Novel gets dose of realism
Stansfield said she was largely unaware of the number of medical miracles that take place at center until she began research on her latest novel, "A Time to Dance."
Because one of her book's main characters is a child diagnosed with leukemia who spends a lot of time in the hospital, Stansfield spent time at Primary Children's to help make her story as real as possible.
"I was blessed to witness some of the miracles that take place there on a regular basis. It was heartwarming. I was also able to see and meet some of the children," she said.
"I sat in the lobby for awhile and watched the little children come and go with their little bald heads and their masks," she said. "It was life-altering for me."
Stansfield was allowed to see the unit where children with leukemia are treated and to talk with the nurses. She worked directly with an oncology nurse and had her read a draft of the novel to check it for medical accuracy.
She learned that one of the tragedies of serious childhood illnesses is the toll it takes on the parents' marriages. How to cope with the child's illness and maintain a strong relationship became a central theme in the novel.
Marriages can become reduced to passing each other in the hallway as parents take care of a hospitalized child, Stansfield said.
"It's important to remember that they met and fell in love first, then had their children," she said.
In "A Time to Dance," the storyline about children's leukemia came to Stansfield first, but as she researched the subject the story changed.
"I found I had to dig deeper," she said.
She met a family who had lost a child to the disease and was allowed to read the family's journal. The journal detailed the painful emotions involved in going through a bone marrow transplant only to lose the child in the end.
The experience traumatized her. "I stayed in bed for a day," she said.
She organized a luncheon for her fans and donated the proceeds — $1,740 — to the hospital.
E-mail: rodger@desnews.com
Recent comments
WOW! I love this book I love the romance and the mystery and thats...
Libby | Sept. 20, 2007 at 4:46 p.m.
