From Grief to the Waves: How One Mother Turned Her Son’s Cancer Battle Into a Children’s Book of Hope
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From Grief to the Waves: How One Mother Turned Her Son’s Cancer Battle Into a Children’s Book of Hope
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About this listen
If you’ve ever wondered how to turn loss into hope, episode 364 of Grief and Happiness is for you. Advocate and author Ashlee Cramer shares how caring for her son through a rare cancer battle inspired her children’s book Michael, The Boy Who Danced on the Waves. With honesty and strength, she reveals how writing, family, and resilience can transform grief into new ways of “dancing on the waves” of life.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(3:40) A son’s rare diagnosis
(6:10) The birth of a story in a hospital room
(7:30) From surfboard to storybook
(9:50) Hope without sugarcoating
(11:30) Why siblings must be included
(19:30) Writing as a lifeline
(26:40) Practical advice for caregivers
(35:20) Dancing forward, not back
In today's episode, I'm joined by Ashlee Cramer, Co-Founder and Chief Community Officer of No Patient Left Behind, a nonprofit advocating for affordable healthcare. A former dancer and early childhood educator, her life changed when her husband died of cancer in 2016 and later when her son Michael was diagnosed with a rare lymphoma. Ashlee became a full-time caregiver and advocate, raising awareness for pediatric cancer. During long hospital stays, she turned to journaling, which inspired her children’s book Michael, The Boy Who Danced on the Waves—a hopeful story of resilience that also supports pediatric cancer research. Through her work, Ashlee blends personal strength with a mission to ensure no patient and no family feels left behind.
Throughout this episode, Ashlee shares her journey with honesty and courage. She describes how writing evolved from a coping tool to the creation of Dancing on the Waves and stresses the importance of including siblings, being open with children, and using writing to ease grief and anxiety. Above all, she highlights the hope in her book—that while life may never return to “before cancer,” families can still find strength, connection, and joy by learning to “dance on the waves” in new ways.
Connect with Ashlee Cramer:
No Patient Left Behind
Michael and Mom Talk Cancer
YouTube
Book: Ashlee Cramer - Michael, The Boy Who Danced on the Waves
Let's Connect:
Website
The Grief and Happiness Alliance
Book: Emily Thiroux Threatt - Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief
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