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Cancer survivor writes children's books on difficult topics

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More than six years ago, cancer survivor Ryan Arnold says he was certain he was going to die.

In 2015, the now Sault resident was diagnosed with a major tumour in his brain, known as Glioblastoma Multiforme, the most aggressive form of brain cancer.

Doctors told him that he would be gone by the summer of 2016.

After multiple unsuccessful rounds of treatment, specialists were shocked that in early 2020 the tumour was completely gone, s Arnold said Wednesday.

“They kind of put their hand on me and said, 'Ryan, we've never seen anything like this, it's a miracle from God.'"

Arnold began writing as part of his recovery in 2018 and eventually it became therapeutic. He saw it as a way to communicate with his then-young daughter, for when she grew up.

"This was my way of speaking to her from the grave," he said.

The cancer survivor has written nine books, all of which are at the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library. A number of them cover some difficult topics.

“There aren’t a lot of books out there at all that really talked about critical, terminal illness, from a family member death, in a children's area,” Arnold said.

Library CEO Matthew MacDonald said the books are a great addition to their selection.

“He’s written them in a way that’s much easier to understand some of these very difficult concepts for young ages,” MacDonald said.

Arnold's first series, 'I'd Give You My Last Hop,' was written for his daughter.

“Kind of a map to how I wanted her to be raised and to look at, and to have those morals," he said.

"A lot of them talk about standing up to bullying, and a lot of them talk about not looking at people that are different as less than you.”

The author doesn't make any money from his books, with all of the copies at the local library being donated.

He even pays out of pocket to get the stories illustrated.

It costs him roughly $700 for the books to get illustrated and printed, and he said he has multiple stories written, and is waiting until he can save up funds, or receive donations to have them published.

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