Success Specialist, Son, Write on Overcoming Leukemia

Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg’s Success Specialist Laura Davis and her son Cole Davis prove that nothing is impossible for those who wake up every day and take things one day at a time. Their co-authored book One Day at a Time: A Journey Through Pediatric Cancer, published Sept. 1, gives insight into the challenges families undergoing cancer treatment face today.

After being diagnosed with leukemia, 14-year-old Cole and his mother found themselves in the world of pediatric cancer. Chemotherapy, reactions to medications, and drug shortages were some of the many of the obstacles they encountered. Cole received treatment for three years. For two of those years, Cole was out of school, away from friends and other support he was used to before the COVID-19 pandemic. “Even though everyone was isolated at that point, it’s still hard to be away from your friends and going through something no one really understands,” says Laura Davis. After those three long years, Cole ended treatment on October 3, 2022.

In November 2022, they began to write a memoir to give insight into the challenges families with leukemia face today so those going through a similar journey feel less alone. Told through both mother and son’s perspective, each chapter is broken into a “Laura” and a “Cole” section. The reader is alongside Cole as he describes his experience being a teen, not quite an adult but no longer a child, as he receives treatment in a children’s hospital. And learns of Laura’s perspective on the struggles a parent has when watching their child work through treatment. 

One Day at a Time: A Journey Through Pediatric Cancer is available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.