WHAT OUR READERS ARE SAYING
CHER
Actress and Singer
Being an actress, I can’t help jumping into the lives of others. Paint Your Hair Blue is a love story where heartbreak, joy, and tears will capture your heart and make you believe that love can conquer all.
A triumph of the human spirit! This book will make you laugh and cry as you cheer Taylor on in her fight against childhood cancer.
JEFF GORDON
Founder of Jeff Gordon's Children Foundation; Retired NASCAR Champion
ANGIE HARMON
Mother, Actress, Director, UNICEF Ambassador
A heartbreaking yet heartwarming story of how Taylor and her family navigated pediatric cancer with love, laughter, and tears. Beautifully written, it feels as if you’re going through the journey with Taylor and her family. Paint Your Hair Blue will make you hug your children tighter and fight harder to find a cure for pediatric cancer.
Paint Your Hair Blue is a heartwarming memoir that uncovers the battles a strong and beautiful young girl fought through as a pediatric cancer patient. As a parent, I cannot imagine the pain that Taylor’s parents endured and greatly admire their courage to share this incredible story of love and perseverance a poignant reminder to both live life and love others to our greatest capacity.
Kirkus Book Review
A debut memoir chronicles a girl’s battle to survive—and her joy, despite the odds.The authors tell the story of 11-year-old Taylor’s courageous five-year cancer fight. With three daughters and lucrative careers, Matthews (Taylor’s mom) and her beloved husband seemed to have it all. But in 2003, Taylor was diagnosed with bone cancer. Though she died at age 16, this poignant account—told from Matthews’ first-person point of view—is more about living than dying. A bright, vivacious girl, Taylor often kept her family laughing with her high-spirited sense of humor. By 16, she had undergone 16 surgeries, but instead of dwelling on the negative, feisty Taylor—who lived life to the fullest—advised a cancer patient “to dye her hair pink or a combination of all her favorite colors.” According to Matthews and Cohane (Taylor’s aunt), treatments for the teenager’s type of cancer have not changed in decades. In addition, they assert, all pediatric cancers receive only about 4 percent of the National Cancer Institute’s budget. A creative girl, Taylor founded a nonprofit group called tay-bandz, which has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars for pediatric cancer research.
Today, the organization bears Taylor’s name. In this touching memoir, Matthews’ authentic voice is likable, and she gives an honest account of a mother’s desperation (sometimes she screamed at doctors). The smooth prose sprinkles in vivid details that accurately reflect a caregiver’s fear and exhaustion. In one heart-rending scene, Matthews recalls sitting in a bright yellow waiting room, staring at children’s artwork on the walls. She was tired and terrified, but she kept a frozen smile on her face for Taylor’s sake. And though the authors are not highly critical of doctors or specialists, they paint a realistic portrait of human error. According to the book, an anesthesiologist who didn’t check Taylor’s allergies before an operation caused a dangerous complication. The volume, which features family photographs, concludes with a list of practical, in-the-trenches advice, like insisting on being in the recovery room when a child wakes up. Though some of the anecdotes may be horrifying for readers who are beginning a struggle with cancer, Taylor’s short life spreads rays of hope for the future.
A moving, bittersweet account of enduring love.
If you’ve ever loved someone with all your strength, mind, heart, and soul, this book—this love story—will appeal to you. The author tells a deeply personal story about her young daughter's determination to stay alive despite the onslaught of pediatric cancer. Your heart will break and soar, sometimes simultaneously, as you learn about Taylor's fierce courage and unremitting resolve to not permit cancer to scar her spirit along with her body. As much as any drug or medical protocol, readers quickly realize that Taylor's best medicine, and the one that worked better than any other, was the lavish and unconditional love of her father, mother, and sisters.
Paint Your Hair Blue is a mother's longing to give enduring eloquence to a daughter's voice, to not let it go silent. Readers will come away from the book with a vivid understanding of how truly short and precious life is and a greater willingness to add more color as we go along.
