A Worthing female, who took up writing to help handle the death of her daddy, has actually penned a heartfelt kids’ book checking out styles of loss, sorrow and relationship.
Ash Hunter remains in print with A Different Day, which supplies a delicate and relatable resource for kids browsing the complex feelings surrounding death and sorrow. She is assuring a caring tale of relationship in between a puppy called Lilo, a character based loosely on Ash’s golden retriever, who bears the exact same name, and her friend, Mo.
“It’s been a labour of love and I’m really excited to see it come together,” says Ash, who will be contributing £1 from the sale of each book to Brain Tumour Research.
Ash’s assistance of the charity comes following the death of her daddy, Kenny Hunter, in April 2020, aged 51. Kenny, a scaffolder who was initially from Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, however transferred to Swindon, Wiltshire, aged 15, was identified with thyroid cancer a week prior to his 40th birthday in January 2009. He had his thyroid and lymph nodes eliminated, and part of a lung 4 years later on, however went on to establish 9 secondary brain tumours. Ash, an animal fan and Pet Family brand name ambassador, said: “Dad was someone who always put others first. He was a witty, happy-go-lucky man and the most considerate person I’ve ever met. He started getting really forgetful and angry, and just wasn’t himself. I probably noticed it more because I was away at university and not living with him, but I said to my mum ‘I think his cancer’s in his brain’.
“She spoke to his consultant who assured her it couldn’t cross the blood-brain barrier but, six months later, she insisted they did a brain scan because I was 99 per cent sure that’s where it was. Sadly, by the time they found his brain tumours, it was too late to do anything about them. They gave him a year to live but dad lasted 26 months. To be honest, by that point, I think he was tired of all the treatment.”
27-year-old Ash is intending to raise a minimum of £2,740 for the charity, which suffices to sponsor a day of research study at one of its 4 Centres of Excellence. “The reason I feel so strongly about supporting Brain Tumour Research is because dad’s brain tumours were the point at which we were told there was nothing that could be done. We always knew his cancer was terminal but we deemed him as living with cancer. The brain tumours are when things changed and we said ‘Oh, he’s dying of it now’.”
Ash’s composing begun after a counselling session as a method to handle her sorrow over losing her papa. She said the book happened “almost by accident” and includes rhymes as a homage to Kenny who use to compose “silly” poems to her mum. She said: “If I can help just one person deal with the ideas that no one lives forever and loss gets easier over time, then I will feel like I’ve achieved something.
“As the last page in my book says: ‘Lilo had learnt this lesson, which she could not forget: It’s good to show your feelings, even when you are upset. Sometimes sad things happen, and there is nothing to be done. But a friend can always show that after dark nights comes the sun.’”
A Different Day is available to purchase on Amazon. It can likewise be bought at www.ashhunter.co.uk.
