I was really worried that I was going to lose my dad.

“And now it just seems, I look back and it’s like what was the fuss, it was no big deal.

“Eventually you come out the other side and realise you now know your parent better than you ever did.”

Jessica, who is one of four children, lives with her wife, son Errol and cats in Melbourne.

“We wanted to find books that had transgender characters and there are some out there but none that are really aimed at the kind of babies to five kind of age range. So we wanted something really simple and sweet,” Jessica said.

“Where someone would say ‘this is who I am’ and the characters around them would say ‘great, no worries let’s go and play’.”

Jessica, a first-time author, teamed up with illustrator Dougal MacPherson to help bring the story to life.

They decided to self publish their book through crowdfunding.

Introducing Teddy struck a chord with the public who pledged more than $20,000 – double what Jessica and Dougal were hoping to raise.

The project has since received international media attention and will now be published globally by independent publishing house Bloomsbury in June 2016.

Tina Healy with her children before she made the transition into becoming a woman. Photo: ABC

‘I cried happy tears’: Tina

The experience has brought Jessica’s family even closer.

“Tina is so lovely with Errol and is really nurturing and kind and sweet with him,” she said.

“Tina has been there for me so much while I’ve been writing this book.

“I was really nervous of showing her the draft of the text the first time because I thought I want to get this right.”

But Tina couldn’t be happier.

“I just cried happy tears,” Tina said.

“It was wonderful, such a wonderful thing and such a beautiful positive book.

“It’s a book about difference and about accepting difference and I was so proud of her when I saw it and it’s illustration is beautiful and the story is really appealing.”

Tina believes the book also has a strong message about being true to who you are.

“I think at some point you need to be honest with yourself and acknowledge the things that you hide or you feel shame about and just come out and be who you are and stand up and be proud,” she said.

“My life is so different. I mean I can be myself, I’m not as anxious anymore, I don’t worry as much, I’m much more peaceful and calm. I’m happy.

“I’m devoted to my grandchildren, they are just beautiful and they only know me as Tina.

“I mean, there’s this wonderful thing of they will never see me as anything else but who I am.”

Tina Healy (R) with daughter Jessica Walton. Tina made a transition into becoming a woman after Jessica was born. Photo: ABC

‘I’ve got a beautiful new daughter’: Tina’s mum

Accepting herself was one thing for Tina, but telling her mother was still confronting.

“My mum has dementia and quite a few of my family were concerned about what would happen if I came out to mum, if she might be too stressed to handle it,” she said.

“When I eventually came out to mum I did it early in the morning and she listened, I kept it very simple … and at the end of it she said, ‘well what do you know … I’ve got a beautiful new daughter’.”

“And she said ‘come here, love’ and I cried on her shoulder and Tess cried too and it was all wonderful.

“I go and see mum every few weeks and she’s forgotten each time, and every time I tell her again she gives me just the same beautiful reaction she did, exactly the same, almost word for word every time.

“I get to come out to mum 100 times a year and every time she’s beautiful.”

Jessica Walton is thrilled to contribute to the recent wave of storytelling depicting transgender families such as the Golden Globe and Emmy winning American comedy-drama Transparent, and Caitlyn Jenner’s (formerly known as Bruce Jenner) public gender transition on documentary series I Am Cait.

“I do get really excited when I see TV shows and films that have transgender characters,” Jessica said.

“I must admit when Transparent started I was really excited to see how it would depict that kind of family and I could obviously relate on some level.

“I also [relate] on some level even watching the Kardashians.

“What I really like about that show is that it shows that everyone in a family is complex and families by their very nature are complex.”

Transgender and gender diverse people in need of support can contact Gender Diversity Australia (GenDA) at genda.com.au.