Taylor's was a life worth living, and this is a book well worth reading. Paint Your Hair Blue is an inspiring memoir about a laughing, fun-loving teen who lived life on her own terms despite having cancer. This book will resonate with anyone going through a difficult diagnosis. Filled with anecdotes that will help you survive the medical world, it is a love story that will have you shaking your head about the state of pediatric oncology as well as the grace and determination of one little warrior.
Mid-West Book Review:
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Paint Your Hair Blue: A Celebration of Life with Hope for Tomorrow in the Face of Pediatric Cancer" is an impressively informative and ultimately inspiring read that is unreservedly recommended for anyone having to deal with cancer within themselves or a loved one. While especially and unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Health/Medicine collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Paint Your Hair Blue" is also available in a digital book format.
HANNAH STORM
ESPN Award-winning Journalist
REVEREND ANTHONY PENNA
Boston College
NANCY TADDIKEN
Retired Superintendent for Edgemont Schools, Taylor's Friend and Hero
THE BABY SPOT
The “C” word can scare anyone. It is horrible to find out that someone you love has cancer but when you find out your child has cancer, it is a whole other fear. Eleven year old Taylor Matthews was diagnosed with cancer. She wanted to identify herself as the kid with cancer but not the cancer kid. This little girl, wise well beyond her years, takes us on an incredible journey with this fascinating book, Paint Your Hair Blue- a Celebration of Life with Hope for Tomorrow.
Paint Your Hair Blue is the ultimate love story between Mom and daughter. The love they have for each other will make you try to read the book all in one sitting. But bonding over a horrible disease is not the only lesson learned in this book. It’s about empowering yourself as a parent and as a family, even in the darkest moments.
This book taught us so much about being your own advocate. When devastated with pediatric cancer, many parents feel they do not have the time to learn and understand the information that pediatric oncologists are throwing at them. Be a champion for your child’s health. This book will show you how to overcome what seems to be impossible odds. You would be surprised what you can do.
This book taught us so much about the world of pediatric cancer treatment, not only in the USA, but around the world. It is definitely eye opening.
APPLY THIS BOOK TO YOUR OWN LIFE
This moving story can inspire you. Without giving the book away, no matter what your circumstance, Taylor and family can inspire you to find joy in your life and become your own warrior. Whether it is depression or a cancer diagnoses, you will get nuggets of wisdom and strength from this beautiful book. Even in the darkest of times, you have to find your light.
WHAT TOUCHED US THE MOST?
Be sure to spend some time completely absorbing chapter 9, learning to fly. This is a hard chapter to read. We like to think that when one has cancer, no matter how young or old that the community will be there to support with love and friendship. That is not always the case. Taylor makes sure to see through the pain and with the love of her family, perseveres. We will not give the book away, but we want our audience to reflect on that chapter. The quote at the beginning of the chapter is “Sunshine mixed with a little hurricane.” This life quote cannot be truer. We found a lot of strength in this chapter.
Unfortunately, the beautiful and strong Taylor Matthews passed away at 16 years young. The world lost a great young lady but Mother Sue Matthews keeps her legacy alive with this book.
The Taylor Matthews Foundation is now run by Mom which funds research at several leading institutions and has a strong voice in lobbying Congress for legislation to improve access to cancer treatments for children.
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5
OUR REVIEW
Definitely a tear jerker, but through the tears we found ourselves loving the story and finding great wisdom, joy and strength from the book. Recommended for families, cancer warriors and people who need a support system through difficult challenges. A kind reminder that a portion of the author’s proceeds of the book will be donated to TAY BANDS INC. Such a great cause.
It’s so hard to think of losing a child, especially one as strong and incredible as Taylor. This Mother daughter love story will help raise awareness, support and change to the pediatric cancer world and what needs to be done. It also helps parents and children cherish each other and hold each other a little tighter after reading.
Make sure to buy this book today and get ready for a real page turner. Read by yourself or with your older child to share in this story of strength, love and life.
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The Baby Spot is a Global Parenting Magazine. After starting as a Canadian Parenting Magazine, The Baby Spot knew that parents needed access to information from experts, celebrities and writers from all over the world! We focus on pregnancy, babies, parenting children of all ages, positive parenting articles, recipes, tips, travel and more! Thank you for visiting The Baby Spot, your global spot for all things parenting!
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