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When Grace’s McPaul’s mother Fleur was first diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2019, the young teen struggled to cope.
At the time, the Albany Senior High School student was juggling school, friendships and the emotional weight of her mother’s illness. It was a tough time for the Arkles Bay family as her father had also battled nasal cancer. Then, in 2022, her mother suffered a relapse.
“When Mum was diagnosed the second time, it was really overwhelming,” Grace says.
“It all happened so fast, and I was really struggling with how aggressive the cancer was.”
Finding it hard to express her emotions and feeling isolated, Grace had a lightbulb moment. As part of a school project, she decided to create a comic book to help her process what was happening.
“At first, I was pushing my feelings down and felt very alone. But writing the script and drawing it out helped me face what was happening. I couldn’t change the situation, but I could find a way to deal with it.”
Her parents were supportive of her project, and they faced the challenges together by finding moments of humour along the way, Grace says.
“You have to make light of the situation and just keep positive,”
The comic book, titled Silent Battles, won awards at the school and was taken up by Bowel Cancer NZ as a resource for other young people dealing with similar issues.
Grace has also made this resource available through the web publishing site ‘Tapas’ and is in the process of self publishing on Kindle.
Two years on, Grace’s mother is in remission, and Grace has graduated from high school. She has taken a year off to focus herself before heading to university, and she and her parents are planning a well-earned holiday. Looking ahead, she hopes to pursue a career in animation.
She wants to continue volunteering with bowel cancer charities and CanTeen, a support organisation for young people affected by cancer.
“It’s such a scary situation, and we know what it’s like to go through it,” she says. “I want to help others who are just starting or are in the middle of this journey.”
Grace credits CanTeen with providing crucial support during her toughest times and encourages other young people facing cancer in their family to seek support from them. Research also supports the therapeutic benefits of art and storytelling in processing trauma. According to Cancer Research UK, art therapy can help us express difficult emotions and reduce the stress associated with illness. Similarly, studies show that narrative practices, like storytelling, can help people make sense of traumatic experiences, improving our mental well-being.
To read Grace’s book or follow her journey, visit her Instagram page @justbaconshape or download the comic from the CanTeen website.
