Easing a Child's Burden at a Scary Time

Halloween aside, it's often scary for children and their families any time of year when they hear the word cancer.  

"Mom really likes it when I draw her butterflies!
She says they remind her of our butterfly kisses,..."
from Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings: When someone you love has cancer... a hopeful, helpful book for kids

" Nanci, 

     I met you as I was passing through the Breast Cancer Event area at (Helen F.) Graham 

Center. You gave me a book and I brought it home and read it that evening. I was impressed with your beautiful illustrations and the way the story so wonderfully covered every aspect of a child's experience with Breast cancer at home... I ordered 2 more. One for a friend and one for the  Odessa library. It's my way helping in some way to ease a child's burden at such a scary time..."

                   Dolores Sebastian

Thank you Dolores for being a part of our Gift- it- Forward program and sharing our book with others. 

Sending you Wishes on Wings...

"the best book on this subject that she has seen yet"

Christiana Care Breast Center at The Helen F. Graham Cancer Center recently hosted a Fall Breast Festival. As part of this event, they generously made it possible that all of their patients and breast cancer survivors attending received a copy of our book Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings: When someone you love has cancer... a hopeful helpful book for kids.

The staff at
The Breast Center Festival at
Helen F. Graham Cancer Center
set my signing table with
beautiful flowers, butterly garland and festive felt butterflies on the table

This except is from a wonderful email that I received following my recent book signing at the Breast Center  

"My mother, Ellen, would like to donate a book to the Tower Hill School library.  

Ellen (or Meghan and Jack's Nana) is a 29 year breast cancer survivor.  Last week, she attended an event at the Helen Graham Breast Center of Christiana Care Hospital.  During the event, she was given a book called "Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings" signed by the illustrator Nanci Hersh.

My mother worked for years at the American Cancer Society in their Patient Services division.  She has realized that there is not a lot of information for young children when their parents are going through cancer.  It's a beautiful book for parents to read to their children...a resource about how to talk to a child about a parent's cancer diagnosis...the best book on this subject that she has seen yet!

She was delighted to have received this book and to be able to give it onto others."

Excerpts from an email from Christine, whose mom, Ellen attended the event.  

Thank you Ellen, and Christine for being a wonderful part of our Gift -it-Forward program!

Butterflies at the Breast Center Fest

That's right, there will be butterflies at this year's Breast Center Fall Festival at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center in Delaware.

Butterflies
©McVicker&Hersh,LLC

We are honored that our book Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings has been selected as the featured book at the event.

We will have our art prints, as well as copies of our book in English and now in Spanish!  I (Nanci) will be there signing books, and am looking forward to seeing some of my dear friends who are truly butterflies in my life.

There will be Breast Health Education, tours (it is a beautiful facility!), Breast Health Education, Giveaways, Door Prizes, Pink Ribbon items on sale to benefit the Breast Center Special Needs Fund.

Hope to see you, too!

Who Wore it Better?

You decide...

no comment.   

Actually, I may have only worn it once or twice.  Itchy, hot, and it was summer after all.

Maggie on the other hand, has been seen out in her new "do."

This is my new look these days.

Now its onto radiation.  

As anyone out there tried aloe?

A Promise to Michael

Pinkie Promise
from Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings
©2011McVicker&Hersh, LLC

My girlfriend Michael is dying.  She is under the nurturing care of staff at Shalom Park in Aurora, Colorado.  Diagnosed with ovarian cancer four years ago, Michael has been at death's door more times than anyone I have ever known ... yet, she  has refused to enter each and every time.  She has been quite remarkable in that way - so remarkable, I even made her a  promise...

Yesterday, August 22, 2011, I knelt beside Michael's bed and told her that I would tell  the whole   world what a wonderful job she had done.  So now, I am keeping  that  promise.  I am putting it out into cyberspace that my girlfriend (and friend to so many others), Michael Sears, did indeed do a remarkable job – a remarkable job of letting people into her world as she was dying ... and an even more remarkable job of fighting this insidious disease.

                                                                                                           .... to be continued

It's Not Hard to Say Good Bye

To Taxol that is.  Today is my last Taxol infusion.

I opted for the 4 treatments every two weeks recommended by MSKCC vs. the lower dose once a week for 12 weeks suggested by my oncologist at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center in Delaware.
The thinking is lower doses, less side effects.  Fortunately, aside from some body aches and chills for a couple of days and sleeplessness from the steroids that are given with the drug, it has not been a bad run.  I believe this is large part from the acupuncture treatments I have been receiving regularly (and good luck?)

Nanci at Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, July 2011
photo by Kay Healy
Photo session made possible by the Leeway Foundation

On to radiation next.  Are we having fun yet?

Besos de Mariposa

Our book is now available in Spanish! Thanks to Edith Camargo, nothing is lost in translation.  The empowering message of our book is now in paperback for our Spanish speaking families.

Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings: When someone you love has cancer... a hopeful, helpful book for kids

As we work on updating our website with our new edition please contact us directly if you need a Spanish copy of our book in the near future.

ellenmcvicker@butterflykissesbook.com