“Dear MIllie”: Diary of A Seven Year Old with Cancer. By Marco Previero.

The word that strikes fear into the hearts of any parent. Cancer. This book is the heartbreaking insight into the diagnosis and subsequent  treatment journey of a little girl, through the eyes of her father.

At first I was a little dubious about reading this book, given that like most parents I like to keep my head firmly in the sand, as if reading such things will tempt fate.

The book opens with a letter to an older Millie from Marco, explaining why he has written the book and how inspirational to him she was. He uses Virgil’s Divine Comedy as a guide through the hell and heartbreak into the light of hope .

The book starts on a fairly normal hectic day with Millie making a passing comment , as children do, that her eyes were fuzzy and as she had been feeling unwell for a couple of days her parents booked an appointment with their pediatrician. Marco describes that first stomach sinking feeling as he tests her eyesight pre Dr that this could be something serious. Later in the same day it is confirmed to be a brain tumour. Throughout the book he describes both his feelings towards his daughter, his very real fear but also his absolute determination to be the best father, the best person he can be for his daughter. She is in danger not only of losing her eyesight but her life.

I found the book factually interesting but heartbreaking at the thought of what this poor little girl, and her family faced week after week after week. The praise, so rightly given to the specialist nurses and doctors of Great Ormond street hospital is tempered, again quite rightly, with the frustrations of a massive service such as the NHS.The lack of communication between departments, the one set of rules for all mentality of drug regimes, the waiting to have treatment budgets ok’d by people you have never even met . A little note here though, I did think Millie had a more fortunate start to her journey( thank goodness) by being able to have a private pediatrician appointment . I wonder how long to get to the diagnosis if the route had been started by the G.P route.As the journey continues, the determination of her father, his selfless , single minded focus is evident as he juggles the welfare of his other children, wife, business and of course Millie.

 Millie was diagnosed in 2013 and thus far is doing well, long may her health continue.

I can’t say I enjoyed reading this book because it was about a little girl and her family suffering so  instead I will say thank you. To Marco for writing and his publisher for publishing, so that the general public have an insight into the tremendous work done by the nurses and doctors and diagnosticians of Great Ormond Street and how far this great service, the NHS has to go . (The comparison in the book between the healthcare experience here and in the US  won’t come as a surprise to most of us.)

Finally, we all hear the old adage  that  “you can find the good in anything if you look hard enough” but thankfully it is mostly always true. As Marco says this journey showed him the resilience and bravery of his daughter, the love and support of his family and the kindness, the ability to go “above and beyond” of total strangers, restoring faith in humankind.

Marco has generously donated all profits to Great Ormond street hospital.

You can buy a copy here.