ABOUT DEANA AND HOW THE BOOK GOT STARTED

Deana is the most adorable child in the world!  (Yes, we’re biased.)  One would never know by meeting her that this child had lived through a nightmare.  At age 9, Deana had been diagnosed with Leukemia AML, the worse type of Leukemia.  She spent almost an entire year in St. Christopher’s Children’s Hospital, in Philadelphia.  She is now in complete remission.

 Deana is filled with love, a shining personality, a maturity way above her peers and an ability to give others hope to continue.  She is the oldest of six children and is part of a loving extended family.

So, how exactly did the book get started?  We’ll tell you!

At the end of the school year and Meloni and Judy ran an event called, “Read for the Cure.”  Students raised money for  Breast Cancer’s Race for the Cure by reading books and getting sponsors to pay for each book read.  The event started off with a big Kick-off assembly. Deana spoke in front of hundreds of students and staff.  In her speech she explained to the children that she had been very sick and was in the hospital for almost a year.  She told the children that all the money they raised would help people with cancer.  The money would help the doctors find a cure so that nobody would ever get cancer again!  She also explained to the students that the money would help buy medicine for the sick people.  She spoke with a lovely poise and the maturity of an adult.

After the assembly Judy asked Deana to write a get well card for her cousin who had just been diagnosed with cancer.  Deana wrote a beautiful letter, filled with inspiration and hope.  She then said, “Miss, do you know what I really want to do?  I really want to write a book to help all kids and grown-ups with cancer.”  And that is exactly how our book began – in a tiny office on a hot spring day.  By the way, Judy’s cousin is now cancer free and he said that letter from Deana got him through the worse of times and meant the world to him.  The letter that Deana received from Judy's cousin will follow.