When Queanbeyan teacher Meg Rees was unable to find suitable resources to gently explain to her students why one of their classmates was sick and losing her hair with cancer treatment, she decided to write her own children's book.
The resulting picture book, When Someone You Love is Sick, was launched in Queanbeyan on Monday, with all proceeds of the sale of the book during September - Childhood Cancer Awareness Month - going to local charity Win the Day.
Win the Day ambassador Jasmine Stefanovic was also on hand in Queanbeyan to help launch the book.
In 2021, Mrs Rees was teaching kindergarten at Queanbeyan South Public School. One of her students was a little girl called Ka'ili Giteau-Tai, who had been diagnosed with a rare cancer.
Ka'ili's mum Kristy was also a teacher at the school but her concerns first and foremost were of a mum worried about how her child would be accepted.
"Ka'ili was coming fresh out of chemo when she was going back to school and the biggest concern I had as a parent was, 'She's looked forward to school for three years, I hope when she goes on her first day of school, people will treat her like a normal child and not someone who is sick'," Ms Giteau said.
"But I was so lucky Meg was a close friend of mine and she was her teacher and she supported and nurtured Ka'ili through that experience so she made friends from day one.
"So it was through her year of nurturing my daughter that she really found an attachment to, and an understanding of, how to care for someone who is really sick."
Ka'ili, now in remission, and Ms Giteau has started local charity Win the Day to raise money to support families while their children are having treatment for cancer.
Ms Giteau was thrilled when Mrs Rees said she wanted to write a book to help the various circles of people in someone's life to understand and navigate their illness together.
"I said, 'What a beautiful thing and I'm happy to talk to you about my experiences so it rings true to an oncology experience'.
"Now we are here, I couldn't be prouder for her and it's just a really beautiful book that I haven't seen before, as an oncology mum."
Mrs Rees said Ka'ili had to spend a lot of time away from school for treatment in Sydney including chemotherapy but was wanting to just be another kid in the class.
"She was coming back to school quite sick, without any hair, and lots of five and six-year-olds I had had plenty of questions that I found difficult to answer," she said.
"So I was looking in local libraries and book stores and online trying to find something I could use to explain it to them. And I could find too much that was very child-friendly, so I decided to write something."
When Someone You Love is Sick, illustrated by Jessica Blair, gently explains to young children the impact of cancer, inspired by Ka'ili but not about her specifically.
"It's quite a gentle, rhyming story," Mrs Rees said.
"I was a little bit sceptical at first - rhyming is a very fun way to read and write and cancer is obviously not something fun to have in your life.
"I was quite mindful of how I wrote it. It's quite simple and to the point. And just gently explains to young children, if they've got someone in their life [who is sick], what things might be happening to them. Or what things could be happening to the child or what things they can do to help the family or that young person get through the tricky times."
Jasmine Stefanovic attended the launch of the book, at Queanbeyan hair salon 121 Hair. The salon is usually closed on Mondays but opened to give fundraising blow waves, with all proceeds to Win the Day.
"I just got involved with the charity about a year ago because Kristy and I have known each other for a long time and to hear her baby was sick with cancer was devastating and I wanted to do anything I could to help her and this cause," she said.
Jasmine and her husband, Today show host Karl Stefanovic, have a two-year-old daughter called Harper.
"I think it hits home a lot more too when you have your own children and you just couldn't imagine them being sick and then having to explain to little kids when someone is sick, I'm sure that's really tough," she said.
"So this is such a beautiful idea to help kids get their head around someone they love being sick. So I think it's a beautiful sentiment."
- When Someone You Love is Sick is available for purchase here.
