Many children have a favourite cartoon character growing up – be it a glamourous Disney princess, crime-fighting superhero, or goofy sidekick. Oftentimes, it’s because they see a bit of themselves in the character – and aspire, one day, to be “just like them”.
But what happens when children don’t see themselves represented on the big and silver screen, streaming services, or books? And what if, during the tricky times in life, they really needed to?
Local mother Sarah Bankuti knows just how important representation can be for a child. When her daughter, Alice, was diagnosed with brain cancer at 10 months old, Bankuti endured years of tests, surgeries, and chemotherapy treatments by her side – and was dismayed at how little relatable, comforting picture books there were to help Alice through this very difficult time.
“When you’re a child with cancer, it’s a very isolating feeling,” said Bankuti. “You know you’re different from the other children, and it’s just not fair because you have no control over it.”
That’s why Bankuti began telling her own stories about a princess who knew what it was like to experience cancer – a princess who understood being sick, having her hair fall out, and staying brave in the face of tough treatments.
The idea grew into the first picture book in Bankuti's series, Princess Lily Earns her Beads, which follows a princess’s adventures as she travels to an enchanted forest to find a cure for her mysterious illness.
“If a child with cancer sees that there’s a well-known character, and all their peers know about this character, then it helps them see that they’re not alone,” said Bankuti.
Today, the series has five books in total, including one geared toward children with neurofibromatosis and another that tackles the difficulty of losing your hair. Bankuti has also began producing plushies of the series’ characters for added comfort through treatment.
She hopes the series will empower children facing cancer and other serious illnesses with the knowledge that they’re not alone – as well as share the experiences that they go through so that their peers can be more empathetic and understanding.
“I don’t mention that Princess Lily has cancer in my books because there’s a lot of other children that are on the same treatment as children with cancer, who have to go through chemo and radiation too,” said Bankuti. “I wanted as many children as possible to see themselves represented.”
To raise money for her series and donate a goal of 1,000 hardcover books and 1,000 plushies, Bankuti has opened a Kickstarter fundraising campaign. She hopes to reach her goal of $15,000 by the end of the month.
One hundred per cent of proceeds from her fundraiser will go toward producing, distributing, and donating the books and plushies to hospitals and organizations serving children with cancer. In addition to larger organizations like Childhood Cancer Canada and Ontario Parents Advocating for Children With Cancer (OPACC), Bankuti will also be donating locally to Southlake Regional Health Centre.
Those interested in supporting the Kickstarter campaign can preorder Princess Lily Earns her Beads and the Princess Lily plushie for $35 or donate them for $30. If the campaign surpasses its goal, Bankuti will print more books and manufacture more plushies from the series.
“Alice is eventually going to be losing her hair. Instead of her peers pointing at her for not having hair, instead I want them to think that she must be a brave warrior like Princess Lily,” said Bankuti. “If we teach all children at a young age that everyone is different, that some children need to be on strong medicine, then they will be more empathetic.”
