Biographies

The authors of the Love Sick Book:

Allison
Story Contributor

My father died from lung cancer. I started going to Kids Konnected support groups with my sisters when he was first diagnosed. Currently I’m in high school and enjoy playing the piano.

Brendan
Story Contributor

My mother died when I was 16 from lung cancer. She was not a smoker. I now live with my Dad and his fiancé and my sister. I am a senior in high school and enjoy cheerleading.

Christina
Story Contributor

I am a sophomore at high school. I have 2 sisters, an older one and a younger one. My mom is an ovarian cancer survivor. I am a good student and love to play soccer.

Cole
Story Contributor

I am a student at a university in the North East where I am studying Mechanical Engineering. I became involved with Kids Konnected as a sophomore in High School. I felt drawn to the organization, because when I was in fifth grade my Mom was diagnosed with Thyroid cancer and had her thyroid
removed shortly afterward. Thankfully, she is doing well today.

Conor
Story Contributor

I’m a sophomore in High School. My mother died from breast cancer when I
was only 5 years old. I have an older brother and sister. I have a passion for gymnastics and hope to be in the Olympics some day.

Devon
Story Contributor

I live in the North West where I attend High School. My mother is a breast cancer survivor.

Erika
Story Contributor

My father died from lung cancer when I was 14 years old. I started going to Kids Konnected support groups with my two younger sisters when he was first diagnosed. I later became a Youth Leader. During high school I enjoyed playing water polo. I am currently in my second year of college in northern California.

Grady
Story Contributor

My mother died of breast cancer in November of 1997 when I was nine years old. Shortly after her death I started to attend a Kids Konnected support group.

I have a younger sister and brother named Maura and Conor, and my Dad's name is Martin. I am currently attending college and pursuing a degree in Youth, Adult and Family Services, with hopes of getting a degree in Social work. I play the guitar and spend my time doing that instead of my school work.

Hayden
Story Contributor

My father died from melanoma when I was 14 years old. I started attending Kids Konnected support groups when my Dad was first diagnosed and later became a Youth Leader. I am currently in my 4th year of college in northern California.

Jennifer
Art & Story Contributor

I’m a senior in high school and play volleyball. I also volunteer for Kids Konnected and many other non-profit organizations in my free time. My father was diagnosed with cancer when I was 10 and died when I was 11. I was very close to my father and will always miss him dearly. I enjoy staying busy with school and training my dog, shopping, and watching movies.

Jessica
Story Contributor

I’m a freshman in college in the Northeast majoring in architectural engineering. When I was in eighth grade, my father was diagnosed with brain cancer. After a difficult struggle, he passed away after my freshmen year of high school. Currently I live with my mother and her younger brother. I love the beach in the summer and snowboarding in the winter. I also enjoy spending time with my friends and family and miss my father more with each passing day.

Justin
Story Contributor

When I was 16 my mom was diagnosed with stage 3, Follicular Lymphoma. The doctor said she was completely covered, from head to toe, with cancer. They really didn't think she would live long, and I remember thinking how I would lose her forever. After a seemingly never-ending battle, and truck loads of prayers, my mom is in remission now. There is no sign of it now, however it's not curable... so I trust in God.

I'm now working at a marketing company in the North West as a customer service associate who fixes problems, and helps people. I'm also a diver. I love to scuba dive, snorkel, and want to start taking ocean and sealife pictures and be a photographer as well. In addition to being a diver, I'm also a student pilot, and love to fly...so I get the best of both worlds. A major hobby of mine is music. I love to play anything I can get my hands on. So far I've picked up the piano, guitar, bass, drums, and trumpet. I'm working on the sax now... I can't read notes, but I can play almost anything I hear, and I love it. I can express my emotion in music, in a way I can't even describe.

Kelly
Story Contributor

I was born in southern California and have continued to live here since then. I live with my younger sister and my dad. My mother died of a brain tumor in 2001 while I was in 4th grade. Although times have been hard, I have been able to conquer many of the obstacles that come with being a "motherless daughter" with the support of my friends, family, and Kids Konnected. I love listening to all kinds of music, watching movies, writing in my journal daily, and reading novels.

Lydia
Story Contributor

I was born and raised in Texas, with my mother working in television and my father doing cinematography, but we moved to Indiana, when I was 18. I also have a younger sister and brother. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer the first time when I was 17 and got a lumpectomy, and the second time when I was 20 and had to get a mastectomy. I am passionate about music, writing, laughing and shamelessly correcting peoples’ grammar and linguistics. Also, very passionate about my dog, Moose.

Maura
Photo Contributor

I am a senior in High School. I began attending Kids Konnected support groups after my mom died from breast cancer. I later became a Youth Leader as I enjoyed helping the younger kids in the program.

Miranda
Story Contributor

I’m 17 years old. I was born and live in southern California with my mom and dad, my brothers Shane and Christian, and our silly poodle Truman. My dad was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in April of 2007, the end of my junior year in high school. Things have been up and down since then, but mostly we are just trying to get by. I graduate this year and after that I will be working and attending the local community college.

Nick
Story Contributor

I live in the North West where I enjoy being in the outdoors, camping and dirt bike riding. I came to Kids Konnected when I was 12 years old after my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Sarah
Story Contributor

I have been a part of Kids Konnected since January of 1994 when my father was fighting the battle of pancreatic cancer and then passed away that March. Having Kids Konnected in my life made me realize that every moment was special and that I was not alone. Again in 2004 I was faced with cancer when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. With the skill that Kids Konnected gave me I knew that I could survive anything that was thrown my way. I currently live in southern California with my husband and continue to help Kids Konnected in every way possible.

Wesley
Poem Contributor

My father was diagnosed with lymphoma when I was 9 years old. He is currently in remission. I enjoy playing a variety of instruments
and making music and playing video games.

Wynne
Story & Poem Contributor

I’m a nineteen year old college freshman in the Midwest. I grew up in Indiana and both my parents worked at a local university, and I attended kindergarten, grade, middle and high school in the local area. My mom was diagnosed in 1994 with an unknown type of cancer, I was five at the time. Growing up, my mom couldn't always do what other moms did, she didn't always have the energy or the time, as she continued to work full time as a professor and be a single mom for at least half of her illness. She never let those obstacles stop her, however, and made it an important part of her life to travel, work to your fullest, and indulge in luxuries.

My mom lost her nine year battle with cancer in September 2003, surrounded by family and friends after having just returned less than a week before from delivering a key note speech at a Child Care conference in Scotland. She is an important part of my life still five years later. She would be very proud of me and my peers contribution to this fantastic book!

Zack
Story Contributor

I live in Southern California and am a Sophomore in High School.