“A Disney Childhood” is about is growing up in the magical time of the 1950s-1960s one half block from Walt Disney Studios. Dad was head of publications and his job involved traveling all over the world to book conferences and promoting Disney comic books. The other half of his job was editing comic books at the Studio. As children (I have 3 brothers and we were all born within 5 years of each other) we would be escorts to foreign visitors to Disneyland. They’d also be invited to our house for a “Typical American Dinner” or just afternoon “Tea Party” on the porch. We were always included in hearing the stories from these visitors. We got to go to Europe when I was 8 years old as Disney emissaries while Father was promoting the to be released movie “The Jungle Book.”
What was the most incredible part of the process of writing my memoir was my contacting my father’s colleagues 35 years after his death and all of their willingness to help me with critiques, stories, and the words, “Your father was my best friend.” Father's kindness, creativity and sense of adventure wasn’t forgotten and I’m pleased to say I inherited some of those traits. My writing of the book was a gift of opening up a world of kind, compassionate and giving people. I was blessed before the book even found a publisher. It was the research process where I found so many generous people who gave me their time and encouragement. Some I can never repay for their generosity except to say there are truly amazing people in this world and take the time to communicate and let those you love know while you have the chance, before some unexpected Foe finds you.
The book “A Disney Childhood” was started in December 2010 when I learned definitely that I had a genetic DNA mutation SDHB, that linked my tumors to the cancer that took my father, George Sherman, in 1974 at age 45 (I was 16 when he died of paraganglioma). Dad was the 10th documented case in the world with this cancer. His only sibling, Aunt Ann, died of this same cancer and she was the 11th case. Today there are probably 12 of us with this exact diagnosis, Wildtype GIST/paraganglioma with a germline SDHB mutation. The mutation allows tumors to grow anywhere in the torso, neck and head. My first tumor was in my stomach and they took out half my stomach. The next tumors have been found in my liver and in a month I’ll have 60% of my liver removed.
What I did when I got this cancer diagnosis was think of the positive in my life. In one year I was able to write a story, find a publisher and have my book available as an ebook on Amazon.com today and as a print book on Amazon.com or BearManorMedia.com.
I’m blessed.
Cathy Sherman Freeman
