The Story That Started in the Hardest of Times
I meant to share this post back in December 2024, after a phone call I will tell you about immediately below. Somehow, it slipped through the cracks and sat as a draft until now, but I’m grateful to finally bring it to light.
A Phone Call That Brought Everything Full Circle
Rewind to Thursday, December 5, 2024. Out of the blue, my phone rang—it was Bobbi, the Program Coordinator at Wellspring Alberta, a resource centre dedicated to supporting cancer patients and their caretakers through programmes built around connection and belonging. Wellspring has been a lifeline during my active cancer journey, especially during my toughest moments. When Bobbi called, however, I was in a genuinely good place—both mentally and physically.
She shared some uplifting news: she had recently been a guest on a podcast called Co-Created, where she highlighted the animated comic strip I created during their Digital Storytelling class back in 2022 as one of the stories that stood out to her. What a remarkable compliment!
A Phone Call That Brought Everything Full Circle
The Digital Storytelling course spanned eight weeks, with each participant tasked to produce their own digital story. I registered a few months before the course, only to find out just before the first class that my cancer had spread to multiple areas in my hip and femur. It wasn’t the first time that region had been affected; back in early 2021, I underwent radiation treatment there when the cancer first spread. By 2022, I was faced with a daunting set of choices:
- Move to the next line of systemic treatment given the growing number of lesions.
- Receive palliative radiation to protect the bone from further weakening, as a fracture could become life-threatening.
- Join a clinical study evaluating the risk of thromboembolic events in patients with bone metastases in the leg.
I chose the study, believing it to offer the best prognosis. After surgery, I received palliative radiation from my pelvis to my knee to guard against any potential spread during the procedure.
Cancer has taken so much from me. Yet, it hasn’t altered who I am at my core. What it has changed is my stamina—and with that, my tolerance for inefficiency, especially when creating meaningful memories with my family. Time feels undeniably precious; every moment counts more. Keeping up with a creative course during this time was incredibly challenging. I didn’t finish alongside my cohort, but the story I was trying to tell stayed with me, and I was determined to share it.
Bridging the Heart-Wrenching Gap for Young Families Like Mine
Being a parent living with a serious illness like cancer throws your entire family into uncharted territory. New experiences, new fears, and new conversations emerge—none of which anyone prepares you for. What I quickly realised is that there aren’t many resources to help parents navigate these critical conversations with their children. This includes discussions not just about the illness itself, but about the changes it brings, scenarios kids may face, and the emotions entwined with this new reality.
Cancer doesn’t solely impact the person diagnosed; it ripples profoundly through everyone they love, often in unexpected ways. This realisation ignited a spark for something new. And that was how the concept morphed into a concrete idea.
The Idea: Animated Comic Strips for Young Families
I wanted to create something kid-friendly, honest, and genuinely useful—a starting point for those often difficult conversations between parents and their children. While many focus on the patient in their narratives, there are few children’s books addressing cancer that acknowledge the complex reality parents face—most end with the parent recovering. But my prognosis was anything but rosy; I would never fully recover from my incurable cancer.
The outcome became an animated comic strip series designed to assist young families with a gravely ill parent as they navigate their unique lives. It’s not about providing all the answers; it’s about initiating dialogue. Reflecting back on how cancer has drained my stamina, I acknowledge that every year is harder today than the previous, and the cumulative effects of now being on chemotherapy for life will likely make those effects even more pronounced over time. Despite that, my aspiration to turn this into a series remains on my “to-do” list, even though it is currently labelled as a “series of one.”
Introducing: Mommy Has Cancer 🎬
I began this project in early 2022, with the start of the Digital Storytelling course, anticipating that I would have it completed by the last lesson. My hip replacement and pelvis-to-knee radiation stripped me of my ability to finish it with my classmates. Hoping to have it ready by year-end. I was thrilled to be asked to share it as part of Wellspring’s Digital Stories Screening at the end of March 2023, which showcases videos from three students. Sometimes you need a deadline to get to the finish line. Phew! I completed it just days before the screening!
In Mommy Has Cancer, follow three fictional characters as they navigate new situations and find their footing in a transformed world:
- 👩 Val Périot — Mom
- 👧 Isabelle — Daughter
- 👦 Simon — Son
The intent is that each episode is rooted in real experiences and genuine emotions, conveyed through an accessible, animated format that both kids and parents can relate to.
Episode 1: “Because You Are Bald”
The first episode emerged from a moment I was entirely unprepared for—my daughter’s first day of kindergarten. When her bus didn’t show, I dropped her off at school without thinking to put on a head covering. What followed were the very real challenges she faced as a result, navigating questions and reactions from other kids that she simply wasn’t ready for. For that matter, it wasn’t one that I even considered. It’s the kind of moment that doesn’t make parenting books. Yet, it’s exactly the kind of moment this series aims to address.
If this resonates with you—whether you’re a parent living with illness, a caregiver, educator, or simply someone who cares for a family navigating this road—I hope this series provides something meaningful. Please share it with someone who might need it. 🎗️
If you feel moved by my efforts to share my story and help others, gifts are always appreciated. We can all use a little hope in tough times!