HOLLAND, Mich. — A book written by the late Emerson Hoogendoorn, a West Michigan girl who fought a rare form of pediatric brain cancer, has been released to the public. My Cancer Journey from A to Z offers an emotionally insightful look into Emerson's experiences, providing comfort and guidance to children facing similar journeys.
Emerson was diagnosed with diffuse midline glioma (DMG) — also known as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer — in kindergarten.
Despite there being no cure available, Emerson's family aggressively sought treatment, including signing up the young girl for an experimental drug trial.
Throughout her journey, Emerson focused much of her energy on displaying courage and kindness.
“I wanted to work at the vet, and then I also wanted to work as a brain surgeon,” she told FOX 17 during an interview in 2020.
“I said to Mom, ‘Which one should I be?’ And Mom was like, 'Maybe you could be a brain surgeon for animals.'”
She spent a lot of time in her final years raising money for other kids dealing with lengthy hospital stays, and contributing towards a nonprofit called the Chad Tough Foundation.
This involved Emerson hosting lemonade stands and stuffed animal donation drives.
<i>My Cancer Journey from A to Z</i> is a unique perspective on spending your childhood in and out of the hospital, offering words of wisdom and comfort for others in similar scenarios.
The project began almost four years ago, when Emerson was a fourth grader in Julie Kovacs's class at Waukazoo Elementary in Holland.
“She wanted to write about her knowledge of being in the hospital, and she thought she could help other kids,” Kovacs recalled to FOX 17.
“I remember the day that she picked her topic, she came to me and said that she wanted it to be a real book, and that she wanted to use the money to help the charity that her family has been supporting [for Chad Tough].”
Kovacs says Emerson spent much of her fifth grade year rewriting her book.
“She had already, as a very young person, really developed that altruistic mindset to help other kids,” she explained.
Eventually, Kovacs was able to speak with the people behind Mission Point Press about potentially publishing Emerson’s book.
“They agreed graciously to publish her book for free. They've born all the costs and donated a lot of their own time,” she said.
A book release party was held Thursday at Emerson's former elementary school, where friends, family and classmates gathered to celebrate her legacy and spread her message of kindness.
The event was organized by Kovacs’s current students, who put together the entire event over several weeks' time. They chose a venue, the school library, and decided on all the activities that would be on-site.
Emerson's cousin, Maison Francis, is part of that class.
“I’m looking forward to being able to see how many people are at the party supporting Emerson and the book,” she told FOX 17. “And being able to have all these different jobs and be a part of it.”
The cousin's grandmother Barb Francis has been stopping into the classroom on a regular basis during the planning sessions.
“It's [Maison’s] chance to honor Emerson,” she explained. “So, it's nice to see her kind of getting to do something, and she's so proud of it.”
Copies of <i>My Cancer Journey from A to Z</i> were available for guests to purchase at Thrusday’s release party.
They are also available to order via Amazon.
All of the proceeds from the book will be donated to the ChadTough Foundation to fund their effort to find a cure for DIPG/DMG.
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