Juliet Knowles

Autumn Ivy Cannon: a Mother's Perspective from Struggle to Triumph-wilms' Tumor Juliet Knowles

Juliet Knowles began writing a blog about her daughter's fight with cancer as a way to reach out to others in the same situation, and her work became a personal story of survival. Now she offers her perspective on that struggle in Autumn Ivy Cannon. Juliet's daughter, Autumn, is a wonderful, beautiful, and strong little girl who had a very rough and exhausting fourth year of her life. She was diagnosed with a form of kidney cancer just two months after her fourth birthday. For Juliet, hearing that her child had cancer seemed unbelievable, unmanageable, and unreal. It felt as if she were witnessing someone else's life from a distance, something she believes was a way of protecting her own emotions from the tragedy. Now, looking back, she recalls her experiences of facing that tremendous challenge and learning of her own capacity for strength and endurance. Juliet began writing during Autumn's cancer diagnosis and treatment in the beginning of 2011. It was an intense year, full of anxiety and frustration as well as moments of truly understanding both life's brevity and its greatness. Sifting through photos and rereading the passages she wrote during the past year throughout Autumn's recovery has helped her to heal, reach out, and share her story with others.