Manchin Lauds Charleston Teen for Comic Book About Cancer
Posted on: Thursday, 26 June 2008, 00:02 CDT
Talking about cancer isn't easy for most people. In fact, one would think it would be even more difficult for a teenager who just lost her father to the disease. But Emily Boggs of Charleston is no ordinary teenager.
On June 16, Boggs, 16, was recognized by Gov. Joe Manchin at the annual Governor's Service Awards banquet, for her dedication to helping West Virginia's youth cope when a loved one who has cancer.
The banquet was held during Faces of Leadership, the annual state volunteerism conference.
Presented annually since 1995, the Governor's Service Awards honors youth, young adults, adults, seniors, families, organizations and businesses who exemplify outstanding dedication to volunteerism and community service in West Virginia.
Boggs received a Governor's Service Award in the Youth (Grade 10- 12) category.
Boggs was 12 years old when her father was diagnosed with cancer. He died only four months after his diagnosis, leaving Boggs with little time to ask questions and gauge meaning from the experience.
After her father's death, Boggs decided to do something to make the death of a loved one from cancer understandable for other youth. Through an interview with Patricia Colsher, director of the West Virginia Cancer Registry, Boggs discovered a lack of supportive literature for boys, ages 9 to 12, whose loved ones are faced with cancer.
At Colsher's suggestion, Boggs used her own experiences and began to write them down in comic book form.
"My Dad Has Cancer" tells the story of a happy family of superheroes whose father becomes sick. The book follows the family's son through his confusion as his father changes. Boggs included questions she'd had throughout her father's illness and fears she'd had during that time. She wanted youth of cancer patients to understand that feeling upset, angry and sad are all normal feelings.
Boggs' project took on new life when she asked close friend Meredith Davis, 17, to illustrate the comic book. Boggs gained support from Jean Tenney and MountainCAP of WV, who raised $5,500 to print "My Dad Has Cancer."
Approximately 2,000 copies have been printed by the West Virginia University Institute of Technology and distributed to doctors' offices, cancer centers, oncologists' offices and church groups.
The Governor's Service Awards are administered by the West Virginia Commission for National and Community Service to honor outstanding individuals, organizations and businesses solving community problems through volunteer service.
Other recipients of the 2008 Governor's Service Awards include, by category:
* Lifetime Achievement: Harold "Kitty" Wilson, Calhoun County; William "Sarge" McGhee, Wyoming County; John "Bill" Dillon, Summers County
* Adult: Karen Haynes, Putnam County
* Senior: Laura Sevy, Fayette County; G. Lee Fisher, Braxton County
* Organization: Jonathon Powell Hope Foundation, Mercer County
* Business: Verizon, statewide; INSITE, Kanawha County
(c) 2008 Charleston Gazette, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Source: Charleston Gazette, The
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