Olivia is helping patients and families understand the experience of blood cancer

Explaining cancer to children and others can be challenging. Finding the right words that are easily understandable, while keeping kids engaged is key to helping them best understand and manage what is happening to them.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is thrilled to bring you, your patients, and their caregivers a video highlighting one child’s experience with leukemia. Stars Will Twinkle, The Sun Will Shine, the book series that follows Olivia from diagnosis and hospitalization for treatment to her return to school following treatment, is now in video form!

The Stars Will Twinkle, The Sun Will Shine video starts with the content of book one, Under the Weather, where Olivia’s symptoms become apparent including fatigue and bruising, keeping her from playing as she would and engaging with her brother. Her parents take her to the doctor and after undergoing blood testing, Olivia is diagnosed with leukemia. The video shows how the diagnosis is explained in understandable terms to Olivia and her parents. It goes on to cover the content in Stars Will Twinkle when Olivia is hospitalized and undergoes treatment. She receives support from family, friends, and others in her unit and follows her discharge when treatment is completed. Finally, Olivia returns home and to school in Home, Sweet Home where she is welcomed by her grandmother, brother, and dog. The special needs she has are recognized and, in the sunshine, Olivia returns to play. She then goes back to school where her teacher and Olivia shared her experience and what she may need from her schoolmates.

In addition to the full length animated video and the three book series are also available in Spanish in audiobook and epublication formats.