Prince William County Public Schools

Madison Lyublanovits, a fifth-grade student at Covington-Harper Elementary School, turned to writing to help cope with her mom's breast cancer diagnosis. The outcome of her writing became a published book.

When Madison's mother Shon was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2019, she noticed that her daughter struggled talking about it. Shon encouraged Madison to write about it while continuing to have verbal conversations.

"It started with simple conversations of just how she felt at different stages of my journey. I quickly saw that each time we talked; she shared a bit more. Those experiences turned into this book," Shon shared.

Madison's book, titled "Ok Mommy, I Will Help You," offers a unique perspective of a youth's point-of-view on watching a parent battle cancer. The main character, Savvie, has similar experiences to what Madison endured with her own mother.

"I didn't know how to handle this when my mom first told me she had cancer. I didn't have anyone to talk to that was my age who really understood what I was going through. This book helped me to look back and see the bright side of how to handle tough situations," Madison shared.

Covington-Harper Elementary Counselor Amy Sutherland was an important source of help for Madison.

"I learned from my school counselor to be open-minded, to treat everybody the way they want to be treated and to be strong. The advice about being strong helped me the most and I knew if I needed help, she was there for me, said Madison

The book, "Ok Mommy, I Will Help You," can be purchased through Ver Kallos Media Group by emailing verkallosmediagroup@gmail.com. Madison hopes her book helps other children who may have to endure similar hardships.