New book launches aiming to teach children about cancer

A new book, Goodbye to Cansie Cancer, has been launched that will help breast cancer patients to explain the disease and its treatment to their children.

The book sees a cancer cell getting its marching orders and tells the story of a cancerous cell which is successfully removed from the breast. The book is one of a series on health literacy for children which portray the body as a fictitious town called Bodiwell.

It was commissioned by Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer (LFBC) a West Midlands Charity that has worked alongside QEHB Charity to help provide the best care possible for breast cancer patients in the West Midlands.

The book has been written by Joan Blaney, a local children’s author, and contains a foreword by Lord Digby Jones. The book received a donation for £1,500 from M6Toll to help to fund the project. Maxine Estevez of M6Toll said:

“Diagnosis of cancer is devastating news for a family. The treatment that follows, which often results in emotional and physical challenges, can be a daunting experience for children. This book is a fantastic resource and we’re proud to support it.”

Ann MacMillan, who was herself treated for breast cancer, said: “This little book will help free children of any blame that they may feel as it explains how cancer happens, its harmful effects and how it can be treated, in a non-frightening way.”

LFBC are hoping that the book will be able to be used as a resource in hospitals across the West Midlands, and an audio version, read by Llewela Bailey from BBC WM, will be available shortly on Amazon, priced at £3.99.

For more information on the book, please contact Veronica Kumeta, CEO of Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer on veronica@lfbc.org.uk