On Christmas Eve, Jeff Hayes returned home from high school hockey practice, approached his mother, and uttered these life-changing words: "Mom, I think I have a tumor in my leg."
Jeff was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare and deadly form of bone cancer. Eventually, the disease would end his life, but to focus on his death is to miss the beauty of his life; it is to miss the countless lives he touched; his community rallying around him; his love of hockey and the kindness of the Boston Bruins.
Twelfth Knight is a wonderful story, beautifully told through a mother's eyes. Susan recounts clinical settings amid memories of Jeff's youth with flashbacks of her own childhood growing up in a large Boston family. The story is told in the same manner in which Jeff lived his life-with courage, compassion, humor, and gratitude.
Discover through Jeff's story, the high-incidence of this rare disease that strikes children, adolescents, and young adults.
PRAISE FOR TWELFTH KNIGHT
"Living on Cape Cod, I too, was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma a year prior to Jeff. A four-time survivor; my battle continues. Cancer did not define Jeff's life, nor will it define mine. I have overcome the adversity cancer has imposed on me by discovering the true meaning of courage and bravery from those who battled their disease beside me."-Schuyler O'Brien, PhD Student at the University of Utah
Research focused on Ewing's Sarcoma
"It was a privilege to know and care for Jeff. This book is a reflection of, and testament to, the love and dedication of his family and those who were lucky enough to have him as part of their lives."-Samuel C. Blackman, MD, PhD, Senior Medical Director, Juno Therapeutics, Inc.
"Every single day I reflect on the time I spent with Jeff and the Sandwich Varsity Hockey Team. Jeff's courage impacted everyone, his love touched us all, and his strength paved the way for a state championship. Twelfth Knight is the moving story of one of my heroes written with the raw emotion only a mother can deliver. I wear Jeff's #12 pin on my coaching jacket and give out an annual award in his honor. Everyone needs to know Jeff's story."-Derackk Curtis, Boys' Varsity Hockey Coach
Archbishop Williams High School
"This is a story of great courage and love during the most painful loss a mother can experience. Jeff was a very special young man. I'm glad Susan has decided to share her story with the world."-Terry O'Reilly, Boston Bruins Alumni and NHL Coach
A Portion of the Proceeds to Benefit Childhood and Adolescent Cancer Research
About the Author: After the death of her son Jeff, Susan began writing as a way to keep her son close and help herself heal. Never did she expect that one day she would be publishing a memoir. She met with the Sandwich Writers' Group to read a short piece from her story, and it was the reaction of the writer's, her need to keep the memory of Jeff alive, and her capacity to write that gave Susan the strength to relive her devastating loss and compose a beautiful and inspiring story.
Susan is from a large Boston family of twelve. This is where she believes her compassion, courage, and strength was born and raised; in the number five spot of ten children. She holds close the values that were instilled during her childhood and understands the importance of life's struggles along the way. She treasures the joy she experienced growing up in a large family and later raising her three sons. Her heart is filled with thoughts of Jeff.
Susan is currently working on a series of short stories. She is, and will always be, a loyal Boston Bruins fan.
