Sue Matthews, a CPA, wife, and mother of three, was living a normal life fifteen years ago until the day came when her middle child, daughter Taylor, was diagnosed with cancer at the age of eleven. The family was thrust into turmoil, confusion, angst, and deep sadness. But as Taylor fought courageously, a life mission developed that continues today, a decade after Taylor’s passing at age sixteen.
In Paint Your Hair Blue, Matthews – with the help of her sister, Charlotte resident Andrea Cohane – take readers through the heartwarming tale of heroic courage and devastating blows that characterized Taylor’s odyssey through the underfunded world of pediatric cancer. The book is an inspiring tale about the power of love and determination. It will empower readers to embrace life, take control of their own destiny, and face fears with confidence while living life to the fullest. Taylor and her family learned to balance the necessity of her continuous medical treatment with the need for her to be a kid and to live as normally as possible. Taylor taught even the most jaded oncologists that she was a kid with cancer rather than a “cancer kid.”
The book is also a wealth of information for parents and family members navigating the world of pediatric oncology. It offers dozens of tips and pointers, gleaned by painstaking trial and error through the maze of oncology. Matthew and Cohane explain what can be done to fund pediatric cancer and greatly improve access to adult treatments for children. The Taylor Matthews Foundation (TMF), founded by then eleven year old, Taylor, when she was diagnosed with cancer, is now run by Sue, and Andrea serves on the board. TMF has raised $1.4 million and funded research at several leading institutions, including Memorial Sloan Kettering, The National Institute of Health, Children’s Hospital at Columbia University Medical Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Whether you are facing a life-threatening disease, have a loved one who is, or are just going through the ups and downs of life, Taylor’s story will give you hope, inspiration, and courage.
Paint Your Hair Blue is available now on Kindle and to pre-order in paperback through Amazon.
