November 12, 2023

Telling Kids About Your Cancer

I have a hard enough time trying to explain my cancer to my friends and family; I cannot imagine having to explain my illness to rug rats and knee bitters too.

Even though I don’t have kids, I’m big on sharing good resources for parents with cancer. Some picture books about Mommy’s cancer seem a bit touchy-feely-creepy in a flashback to Mister Roger’s way (no offense Fred), but not so with the super vibrant book This Year, Last Year.

Author Kelley Corrigan and illustrator Nan Davenport created Last Year, This Year. Using images drawn by Kelly’s daughters, plus their handwriting, Nan blends her own original paintings and digital illustration with archival materials from Kelly’s cancer treatment. 100% of the proceeds go to Breastcancer.org.

Have you used books to explain your cancer to your kids? Were they helpful? Which ones did you like the best?

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Comment(s)

  1. AngiDe- Nana's Box Says:
    November 12th, 2008 at 3:24 PM

    Hi, I enjoyed reading your post on the Stupid Cancer Blog.
    I feature cancer stories on my site and am wondering if you would be interested in sharing your story with my readers.
    I hope you will come by and check it out.

    Thanks!

    Angie
    “Nana’s Box”


  2. AngiDe- Nana's Box Says:
    November 12th, 2008 at 3:24 PM

    Hi, I enjoyed reading your post on the Stupid Cancer Blog.
    I feature cancer stories on my site and am wondering if you would be interested in sharing your story with my readers.
    I hope you will come by and check it out.

    Thanks!

    Angie
    “Nana’s Box”


  3. AngiDe- Nana's Box Says:
    November 12th, 2008 at 3:24 PM

    Hi, I enjoyed reading your post on the Stupid Cancer Blog.
    I feature cancer stories on my site and am wondering if you would be interested in sharing your story with my readers.
    I hope you will come by and check it out.

    Thanks!

    Angie
    “Nana’s Box”


  4. Josh Winheld Says:
    November 12th, 2008 at 3:49 PM

    Hi Kairol,

    Thanks for adding Winheld’s World to your blogroll; I have just added your blog to mine.

    I agree that although our diseases are different, there is a lot that those of us in our 20s and 30s with serious illnesses can learn from one another.

    I’d be happy to be a guest blogger here — as long as you’ll do the same on my blog!

    Best,
    Josh


  5. Doleminte Says:
    November 13th, 2008 at 12:19 PM

    This is an interesting post. I’m going to look for the book you suggested as a place to start.

    Not to denigrate or make fun of anybody who is trying to take on the difficult task of explaining cancer to kids, but can someone explain the cover of this book to me:

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0966782046/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link

    I’ll be honest, the longer I look at it, the more it creeps me out. Is that a dog with a blonde bob?


  6. Sara Says:
    November 25th, 2008 at 10:09 AM

    Thanks for the book info.

    That is so wierd because mine is/was ovarian cancer. Aunt Flo visited and told me that I am still fertile. So I was recently thinking about what it would be like to tell my kids. Also, if I pass it on to a daughter, will she blame me?


  7. John Says:
    March 8th, 2011 at 8:41 PM

    The book *Mommy’s Cancer* was written by my sister Ellen to help her young children, Lirit and Bennett, better understand and talk about what it’s like to be “a kid whose mommy has cancer.” It reflects her abiding love for them.

    It was Ellen’s hope that other children who love someone with cancer or another life-threatening disease might enjoy and learn from this story.

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