When Esther Fausett’s toddler son was being treated for stage 3 neuroblastoma, doctors told her to prepare for the worst.
“It’s a horrifying moment for a parent because nothing else matters as [much as the] survival of your child,” Fausett says.
But after a life-saving operation, a grueling 18 months of treatments and a lengthy recovery, Solomon is now a healthy 8-year-old boy. While her son was recovering from cancer, Fausett was teaching him to read and play the piano.
It was during that time that she began writing her son poems—poems that eventually became her book, “Little Warriors, Big Lives.”
Today, Fausett lives in Reston, Virginia, with her husband, Justin, and their children, Solomon (8) and Isabella (7). This September, they join families across the country in recognizing Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
How did you become an author? What do you love about it?
I became an author by accident. On the contrary, some say it was meant to be. During my son’s cancer treatment, we had to remove him from preschool due to his immunodeficiency. I went from being a mother leaning onto hope, thrust into an abyss of unknowns, [to] learning how to home-school him overnight due to his immunodeficiency.
As I was teaching him how to read and play piano, I wrote him poems that were related to his cancer journey, which also happened to be therapeutic for me. Once Solomon completed his cancer treatment protocol, I shelved the poems. [But] my husband was opposed to them collecting dust, as he felt the poems could benefit other families, [so, he encouraged me to submit them to children’s publishers].
What I love about authoring “Little Warriors, Big Lives” is that it positively empowers and comforts children battling critical illnesses that are both winning and losing their fight. It allows caregivers, friends and family members to read to children relatable poems that are positive, upbeat, daring, optimistic, fun and heart-warming despite their diagnosis.
Do you have any advice for parents going through a similar situation? (childhood cancer)
Be the best advocate you can be for your children. Always remain informed with your child’s medical team. Ask the hard questions. There are many support communities for parents, children with critical illnesses and their siblings.
Your child’s health social worker can provide a plethora of information, including connecting you with Pilot Air Lift Services (PALS) and Corporate Angel Network (CAN) to fly you and your child to medical appointments at no cost. There are countless tough decisions parents are required to make…Be kind to yourself, as this task can be comprehensively challenging.
What do you love about being a parent?
I undeniably love having this second opportunity to watch Solomon grow and develop into his own person. We almost lost him…So, I take every opportunity to travel often with my children, whether to make memories, enjoy new experiences or live every moment with them.
I love being a parent because I am their safe space while being the person my children lean on as they navigate the world. Having that opportunity to mold them into thoughtful, considerate, kind and multicultural little citizens is remarkable.
How do you make sure you get enough family time and me-time while balancing those with career time?
I believe many parents may struggle with this, myself included. However, I unconsciously yet constantly remind myself that I’m given a second chance at being a mother to Solomon. This notion generally stops me in my tracks quite often to recalibrate my time appropriately with family, myself and my career. It takes an exerted effort to balance this carefully because we can easily get wrapped into time-consuming factors of life.
Family Favorites
Meals: Sushi, Thai fried rice, pizza and tacos
Dessert: Double chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream
Vacation spot: Our favorite internationally is Costa Rica, and locally, anywhere with a beach.
Family activities: Hiking, biking, visiting museums and playing board games
*Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.
