Grandma Kathy Has Cancer by Colleen Buckley, illustrated by Kim Sponaugle

As responsible parents and caregivers we try to shelter our kids from certain realities of life that are frightening, particularly those we are uncertain how to deal with. It’s only natural. Cancer is such a subject. With cancer numbers climbing higher, statistics show that many of us will, at some point, have to deal with this dreaded disease – either from the outside, as watching a loved one suffer through the disease, or as patients ourselves. The book, Grandma Kathy Has Cancer, by Colleen Buckley, draws on real life experiences between a young granddaughter and her grandmother with cancer, in an effort to explain and help children understand what happens when a loved one has this disease. The message the book offers is one of hope, love, and caring. The inspiration for the book was Colleen’s sister, Kathy, and her brave battle with ovarian cancer. The book is wonderfully illustrated by Kim Sponaugle.

Cancer is a very scary thing, especially for children. They see changes to their loved one both physically and emotionally and they don’t understand what is happening. This book is a wonderful way to help them understand, and perhaps, the best part about it, is that it is told from another child’s perspective.

If you know a child that has to deal with the realities of cancer affecting someone they are close to and love, this book is a must. It is a story full of hope, love and caring; it carries the message to cherish every moment and memory of one’s life.

This story deals with the days that are good as well as the rough days as the cancer patient struggles with the disease. Colleen endeavors to show children that even though their loved one is going through some drastic changes such as physical appearance and lifestyle, they are the same person they have always been.

As a cancer survivor, I am very impressed with the hope and love that fill the pages of this book and I wholeheartedly recommend this touching story to that special child in your life that is having to deal with watching someone he or she loves battle this disease.

Click on the blog title for a link to a YouTube video sample from the book. You can’t watch the video without feeling the depth of emotion ~ the love and caring between grandmother and granddaughter. Watch the video. I dare you. Just a thought…