Tumor Me
What’s the story playing in your head at the moment? Is it helping you or holding you back?
Tumor Me awakens the feeling of connection and the vibrancy of life we can so easily lose when we get stuck in the lonely.
Now on Amazon!
All proceeds from the book go to funding projects related to life after the all clear for young patients transitioning into adulthood at Great Ormond Street and
St Jude Children's Research Hospital.
What people are saying about our book...
This book felt like a gift to me from young people who have faced their own mortality . The pain is there but it’s the overwhelming sense of hope and joy in its purest form that ebbs out of this gem of a book. Heartfelt thanks for their bravery, humour and deep insight that they have so generously shared in this book. It was a healthy reminder to me of the joy that is in every moment if only we opened our eyes, pressed pause and allowed ourselves to feel not just get lost in our own thoughts.
Lucy Blakstad
In a world where it seems that resilience is on the wane, Monica and the kids in this book put us to shame: they have buckets of it! I laughed, I cried, I empathised, I despaired, I connected, I learned and I loved what these little golden nuggets of vulnerability teach us about life and death and everything in between! Just read it!
Gaby Maguire
Monica and the “resilienteers” bring to life what post-traumatic growth really feels like. Everyone should read this book and share it with others because it is filled with heartwarming stories showing how a person can handle the painful and bumpy ride toward recovery and the incredible rewards and joy that await anyone who is willing to embrace their innermost values and strengths. As a neuroscience researcher, it has been a great honor to teach young adults new strategies that can quickly help the brain to heal.
Mark Waldman
This book with it’s sunny and bright appearance and fun cover has totally taken me by surprise. It hits you right into your heart with painting an honest, raw and warm picture of what life with a brain tumor is actually like – for everyone involved. Not a one-sided horror story or a toxically positive one, but the real deal. Being a parent myself and being totally unable to even imagine what living through such an ordeal must be like, I already had tears in my eyes when reading the introduction and hugged my daughter just that bit tighter the next time I had her in my arms. This book is a legacy in itself and a must-read for every parent that is eager to understand more of the big human topics: love, kindness, resilience, hope, and freedom of choice.
Vanessa van den Brink
Disappointing to only read such a profound description of what matters to patients after working in healthcare for over 20 years. The grit, wisdom and strength these children and their parents put into their health 24/7, 365 days a year, is enlightening. Equally puzzling is why supporting them in this seems to get such little focus from healthcare compared to what we can do ‘when they’ve ended back up in hospital’. Surely partnering with patients for health must be part of any healthcare system’s ambition.
Kristof Vanfraechen
WHY WE WROTE OUR BOOK...
Tumor Me is the culmination of a mother’s eight year search to understand how her son really felt after surviving a childhood brain tumor. What she discovered through hundreds of conversations with other young survivors was that when given the space to think out loud, most were coping far better than their parents!
The very personal true stories that seventeen remarkable young brain tumor survivors share in Tumor Me open our eyes to the incredible neuroplasticity of the human brain. The power of owning our story (even the messy parts) and the shift that comes from understanding we don’t need to navigate life alone.
Tumor Me is a reminder to all of us to hit the pause button on life, get out of our way and ask ourselves: “am I really living my best life?”
Special thanks to our publisher Post Hill Press for their invaluable support and dedication, without which the successful launch of this book would not have been possible.
Help us spread the word: Together is better
Sharing our stories helps us feel connected, gives us a fresh perspective and helps us learn from eachother’s experiences. Why not choose this book for your next book club? Plenty of content to get rich conversation going.
Thank you
Monica and the “resilienteers”