SEATTLE — When Caroline Wright was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer at age 32, she didn't know how to talk to her children about the changes that surgery can bring, or the real possibility that she might not make it through.
"Just how impossible it all seemed and how hopeless it was," said Wright, as she reflected back on the day she got her diagnosis. "I realized I sort of had to make hope for myself and even harder than that, I had to convey that to my children."
Wright looked for books that would help her talk to her two young boys about the diagnosis, but she couldn't find any, so she decided to write her own.
“I am not the only one who has to find words to tell their children that they might be leaving them. There are a lot of parents out there in similar situations,” said Wright.
Lasting Love explains loss, grief, and serves as a reminder that even though a person may die, their love lasts forever.
The book covers many of the difficult conversations that have to be had with your kids, but one point Wright wanted to stress is the importance of maintaining trust with your child.
“Children are actually very perceptive and it’s actually the adults who don’t want to talk about it with the children because the adults are uncomfortable, but the message your sending to children is that it’s not safe to talk about it," said Wright.
Wright said remission doesn't exist for her type of cancer, there is a 100% recurrence rate. Her book serves as a legacy material for her children since her outcome is still somewhat uncertain, she said.
The book Lasting Love has given her a sense of purpose and helped her connect with other parents and people in her community, Wright said.
"It's been a very beautiful, strange experience," said Wright.
In-Person Event Coming up in Seattle:
Author Caroline Wright will be at Seattle's Town Hall on Sat. Nov. 9th at 7:30 p.m. to have a discussion about Lasting Love and to help other parents who are facing similar diagnoses. She'll be joined by a panel of leading experts in the fields of children's bereavement and cancer.
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