‘Hair To The Queen!’ The Uplifting Journey Of A Haitian Cancer Survivor And Her Daughter

Tamara Rodriguez is definitely our Women’s International Day Highlight!  Recently featured by Essence.com, the Haitian born Miami-based author, mother, and breast cancer survivor was so inspired by the support she received from her young daughter that she wrote a children’s book which already have been hailed by the pediatric cancer community.

When it comes to cancer awareness, mother and cancer survivor Tamara B. Rodriguez believes it’s important to include children in the conversation. Inspired by the love and support she received from her family after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, Rodriguez wrote Hair to the Queen! in order to help adults discuss cancer with their kids.

After her diagnosis, Rodriguez wanted to talk about the disease with her two young daughters, but initially struggled to find the right words.“I wrote Hair to the Queen! to address the topic of cancer, while also emphasizing the importance of family and support,” the Haitian-born author tells ESSENCE.

She explains that the book’s main character, Corazon, was inspired by her younger daughter, who “helped me find the strength and courage I didn’t know I had, when I needed it the most.”

THE BOOK:

Hair to the Queen! follows seven-year old Corazon as she prepares her costume for her birthday party hosted by her mother, who is battling cancer and wears a wig after losing her hair. With assistance from her father and sister, Corazon secretly uses the birthday celebration as an opportunity to plan a special surprise for her courageous mom.

Hair to the Queen! encourages adults to discuss cancer with children in a simple, yet tender way. Beautifully illustrated, the story is brought to life by seven year-old Corazon as she prepares for a costume party, hosted by her mother, who is battling cancer and wears a wig after losing her hair. However, with the help of her father and sister, Corazon secretly uses the birthday celebration as an opportunity to plan a special surprise for her courageous mom.

Recently, Rodriguez has been invited to participate in many South Florida events to discuss her exceptional book- the Miami Book Fair International, Susan G Komen’s Faces of a Warrior event, The MIAMI HEAT Family Festival to name a few. She kicked off her international tour in Miami on January 14th, 2017 and will continue the tour in Haiti, NY, Washington DC, Montreal, and France.

Hair to the Queen! is available online  on Amazon.com and BooksandBooks.com, as well as at Books & Books locations in Miami Beach and in Coral Gables, FL. Click here to learn more about book-signing events and follow Hair to the Queen! on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The internet proceeds of the book sales go to The Alfred Beliard Foundation, which focuses on cancer education, early prevention, and treatment for Haitians living in Cap Haitien, Haiti where there is currently very limited resources for cancer patients.