Back in 2004, my father's throat cancer returned after a 9-year remission. My daughter was 7 years old at the time, and I was suddenly faced with the task of how to inform her of her grandfather's condition. An aggressive surgical procedure lay ahead and was his only option for a cure. A child of 7 is obviously too young to comprehend just what cancer is, so my work was cut out for me.

I first began to recall what I was told as a child. The incidence of cancer in my family was practically nonexistent at that time because my relatives were much younger. This is not to say that young people are immune to this terrible disease, but the fact remains that one is far more likely to contract cancer at an advanced age. My father's health was nearly perfect until he was initially diagnosed with throat cancer in 1995 at the age of 65. However, on occasion as a child, I would hear of someone related to friends or acquaintances who "became sick and died," but it would be many years later before I figured out the specifics. I therefore chose my words carefully when explaining what was happening with Grandpa. I simply told my little girl that he was not well and that he would need an operation to take out the bad stuff inside of his throat that was making him sick. I also explained that he would lose his speaking voice and would talk like a robot through a microphone held against his neck afterward. I wanted to adequately prepare her for what was to come. At the same time, I was conscientious by not revealing the possibility that he could die.

My father pulled though the surgery, but a little over a year later, a tumor was found on one of his kidneys. Once again, another procedure was scheduled. This time, my daughter began to ask more questions; such as "What is cancer?"

She was a bit older now, but still too young to fully grasp the concept. Nevertheless, I told her that some people begin to grow things inside their bodies that interfere with the normal parts. I continued by saying that if these growths are not stopped, they will take over the body until the person dies from it. A good analogy to use in describing cancer to children is to tell them that it's like a bunch of weeds taking over a garden until all of the flowers or vegetables are overrun by them.

Well, my father pulled through the kidney cancer surgery as well, but ironically died as the result of a freak accident in late 2006. Now my daughter is 11 and is being taught the risks of tobacco use in her health class at school. I smoke, and she occasionally nags me about it. Tough love, I suppose.

I just hope that within her lifetime, a cure for all types of cancer will be realized. Wouldn't it be nice if this disease became extinct so we wouldn't have to discuss it at all?

Learn more about this author, Patrick Sills.
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