When Someone You Love Has Cancer
A Must for Caregivers
As a former pastor and volunteer hospital chaplain, Cecil Murphey had been around many cancer patients. As an author, he helped one woman write her cancer-survival story. However, when his wife got breast cancer, it was different. It became personal. He struggled to find a book that would help him as a caregiver. He found statistics, technical and medical information, and autobiographies of cancer survivors. Now that he is on the other side of his wife’s diagnosis and she is a ten-year cancer survivor, Cec Murphey has written the book, When Someone You Love Has Cancer: Comfort and Encouragement for Caregivers and Loved Ones. The chapters are short with beautiful illustrations by Michal Sparks that provide an atmosphere of peace and comfort. Each chapter ends in a brief prayer. Cec writes from his heart in a down-to-earth practical way. The appendix is entitled Practical Things You Can Do to Help Those Diagnosed with Cancer. The tips are divided into three sections: Before You Offer Help, What You Can Do Now, and Long-Term Caregiving. Cec does a wonderful job of encouraging family and friends of cancer patients. As a nine-year cancer survivor, I wish this book had been around when I went through cancer. It would have helped my parents, the rest of my family, and my friends. Not only should caregivers have this book, but also ministers, hospital and prison chaplains, hospice personnel, counselors, and medical oncology libraries.