'It just wasn't fair': mum writes book to explain terminal cancer to young daughters

A mum diagnosed with terminal breast cancer has written a book to explain the illness and death to her children. 

Sarah West, from Leicestershire, England, was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2017. Two weeks later, doctors told her that it was terminal. She was only 34. 

Going to the doctors with a lingering pain in her arm she was referred to a breast clinic and diagnosed with stage four metastatic breast cancer. It had spread to her bones, lungs, liver and most likely her brain. 

"It was such a shock when I was told I had stage four breast cancer that I sobbed my heart out," she said, speaking to Metro. "My first thought was what about my children? And that it just wasn't fair."

She began searching for a way to explain her diagnoses to her daughters, Olivia, 6, and Amelia, 3. 

"The girls were so young that I wanted a more sensitive way to tell them without using the c-word," she explained. "I searched for books but there was nothing that was tailored to their age group and it was all so matter of fact." 

Due to the lack of material out there, West decided to write her own. 

"I was sat on one of my ill days when I just started writing some words on my phone. I don’t think I ever thought it would come to much." 

With the help of friends and using illustrations drawn by her daughters, West published Mummy's Got a Poorly. 

Printing 20,000 copies, all proceeds are being donated to The Osborne Trust- a charity that supports the children and families of cancer patients. 

West said that creating the book has helped the family talk about cancer together. 

She hasn't asked doctors about her final prognosis as she wants to spend as much time as possible enjoying her family. 

"Amelia is still quite young so she just keeps saying that Mummy’s needs to take her medicine when she has a poorly tummy." she says of her children.

"It has hit Olivia really hard and she started to ask me a lot about death, it was like she had suddenly grown up. We try to do as many family things, such as holidays and days out, but I still feel like they are being robbed of their childhood." 

Since the publication of the book, west has received many messages of support and thanks from parents in similar situations. 

A cancer nurse also told her that it was the "best book" she had ever seen. 

West's husband, Rupujit, will also be running the London marathon to raise money for cancer charities. 

For more information on Mummy's Got a Poorly, see here.