The Cancer Survivors Club – an Anthology Review

Stories from the Strong and Brave

When it comes to ‘The Big C’ there is a lot of fear that surrounds the subject. I should know, I have written an article about the horrid subject hanging over your head like a dark cloud. Utter the word in public and you are likely to get a similar reaction to those who say Lord Voldemort out loud at Hogwarts.

But why are we afraid of it? Most people are only scared of what they don’t know, or don’t understand. So what if we changed that fact? What if we knew more about what it is like to live with cancer, would we be less afraid? More open to talking about it? More open to tackling it? More likely to do our ‘checks’ regularly, or take that BRCA Gene test? If we knew and understood more about how Cancer affects real peoples lives would we be less afraid?

Author of The Cancer Survivors Club, Chris Geiger, endured more than two years of cancer treatment including numerous operations, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant before he was finally able to say he was in remission. During his time battling the disease, Chris wrote a newspaper column highlighting his battle in a light-hearted and moving way in the hopes of publicising the disease and issues cancer patients face. His hard work and effort paid off when he was awarded the Guinness World Record for Most Published Article.

After winning the award for Columnist of the Year, Chris began to realise he was inspiring and encouraging others touched by cancer to talk more openly about their battles.

What resulted from this realisation was a truly inspirational book that brought together those who have suffered and beaten cancer as they share their experiences from a very personal first-hand point of view.

These stories are from Cancer survivors young and old, ordinary people fighting extraordinary battles collected together in one place in the hopes of breaking the silence. From rare cancers to more recognised and publicised strains, those with long term and short term treatments, the one thing they ALL have in common is that they all beat the disease and as a result can now call themselves members of the very exclusive Cancer Survivors Club.

The truly inspirational people who have poured their hearts out on the pages of this book deserve to be recognised. The collection of stories show in the most unflinching and deeply touching way, how they got through their darkest hours and how they found the strength to fight another day.

The whole book is, for want of a better word, inspiring. Although that word alone seems not to do these amazing people justice.

I did not cry, not once, while reading this book although I fully expected to. I did not cry, not because I wasn’t moved, but because I was inspired by the strength these people have. They did not write these stories to make people shed their tears, they wrote them to make others stronger. They do not share their stories in the hope of garnering sympathy, but in the hope that their words will help others realise they are not alone. They have achieved that goal faultlessly.

I could ramble on for three or four pages, go into detail about each and every story and tell you how each one touched me personally – but in all honestly, I don’t feel that is my place. I say that because I think that everyone who reads this book will take away a lesson or moral of their own depending on the circumstances and situations that have touched their own lives. I can, however, say that there is not a single person who will pick up and read this book and not be left feeling proud of those who have fought the hard fight and come out the other side still smiling.

For anyone who has struggled with a diagnosis themselves or helped a family through their toughest times, or even if you are worried about The Big C and just want to find the inspiration to fight – this book will leave you feeling like David ready to take on Goliath.

Praise goes out to Chris Geiger for the way he tackled this book and the selection of stories he chose. Praise goes out to those who shared their hearts on the page, those who helped them fight and gave them the strength to share their words. Praise to those who continue to help them fight and those who are fighting for cures for these diseases. Although I hope never to be a part of the survivors club, I do pray that if I ever face such a harrowing task that I am surrounded by people as encouraging and supportive as those in this book.

A truly inspirational and heartwarming read.

The Cancer Survivors Club, by Chris Geiger is published by One World Publications.
ISBN: 978-0-957412-20-0