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Someone I Love is Sick {Review & Giveaway}

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Someone I love is sickNo one likes talking about cancer. Certainly nobody enjoys trying to explain cancer to small children and yet in 2008 alone over 1.4 million cancer cases are diagnosed. Undoubtedly those people had family who loved them, some of them young children who were confused by the word cancer.

Someone I Love is Sick was created by The Gathering Place, a well-respected cancer support center in Ohio.  It is a customizable binder book with removable pages which adapt to multiple scenarios and allow you to add to the book over time, depending upon what your family is currently experiencing.

After a series of focus groups in October 2008 among professional caregivers, The Gathering Place had found that parents were often too preoccupied with their own diagnosis and overlooked the emotion needs of their children. They felt an ideal book for helping children would be customizable, age appropriate and emphasize visuals. Parent panelists appeared most concerned about their ability to communicate without creating fear or uncertainty. The books they had found were too grim or not age appropriate. Thus, Someone I Love is Sick was created to fill this void and was made with both a version for parents and grandparents.

I received the parents version to review. Thankfully we have no use for this at this time but I look forward to donating it locally to someone in need. This is a very well made book that will certainly stand up to hard times. The pages are laminated and won’t be easily ripped and are simple to add and remove.  A vinyl sleeve is also included to store unused pages. It is intended for ages 2-6 but the age range could easily be extended.

October 8 2009 010This book is illustrated with very simple images of children of all races who are sometimes doing very simple things like bringing Mommy some juice (above) or heavier subjects like picking out something of Daddy’s to keep (below). Subjects vary from treatment and hospital stays to missing their parent and noticing everyone is grumpy.

October 8 2009 012I will admit reading this wonderful tool was a bit heartbreaking. Cancer is prevalent in my family and imagining my children having to bear this heavy burden is heavy on my soul, especially with the last page stating “I will always have wonderful memories of Daddy.”  I wish that not a single child should have to go through this but the truth is, they do. They do every day and as hard as it may be, a child needs to understand and not feel scared. I think Someone I Love is Sick is a blessing for both the child and the parent who won’t have to wonder how to address a heavy subject like cancer.

This book has been endorsed by Lance Armstrong and members of the healthcare community. It would be fabulous for anyone you know currently in this situation or for donation at your local cancer center.  All proceeds support benefit those touched by cancer.

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{ Giveaway }

I have a copy of Someone I Love is Sick for one of my readers in their choice of the parent or grandparent version.

MAIN ENTRY: Visit Someone I Love is Sick and tell me something you like about the book or site.

Want more entries? (I know you must!) After answering my question do any of the following and leave a comment telling me what you did. Each is worth one entry unless otherwise noted. Your comment is your entry so please leave the appropriate number of comments for each extra entry.

-Tell me what you would do with this book if you won
-Follow The Gathering Place on twitter
-Follow my blog publicly
-Subscribe to my feed in a reader or by email
-Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway

Win “Someone I Love is Sick” a tool for kids to understand cancer @babylovingmama @touchedbycancer http://tinyurl.com/yhyq3wx #giveaway RT

-Fave me on Technorati
-Add my button to your blog
-Add my It’s in the Bag! event button to your bog
-Blog about this contest and link back here and to Someone I Love is Sick (3 entries)

This contest will end on 10/23/09 at 11:59 pm CST. U.S.  residents only. The winner will be drawn via random.org. The winner will have 72 hours to respond to winning notification email before I draw another winner or do a live giveaway.


About Emilie

Emilie is a mom of three boys ages 12, 11, and 7. She loves to share recipes and crafts along with stories about parenting, travel and awesome products. Favorite activities include watching football, cuddling with kids and spending time in the kitchen. Not a fan of laundry, nagging, or drama. Join her here and on her dessert blog, ohmysugarhigh.com where she shares her love of baking!

Comments

  1. clenna in NH says

    October 9, 2009 at 9:32 am

    On the site I liked that it showed sample pages – thus giving me a flavor of what the book will be like.

    clenna at aol dot com

  2. clenna in NH says

    October 9, 2009 at 9:33 am

    I would love to win this book. I would share it with my daughter, so she or I could read it to her children. Several family members have died of cancer and I think this book would help the children to understand the medical process as well as give them a chance to ask questions.

    clenna at aol dot com

  5. Marci says

    October 9, 2009 at 4:11 pm

    I like that it is customizable: Pages can be selected to address the family’s specific situation including diagnosis, treatment, hospitalization, recurrence and, if need be, end of life.

  6. Marci says

    October 9, 2009 at 4:15 pm

    I would give it to my best friend Shelly.
    Her son was diagnosed with ALL leukemia. 6 months later her husband was diagnosed with lung cancer. Her son is doing well and on a maintenance program. Her husband has had a major setback and is now confined to a wheelchair and has between 2 months to 2 years to live. I believe this book will help their children to understand what is actually going on and what is going to happen.

  9. Jaime says

    October 9, 2009 at 7:30 pm

    I would give this book to my grandchildren, their “other” grandma has been diagnosed with cancer

  14. Valerie Furr says

    October 10, 2009 at 7:05 pm

    My mother is in the hospital and has cancer and it is bad I have a three year old and 8 year old and they love her so much and this is going to be very]
    hard on them. I would love to have this book to help me help them. Thanks

  15. Maureen says

    October 18, 2009 at 7:35 am

    I like that there is a Resource button for other resources for how to deal with talking to your child about someone being ill.. I could of used this book and site so much last month..
    I have a homedaycare..My mom who was battling Cancer lived with me.. She unfortunately passed away last month. I was trying to deal with everything going on.. Trying to explain to parents.. but mostly to answer the childrens questions.. It wasn’t bad until I had the nurses, and the equipment, and when she was on oxygen they had lots of questions and I answered them the best I could.
    I really wish I had this book then.. I am thankful someone has written this book and created the site.. I am passing it on to my Daycare parents.. It will still help them with some of the questions from the kiddos.
    Thanks!
    itsjustmerene2003 at yahoo dot com

  16. Maureen says

    October 18, 2009 at 7:38 am

    If I were to win this book.. I definitely would share it with my good friend S… whose mom is battling Breast Cancer.. S has a granddaughter that I think this book would be a blessing too.. Thanks so much for the chance.
    itsjustmerene2003 at yahoo dot com

  22. sarmil75 says

    October 19, 2009 at 12:16 am

    I would love to win this book to share with my daughter and neice and nephew. My Mother is terminally ill with Follicular Lymphoma and my grandmother is being treated for Colon cancer. The children are very aware that Grandma and Great Grandma are in and out of the hospital, but it would be wonderful to have this resource to help us explain the situation.

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