This mother wrote a book about her cancer for her 9-year-old son

2016

This story is so sad. Donna suffers from breast cancer and has written a book for her son Kai to help him understand the cancer.

"The doctors told Mummy that her cancer will never go away." This sentence hurts. Unimaginable how much he has to hurt when writing this sentence for his own son. Donna Penny (42) did that for her son Kai. She wrote a book about her breast cancer to explain to her little son.

Donna's son Kai was one when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then, the now 42-year-old lives with the disease. The cancer has spread to its lymph glands, spine and shoulder. But the mother does not give up. Her son only knows her about breast cancer and chemotherapy. That's why she wrote him a book when he was nine.

A photo posted by Fighting to live (@ love.donna.penny) on Feb 15, 2016 at 11:08 pm

In her book she writes: "My mother has to spend a lot of time in the hospital." She wants to help families to make the cancer more understandable for children. Especially if the cancer is not curable, as with Donna, it is particularly difficult for parents to share the diagnosis with their children. Donna's book is intended to support parents and to explain the difficult situation to children as gently as possible.

As her son grew older, Donna searched for books that explain the cancer to her son. But all the books she could find were very sad and gloomy. "I saw these books and just said to my husband that I will not read them to our child, " says Donna. "I wanted to write a book that is friendly and happy." That's how "Why my mummy?" (in German: "Why my mum? "). Donna named the book after this question, which is sure to ask any child.

The book tells Donna's complete medical history. From the first lump in the breast, with 30 to definitive diagnosis, that will only give her two years to live. This story she used in her book. Meanwhile, Donna has already survived her life prognosis. "I'm nine months past the expiration date, " jokes Donna.

Here you can donate to publish Donna's book.