Shaundra's Story

Photo of Shaundra Conley
  
 

No matter where cancers strike in the body,
they always touch the heart.

  
Shaundra Conley was 8 years old when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. A cancer center staff person asked Shaundra what she knew about the disease, as the center was preparing to write a children's cancer-education book and wanted to learn what young children knew about the disease.

As a means to communicate her knowledge about cancer, Shaundra drew a picture of a person and wrote "cancer in the heart." She explained, "I know my mother doesn't have cancer in her heart, but that's where I felt it when they told me she was sick." Her mother passed away in 1991.

A Day With Dr. Waddle is the final product of that children's book project. It has been helpful to thousands of families nationwide, and we thank Shaundra for the insight she provided at that difficult time when she was 8 years old.

Shaundra later attended K-State and visited the center in 2001. She majored in elementary education with plans to be a teacher in special education. What a good career choice, since, years ago, she taught us that...no matter where cancers strike in the body, they always touch the heart.
Shaundra Conley's childhood illustration was used on the cover of the cancer center's annual magazine, Accepting a Challenge.
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