Mother turns cancer experience into children's book

9 February 2025

Alex Pope

BBC News, Buckinghamshire

Priyanka Pandya-Bhatt said the book is for children to help understand their emotions

Author in Me Priyanka Pandya-Bhatt, wearing a white outfit, looking at the camera and smiling, she has shoulder length dark hair, and is wearing a silver necklace. She is front of a red wall. — Priyanka Pandya-Bhatt said the book is for children to help understand their emotions

A mother and teacher has used the life-changing experience of a cancer diagnosis to develop a children's book to help families deal with tough questions.

Priyanka Pandya-Bhatt, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, penned When Mummy Had Cancer as "a tool, to have open conversations and help families".

She said she was inspired by her daughters Keya, seven, and Shriyana, five, during those "two very difficult years" of treatment.

"My main focus was ensuring that the girls knew what was going on because I don't want them making up their own stories," she said.

Mrs Pandya-Bhatt said she wanted to be open with her children, Keya and Shriyana

Priyanka Pandya-Bhatt A family in a park, a man to the left, a woman, and two children at the front. They are all wearing winter coats, the children have hats on, the man has a hat on and Priyanka has her hair down and is wearing a red coat. They are all by a park with a water and a water feature in the middle. — Mrs Pandya-Bhatt said she wanted to be open with her children, Keya and Shriyana

The 39-year-old was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at the age of 36 and began writing the book while she underwent rounds of chemotherapy.

Mrs Pandya-Bhatt said she first discovered a lump in her breast at Easter 2022, which led to a mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and reconstructive surgery.

By October 2023, she was "given the all clear" and was now in remission.

The book is told from a children's perspective and features artwork by Debasmita Dasgupta

Author in Me Artwork for When Mummy Had Cancer showing a mother, with a bald head, with a flower behind her ear, crouching down, talking to her daughter, with long dark hair. She has a scarf found her neck, that then flows into a tree with branches and leaves, with the book title to the left, all the colours are autumnal, so brown peach and red. — The book is told from a children's perspective and features artwork by Debasmita Dasgupta

She said there had been plenty of advice for her and her husband Manoj Bhatt, but she felt her children were missing out.

"I thought, how much do you tell them, or don't tell them":[]}