happy faces only
happy faces only
the story of a little girl who lived
Our daughter, Haley, was born perfectly healthy, but her world and that of our family changed drastically 17 months later. She became a patient, I became a medical mom, and our family embarked on a journey that was filled with medical twists and turns, incredible joys, and shattering sorrows. Haley died at age 11, but most importantly, Haley truly lived.
In happy faces only, I invite you to follow our journey from beginning to end, focusing on the waves of the abundant middle. This is a story of the evolution of our family, and the compassionate care and support that we all received from those expected to offer it, and from so many who were surprising participants in Haley’s life. It is at its core an unforgettable love story.
The links below will take you to online retailers.
(Kindle edition also available through Amazon)
For in person purchase, visit one of the following brick and mortar stores in Edmonton:
Chapters Westside: 9952 - 170th Street
Stollery Kids Store: located on the main floor of the Stollery Children's Hospital, 8440 - 112 Street
Daisy Chain Book Co.: 12525 - 102 Avenue
“My desire is to generate hope – hope that even in the most heart-breaking and desperate of situations, there are golden moments of pure joy and intense living, and those times will never be forgotten.”
The story of a little girl who lived…
happy faces only tells the story of my daughter, Haley, and more completely, the journey of our whole family during her lifetime. What started as my attempt to capture and retain the details of Haley’s life evolved into a desire for others to understand a journey such as ours.
Not everyone has the opportunity to gain a lived experience of having a child with significant and life-threatening medical challenges – and that’s a good thing. But many will know such a family, either personally or professionally, and may not know how best to interact with that family or support them. I would like happy faces only to provide a window into their world and give people the courage to connect with those families in a meaningful way. And for those who are living or have undergone a similar experience, my desire is to offer relatability and generate hope – hope that even in the most heart-breaking and desperate of situations, there are golden moments of pure joy and intense living and those times will never be forgotten. I invite you to spend a few hours in our family’s world and get to know Haley, my little girl who lived.
Why should you read happy faces only?
If you are anything like me, deciding to invest my time in reading a particular book takes great consideration. Here are some things others have said about happy faces only that might help you decide:
“Although I was absolutely heartbroken as I read, at the same time I felt absolutely uplifted and in awe of the strength and courage you all have… But despite the utter sadness of losing your sweet, precious Haley, your story beautifully illustrates that one does not need to live 80 or 90 years to make an immense impact on this world and those around them.”
Ann-Marie Sande, Registered Nurse
“Karen shares her experiences of loving and losing a child in this powerful narrative. This story invites readers into a world that many are afraid of – talking about illness and the death of a child. “
Tanya Heuver, RN, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Nursing, MacEwan University
Still unsure?
The following excerpt will give you a taste:
“I wished I didn’t know the oncology world, but at the same time found such depth of living and incredible people there, both the families and the health care providers. It was an extraordinary world that I’d been thrown into against my will, and I did not hate it there.
We couldn’t help but become different people as we walked this journey. No one can be unchanged by the fears, the uncertainty, the steep learning curve, and the changes that occur when a child is diagnosed with a major illness. The entire family is irreversibly altered, and while those around us awaited our return to our former selves, it did not come. For me, I felt like I had a foot in both worlds, and never felt quite sure of where I belonged.
We were no better equipped or uniquely qualified to rise to the occasion than anyone else. But when faced with a situation such as ours, you have no choice but to get through it. We were forced to look at life in little chunks, rather than looking ahead and planning. During that year of chemo, Greg and I lost our ability to plan in advance, and to this day, we still have a hard time looking forward. We were inundated with traumatic, life-altering interruptions that made planning futile and frustrating. It is only in looking back that we truly wonder how we were able to do what we did, as I believe is the case for anyone involved in this type of crisis.”