WONKY WHITE CELLS HERO HUNTER and the
By Sarah Stanley
Hero Hunter and the Wonky White Cells is a children's book exploring the science and journey of childhood leukaemia. Author and Illustrator Dr Sarah Stanley said creating this book was the perfect quartet of her passions for medicine, education, creativity and family.
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When a child is diagnosed with cancer, understanding what is happening can be very overwhelming, not only for the child but for their family, friends and other children around them. Sarah has helped to make this discussion a little easier for children by creating the wonderful book titled Hero Hunter and the Wonky White Cells.
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Sarah initially created the book for her Godson Hunter, our little superhero who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in 2016. Like all his family, Sarah felt compelled to support for Hunter in any way she could. As a General Practitioner, she was aware that the unknown can be very scary for children undergoing medical treatment. She felt her medical background could help her explain the complex nature of leaukaemia to demystify some of the path ahead. Sarah searched for resources, but could not find anything she thought explained the complex medical concepts properly. So she wrote and illustrated the first version of Hero Hunter and the Wonky White Cells.
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Hunter loved his book, and proudly shared it with friends and people on the Oncology ward. It soon became apparent that the book might have a wider audience, as it was an easy way for other children and even parents to understand what children with leukaemia go through. The book was also helpful for educating students on leukaemia, particularly in schools where a child has been diagnosed with cancer.
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We produced our first edition of Hero Hunter and the Wonky White Cells in 2019, and have shared 500 copies across WA. In 2023 Hero Hunter Foundation went into partnership with Redkite and have since donated over 400 copies to be distributed to children all over Australia who have been diagnosed with cancer.
The book is now available for purchase with everything going back to fund Hero Hunter Foundation's activities and services for families with childhood cancer.