LAGUNA HILLS, CA, October 30, 2009
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Kids Konnected, a national non-profit organization, which provides support to children of all ages dealing with a parent's cancer, now offers two publications, Love Sick and Moxie, as resources to those in need. Love Sick is a cutting-edge, journal-style book designed to help young individuals cope with the difficulty of a parent's cancer diagnosis. Moxie is an illustrated story and workbook for children ages 6-12 about friends helping each other deal with their parent's or other family member's cancer.
"The sickness or loss of a parent can be devastating, and it is important for young people to know they are not alone," said Dave Peters, executive director of Kids Konnected. "Growing up is challenging enough without having to deal with a parent being treated for cancer or dying from the disease. Through Love Sick and Moxie, we hope to reach children and teenagers nationwide who need guidance and support during a tough time in their lives."
'Love Sick'—Connecting Teens through Creative Expression
Featuring stand-out graphics and conversational prose, Love Sick is a compilation of essays, poems, graphics and thoughts contributed by teens whose mothers or fathers have been diagnosed or have lost their battle with cancer. The stories are all different yet uniquely similar, ranging from one girl whose mother survived breast cancer to another who lost her father to pancreatic cancer. Through each account weaves a common thread of both sadness and bravery, allowing readers to cry, laugh and grow along with each writer's experience. All the contributors are actively involved in Teens Konnection, an extension of Kids Konnected that allows young adults to forge long-lasting relationships with peers who can identify with their feelings of sadness, confusion and uncertainty.
In addition to the real-life stories, Love Sick includes designated sections to help young readers understand the reasons behind different actions and feelings they may be dealing with. These pages were written by Lynnette Wilhardt, a licensed clinical oncology social worker who specializes in working with families that have a parent with cancer. Wilhardt offers a breadth of advice, ranging from basic signs and symptoms of depression to healthy coping mechanisms. Furthermore, the book has blank pages interspersed throughout, providing space for the readers to log their own thoughts and feelings as one would in a journal. Love Sick also contains a glossary of medical terms often used in treating cancer patients, as well as a list of cancer-related resources throughout the United States.
'Moxie'—Helping Younger Children Understand
Moxie, a noun meaning "the ability to face difficulty with spirit and courage," is an illustrated story and
workbook for children ages 6-12 about friends helping each other deal with their parent's or other family member's
cancer. The book is intended to help young children understand their parent's cancer and to help parents understand how
their child is feeling about the disease.
In Moxie, a blue raccoon named Moxie befriends Kelly, a new girl who has moved to Moxie's neighborhood so her family could be closer to the hospital for her mother's cancer treatments. Moxie introduces Kelly to Jon, whose mother also has cancer. Within the book is the journal "written" by Jon when he found out his mother had cancer. Inside the journal are insights and examples that provide an easier way to explain cancer, as written from a child's point-of-view. There are also sections for addressing feelings and worries, as well as a page children can take to their parent's doctors' appointments that lists common questions about the disease.
Kids Konnected—Providing Cancer Support for Young People Nationwide
Kids Konnected, based in Laguna Hills, Calif., was the catalyst in bringing Love Sick and Moxie to fruition and will receive a $5 donation from each book sold. Through these two books and additional projects slated for the
upcoming months, Kids Konnected hopes to remain funded so it can continue to provide free cancer support through licensed therapists and educational materials to any individual who contacts them.
Love Sick sells for $15.95, and Moxie, for $11.95. Both publications are available through http://www.kidskonnected.org or http://www.cancerconnected.com. Love Sick also can be purchased through http://www.amazon.com.
About Kids Konnected:
Founded in 1993, Kids Konnected is an Orange County, Calif.-based non-profit organization that offers cancer support and education to children of all ages who have a parent with cancer or have lost a parent to the disease. The organization presents several support options to help children, teens and parents cope with the difficulty of their situations, including support group meetings, literature, care packages and summer camps. Today, Kids Konnected provides an interactive support environment for families across the country who have suffered the devastating effects of cancer. For more information, visit http://www.kidskonnected.org.
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