MILWAUKEE — Fighting childhood cancer can be a battle, but a local group of kids realized it's not one you have to fight alone. They're writing books, not only to tell their friends' stories, but to raise money to pay the medical bills.
Linkin Eger, 9, is reading Mackenzie Clyde the book he wrote about her cancer journey. It has already been a battle for the 8-year-old little girl.
"When they found Mackenzie's, it had already metastasized so she has it in multiple parts of her brain as well as spine," said Mackenzie's mom Courtney Clyde.
Linkin knows what it is like because he also has brain cancer.
"It is bad stuff," said Eger. "Not going through chemo anymore."
"He was two when he was originally diagnosed. It came back," said Linkin's mom Kelly Eger.
Two years ago when Linkin's cancer came back and he had to start chemo his friend Naudia Greenawalt wanted to help.
"I decided to write the book because I wanted to help Linkin," said Naudia Greenawalt, 9.
She also wanted to understand what was happening to her friend.
"One of the special things about these, it's kids asking kids questions, the questions that you don't," said Naudia's mom Dolores Greenawalt. "Naudia asked Linkin, 'Are you scared to die? Are you afraid?' And I'm in the background like, oh no, we are going to get kicked out of this house, and Linkin is like, 'Naw.'"
The book helped Linkin's family explain what childhood cancer is like.
"It's a roller coaster," said mom Kelly Eger. "Some days you are really high and some days you are crying and you don't know why."
But they also realized it helped Linkin and Mackenzie deal with their own illness in a really positive way.
"It brought a lot of joy to Linkin," said Kelly.
"Whenever someone has cancer, like, you know, how they are feeling," said Mackenzie Clyde.
Mackenzie's book comes out on Thursday at the New Berlin Public Library at 15105 W Library Lane. There will be a book release event from 6 to 8 p.m. and everyone is invited. You can also learn more at www.myfriendlinkin.org.
