Goodbye Daddy Book Launch
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At the Tinners Rabbit Book Shop, Ulverston, Cumbria
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This book was written in memory of Roger David Tucker, 1961 to 2000, who died of a very rare Cancer related to Neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition he passed on to his daughter.
Roger was diagnosed when our first son was 2 weeks old. He had various operations and treatments for two years and at this stage we thought we were through the worst and decied to have another child. However when our second child was 4 months old the cancer returned, 18 months later Roger died at home.
I found that for young children it was very difficult to find books for them to explain in an honest and simple way what was happening. For the whole of my childrens lives they knew hospitals, treatment, illness and then death. I always belived that however hard it was i had to be honest with them and not brush the issues underneth the carpet hoping that it would go away. The simple fact is that death is so final.
When the Cancer returned fot a third time I started to explain to my eldest child (who was 31/2 years old) slowly over a 6 month period that daddy was very ill and that one day he would die. It was the hardest thing I have had to do and at times, I wonder if I could have made the pain any easier by hiding the truth from him. Looking back now 3 years on Im so glad I was honest and they were able to say goodbye to daddy the night he died and be part of the funeral and use this book, it has helped their bereavment process.
This book shows the simple analogise and words I used to explain to my children what was happening to their daddy.
Elizabeth