Over the last ten years as a breast surgeon, I have come to the conclusion that breast cancer is a physiologic disease of the woman involved, and a disease of the family and society at large. With the statistics as compelling as one in eight women who will face this disease in their lifetime, the resources for families facing this disease need to be expanded.

The face of breast cancer is changing. It is no longer only the disease of someone's grandmother or great aunt. It is now a real disease of women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. Women in the prime of their lives. Many are career women. Many are women who are mothers later in life. Many are already dealing with the challenges of motherhood and careers, an organized chaos. Add to that a diagnosis of breast cancer, and the challenges for the woman and the entire family multiply several fold. The confusion is greatest for the littlest victims of this disease - the children.

It is my sincere hope that this book will assist children, ages five and above, to understand the changes. Children today, more so than ever before, are truly engaged in reality. Their understanding of changes around them is well tolerated, provided they are given information to assist them. To their credit, they are able to handle more than my generation at that age. This book is dedicated to the children of the women who are battling breast cancer.

Together we can all make a difference, one person at a time.