Can We Do More To Fight Pediatric Cancer?
One Mother Leads The Way In Her New Book
NEW YORK, May 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sue Matthews, a CPA, wife, and mother of three, was living a normal life fifteen years ago until the day came when her middle child, daughter Taylor, was shockingly diagnosed with cancer at the age of eleven.
The family was thrust into turmoil, confusion, angst, and deep sadness. But as Taylor fought courageously, a life mission developed that continues today, a decade after Taylor's passing at age sixteen.
Sue and her sister, Andrea, wrote a book, Paint Your Hair Blue (Morgan James, June, www.paintyourhairblue.com), that takes the reader through the heartwarming tale of heroic courage and devastating blows that characterized Taylor's odyssey through the underfunded world of pediatric cancer. This book is an inspiring tale of the power of love and determination. It will empower the reader, no matter the circumstance, to embrace life and take control of their own destiny and face fears with strength, fortitude and confidence while living life to the fullest. Taylor will make you a better warrior in the war on cancer with this story of survival, where love transcends all and where every moment is a celebration of life.
"Whether you are facing a life-threatening disease, have a loved one who is, or are just going through the ups and downs of life, I hope Taylor's story will give you hope, inspiration, and courage," says Andrea.
The Taylor Matthews Foundation (TMF), founded by then eleven-year-old, Taylor, when she was diagnosed with cancer, is now run by her mom, and her aunt serves on the board. "The shock of diagnosis soon gave way to the alarming reality that treatments for Taylor's disease had not changed in decades," says Sue. "Though cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children, only 4% of the National Cancer Institute's budget is allocated to childhood cancer research."
TMF has raised over $1.5 million and funded research at several leading institutions, including Memorial Sloan Kettering, The National Institute of Health, Children's Hospital at Columbia University Medical Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Perhaps above all, this book is a love story between mother and daughter, and as you embark on the journey with Sue and Taylor from page one to the end, you will laugh and cry, sometimes simultaneously, and learn to love a little deeper.
SOURCE Sue Matthews
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