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Against the Odds: The True Story of Michele, A Cancer Survivor

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Last Modified: November 1, 2001

Authors: Patrick Nolan, Patricia A. Nolan, RN, & Michele K Nolan Publisher: Alchemy Publishing Company, Langley, WA, 1995. ISBN: 1-887170-05-7 $15.00 softcover

Reviewed by R. Medbery, M.D.

Against the Odds: The True Story of Michele, A Cancer Survivor is the story of a little girl who developed a cancer of the kidney called Wilm's Tumor when she was three years old. Before her fifth birthday, she had three major operations, moved 3000 miles across country, and suffered through debilitating chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The odds were against her, but she had an undeniable will to live. She survived, and is now a healthy young woman. This is her story, but it is also the story of a her family's struggle to find the courage to conquer the terrible fears they had to face. Thus it is told by both Michele and her parents, to help families who find themselves frightened and scared. It is the story of family and friends who supported Michele and her parents through this terrible ordeal. As the introduction says, it's "... a story of hope, a story of tears, a story of courage and a story of luck."