Sarah Curry Rathel, an author and founder of Smile Books Project and illustrator Bob Kelly and along with Carlisle, Ohio Chamberlain Middle School sixth-grader Matthew Harrison have produced another book.
“My Cancer Life” book chronicles Harrison’s battle with leukemia. In the book, Matthew offers tips and advice to help make the journey for others either going through cancer or who know someone going through cancer easier to navigate. According to his mother, she said “…he wanted to write a book. He wanted to help other kids in the hospital.”
The book sells for $12 and the proceeds from each book, $9.24, is then donated back to the child. Matthew’s goal was to sell 1,000 books, the most in the company’s history. Rathel said that goal will be reached once Matthew sells the books in his possession.
During a school assembly, Harrison was presented with a check for $6,684 and Rathel said $2,500 more will be raised after the rest of the books are sold.
Rathel said the goal of the books is to help children “tell their stories. I can’t change what they’re going through. Seeing each child and knowing they have amazing stories to tell, we had to do something. There was a need and we wanted to make a difference.”
Matthew was diagnosed with cancer on June 10, 2017 and his final treatment is scheduled for September 2020.
Another 25 books have been written, including several from Butler County children: Madison Smallwood (“Madison’s Message”), Dominic Watkins (Dominic’s Best Game) and Kyler Bradley (Forever KylerStrong). Rathel has spent her career working with nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families.