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I am a 16yr. bladder cancer survivor and the Vice-President of the American Bladder Cancer Society. I am a published author who donates all her royalties to the ABLCS to help promote awareness of the this cancer and to have somewhere that newly diagnosed, survivors and caregivers can interact and support each other.

I have been writing for years. I have had over 100 of my poems published in literary magazine. I am a teacher, who loves teaching. In my earlier years of teaching, my eldest granddaughter rode to her school with me, and she always wanted me to tell her stories about mermaids. Later, I wrote a poem about childhood and mermaids (which I have included in the back of the book), and that was the beginning of the book, Merchild Land. I wrote it for my granddaughter, who is now grown, but I wanted her to have something to share with her children. The color scheme is related to my childhood, and a book that I had as a child that has been kept and cherished over the years. My wish is that this book will be one that some other children will want to keep and cherish.”

Recently, I visited the Cancer Center at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, GA, and I discovered that several of my children’s books had been placed in the children’s section of the center. What an honor! Maybe, for just a few moments when the book is read to them, they will escape the nightmare in which they live.I know that some of you here know that.

My passion, as a bladder cancer survivor, is create as much awareness of an underserved cancer. This is especially true for female bladder cancer. Recently, I began to look for places that focused on women and health. I found the Health Women website. When I checked it out, as I expected, there was nothing on bladder cancer. I emailed the editor that as a female bladder cancer survivor, I was surprised that such a comprehensive site did not mention bladder cancer. I received a response to write an article. I did, and submitted it. Before it was posted online, I received another email asking if I would consider doing a blog series that described my journey. Of course, I answered yes.

The article "Living with Bladder Cancer" is posted on their site, and today the blog series begins there as well. The one that launches the story can be found at:http://www.healthywomen.org/content/blog-entry/two-diagnoses-one-couple-one-day-could-it-be-possible

I am a 16yr. bladder cancer survivor and the Vice-President of the American Bladder Cancer Society. I am a published author who donates all her royalties to the ABLCS to help promote awareness of the this cancer and to have somewhere that newly diagnosed, survivors and caregivers can interact and support each other. I have been writing for years. I have had over 100 of my poems published in lit... More