A six-year-old girl has written a children's book to help families explain cancer to young children after her father was given just 10 months to live following a terminal diagnosis.
Isabella Capstick created 'Daddy's Little Monsters' with her mother Lauren after her father Chris was told his cancer had returned and he had terminal stage four melanoma.
The book does not use the word 'cancer' and instead tells the story of 'little monsters' to help children understand why a parent may become ill, need hospital treatment, or be too tired to play.
Isabella's Book
Chris, 41, who previously lived in Manchester's Northern Quarter before moving to the Wirral, was first diagnosed with melanoma in 2023 after doctors initially believed it to be a cyst. He underwent 13 months of treatment, including having lymph nodes removed from his right arm, before being given the all-clear. However, the disease returned last year with six tumours in his body and six in his brain, leading to a terminal diagnosis in August and doctors telling him he had 10 months to live.
Chris and his wife struggled to explain his illness to their three daughters: Mila, 10; Isabella, six; and Nylah, two. He said: 'We really struggled on how to explain it to the children and it was causing quite a lot of upset in the house with me going in and out of the hospital.'
Isabella, in particular, was having emotional issues. Chris said his wife decided to sit down with Isabella and see if she wanted to create a story, leading to 'Daddy's Little Monsters'.
Chris said: 'She seemed to find it therapeutic for herself. She doesn't understand what the word cancer means. The book doesn't say cancer anywhere in it. She just thinks daddy has got these little monsters inside of him and we are trying to get rid of them.'
Diagnosis and Family Struggle
Published around three weeks ago, the book has already sold almost 300 copies and received 32 five-star reviews. Chris, who previously sold his collection of signed football shirts to pay for a family trip to Disney World, said the response showed a need for more support for children dealing with a parent's illness. The family are now seeking funding via GoFundMe to produce more copies to donate to those in need, including to charities like Maggie's.
Debbie de Jonge, cancer support specialist at Maggie's, Wirral, said: 'Isabella and her family have faced a hugely challenging time, but working on the book together has been a cathartic process which has helped them come to terms with Chris' diagnosis as a family. I know it is a source of happiness for them to think of the book helping other young children like Isabella.'
Legacy and Support
Chris has spent over 20 years as a youth and community worker and currently works for the Teenage Cancer Trust. He said seeing Isabella turn a difficult experience into something positive has given him a lasting legacy: 'Even if this is my last dance, I get to live on in a story that my child has written and I don't think there are many dads out there that can say that.'
The book has become a regular part of family life, with Isabella reading it with her sisters three or four times a week. Isabella also signed copies for her sisters and some students in a book signing set up by her school. Her efforts were recognised with a Girlguiding Award through her Rainbows group, becoming only the third person to receive the honour in the area for making an outstanding contribution to the community.
The family hope the book can reach more children and parents facing the same difficult conversations that inspired Isabella to write it.
