Fly With a Miracle

Sheila Belshaw “Sheila writes of her son Andrew’s diagnosis and treatment for osteosarcoma. Andrew was 18 at the time of diagnosis, the year was 1984. Active in sports, his dream was to become a pilot. This British family was based in Africa, but Andrew and Sheila’s other sons were in boarding schools in England at the time of diagnosis. Sheila returned to London to be with her son during his chemo and surgery for osteosarcoma. Luckily they found cutting-edge treatments to save his leg. In the 1980s, they did not have the nausea-controlling drugs that they have today – reading those parts of the book made me wince, thinking how it could have been easier for him with what they know today. One additional reason that I enjoyed the book was because of all the references to places in London that I visited the summer before I read it. The book was interesting reading; even though the Belshaws have a totally different lifestyle than I do, so many of the references to having a teen with cancer made me say “been there, bought the T-shirt” (a phrase which she herself used in the book). Against all odds Andrew eventually became a pilot and realized his lifelong dream. A true story, btw.” (PF)