Three new books focus on the experiences of women and families during breast cancer treatment and feature Living Beyond Breast Cancer members and staff.

Voices of Breast Cancer

Our executive director, Jean A. Sachs, MSS, MLSP, penned the foreward to the compilation, Voices of Breast Cancer: Stories for Courage, Comfort and Strength ($16.95, LaChance Publishing). More than 50 authors contributed short pieces about breast cancer, their experiences spanning from the shock of diagnosis to navigating treatment options to moving forward after treatment ends. Profits go to The Healing Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and supporting people living with life-threatening and chronic illnesses.

"Breast cancer is a disease that touches both our genetic families and our ‘created’ families—our friends, work colleagues, acquaintances," Jean wrote in the foreward. "Every time a woman shares her story, she gives voice to the powerful and unique experiences of people affected by breast cancer."

Turning Heads

LBBC volunteers modeled for professional photographers in Turning Heads: Portraits of Grace, Inspiration and Possibilities ($29.95). Editor Jackson Hunsicker asked 59 well-known photographers to donate their time to shoot pictures of women bald from chemotherapy. The resulting images depict women of all ages, races and body shapes engaging in activities meaningful to them: surfing in Hawaii, presiding over a state Supreme Court, playing poker, singing at the Grammy Awards. Partial proceeds go to cancer research.

Two members of LBBC’s speaker’s bureau agreed to be photographed: Julia Chesser and Cecelia Doherty. The women help support Hunsicker’s goal of "changing our perception of cancer, [making it so] we didn’t think it would make people uneasy to be around us, [making it so baldness] would be one less thing for women to worry bout when they are first diagnosed."

Hunsicker, a cancer survivor, approached LBBC several years ago for encouragement. Several publishers had rejected the book because they "thought cancer was too depressing and therefore uncommercial," she recently wrote to us. Her meeting with LBBC helped re-ignite her dream.

"It indirectly reminded me about the importance of the book, and inadvertently kicked me back on the right track," she wrote. "Before the week was out, two beautiful models volunteered to have their pictures taken. And I was on my way again."

Chemo Cat

In Chemo Cat ($9.95), a children’s book by author and illustrator Cathy Nilon, a kitten and his mother cat face breast cancer together. Net proceeds go to LBBC.

After her diagnosis of stage II breast cancer, Nilon wrote the book she wished had been available to share with her young son in fall 2004. Chemo Cat is told in the voice of her son, Luca, who was four years old at the time of Nilon’s diagnosis. The author’s goal was to "bridge the gap for many families who are at a loss as to how to deal with the horrible news of this disease."

The book depicts how each family member takes on an important role during treatment of this "family illness." Luca and Mama Cat walk through their emotions and the realities of the difficult times. The book helps open a dialog with children without scaring them. It explains the changes to expect when Mama loses her hair and feels sick from chemotherapy.

We are proud to be associated with these three publications, which we hope will help women now and in the future to cope with the realities of breast cancer and to enhance quality of life.

Visit amazon.com to order breast cancer books.