Garden of Angels (17 page)
Afterword
Dear Reader,
I am both a mother and a daughter. For me, becoming a mother ignited my understanding of my
own mother’s choices, choices I often didn’t “get”
while growing up. As a mother myself, I realized that
mothers want to take care of their children, protect
them, help them over life’s bumps. How devastating
it would be to not be around to watch my kids grow
up. And how devastating for a child to lose his
mother prematurely and miss out on this kind of
nurturing.
For many years, I have wanted to write the story
of a mother dying prematurely. Yet every time I
started, I quit because my writer’s instincts kept telling
me, “This isn’t working.” So I’d put the project aside
and write about something else. Then two things
happened that changed the way I thought about the
novel.
In October 1993, I was diagnosed with breast
cancer. I was fortunate in that my cancer was caught
in its earliest stages by a routine mammogram. I was a
good candidate for breast-saving surgery, so only the
lump and some surrounding tissue were removed. My
surgery was followed by six weeks of radiation. I now
go for annual checkups, and I’m happy to say that so
far, I’m cancer-free. The support of family, friends
and good doctors helped me through this difficult
period.
In September 1999, my beloved mother died. The
loss I felt was enormous, more than I’d ever imagined
possible. Again, family and friends were there for me.
Out of these two experiences, the pain of losing my
mother and the trauma of being diagnosed with cancer, the seeds of a story began to grow. I sat down and
this time everything came together. I wrote the book
you’ve just read.
By setting the story in the mid-seventies, I was
able to revisit a time that I lived through and am now
able to see through different, adult eyes. I was also
able to see just how far we’ve come in the diagnosis
and treatment of breast cancer. The Vietnam War is
long over. The war against breast cancer continues.
Medical science has a better arsenal to attack it.
Twenty years ago, only six percent of tumors were
caught. Today, more than twenty percent are caught
before they advance and grow. Doctors are better
equipped to locate and exterminate the “enemy” with
advanced chemotherapy, “smart” drugs that bind to
the cancer receptors at the cellular level and potent
“seeds” of radiation that target only the tumor. But
women still die. Daughters still lose their mothers.
Mothers still lose their daughters. Today, research predicts that one in five women will get breast cancer.
During the past twenty-five years, many support
groups and organizations have emerged to help women
deal with a diagnosis of breast cancer. There’s a
wealth of information that can help people and their
families cope. You can visit many Web sites for more
information, or call information hotlines. Some of
these groups include:
Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization:
1-800-221-2141,
www.y-me.org
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation:
1-800-I’M AWARE,
www.komen.org
American Cancer Society:
1-800-ACS-2345,
www.cancer.org
National Cancer Institute:
1-800-4-CANCER,
www.cancer.gov
My hope for all of you is that breast cancer will be
eradicated in your lifetime, but should this disease
afflict someone you know and love, I send you my
heartfelt wishes for courage and strength. We are all
connected by love and hope for the future.
All my best to you,
Lurlene
Published by
Dell Laurel-Leaf
an imprint of
Random House Children’s Books
a division of Random House, Inc.
New York
Copyright © 2003 by Lurlene McDaniel
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
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RL: 4.7
January 2005
eISBN: 978-0-307-43340-4
v3.0