Everyday Heroes

Back in April, I blogged about a terrific webcomic called Mom's Cancer. Brian Fies used the medium of a comic book (with surprising effectiveness) to tell the true story of his mother's battle with metastatic lung cancer, along with the impact her struggle had on the members of her family.

The comic went on to have great success. In July it won the Eisner Award for "Best Digital Comic" (and was the first-ever winner of that new category), and "Mom's Cancer" will be published in book form in Spring 2006. (You will want a copy -- it's that good). There's even a stuffed animal version of "Mom's" dog "Hero" in the works. I had been following these and other events by reading the excellent blogs of Brian's "kid sis" Elisabeth, Brian, and occasionally even "Mom" Fies herself.

This past Tuesday -- the date that my own father died of cancer in 1982 -- I was doubly disheartened to learn of "Mom" Fies' passing. While she essentially beat her cancer, she had continued to experienced complications and setbacks related to the after-effects of both the disease and its treatment.

So my thoughts and condolences go out to the Fies family. They're really an amazing bunch. Of course I don't know them personally, but I've certainly connected with them as a reader, as have many others. I feel for their loss, I thank them for sharing their lives in such a remarkable way, and I look forward to keeping up with them in the future.