Note to Grownups

About Author and Illustrator

The Story

In 2022 my husband was diagnosed with cancer. Over the next 8 months we progressed through a journey of tests, treatments, hope and despair. Along this journey, one of the most difficult steps was explaining to our 7-year-old son what was happening.

I chose to use a familiar metaphor of evil (lazy cancerous cells who do not want to do their jobs) vs. good (doctors, chemo, radiation, and immunotherapy). Even at this young age, my son intuitively grasped what I was trying to explain.

Educational cartoon explaining how cancer cells behave as bad guys, with illustrations of a lung cell and colon cell, and characters discussing their roles in cancer development.

This gave us a common language to discuss my husband’s illness and its progression and address most common questions (e.g. What is cancer? Why does cancer happen? Will I get sick? How long does cancer last? What can we do medically to treat it? Etc.).

Colorful cartoon poster titled 'Superhero4 Immuno' featuring a girl with glasses and curly hair holding folders labeled 'Cancer' and 'Cells', surrounded by text explaining immune system concepts like antibodies, detection, research, and tricks to beat cancer, with a cat and a soccer ball nearby.

A boy with a hospital cap lying in bed, petting a brown and white dog, with a speech bubble about feelings. A girl with red hair and a green jacket holding a bowl of soup, with a speech bubble about how feelings can change.

Besides the science of cancer, I thought that it was important to also address the complex emotional aspect of this disease and everyday symptoms like hair loss, weight loss, lack of appetite or lack of energy.

Though amusing, colorful illustrations I acknowledged both feelings of the adult who is not well as well as the child, who might be confused, angry, sad, etc.

Illustration of a young girl with red hair and a yellow headband, talking about feelings with a speech bubble, alongside five cartoon dogs expressing different emotions: sad, uncomfortable, angry, confused, and scared, each with distinct facial expressions and colored backgrounds.

Finally, it was important for me to end this story on a positive note, focusing the conversation on concrete ideas that kids can do to support their loved ones who are battling cancer (e.g. giving hugs to sharing stories). I wanted to make this book colorful, inviting, and accessible and I hope that this will help you navigate your journey.

A boy and girl sitting on a blue couch, playing a checkers game. The girl has red hair and is wearing a yellow outfit, while the boy is bald and wearing a blue shirt. There is a window behind them with green curtains and a view of trees outside. A lamp is on a side table. The girl is holding a small dog. A thought bubble with text is coming from a girl and boy at the bottom, asking 'Can you think of other ways to help them?'