Grace Lin, a popular author/illustrator of children's books, happily married Robert Mercer, a promising architect, in the spring of 2001. Less then a year later, Robert was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer. During Robert's long months of chemotherapy and surgery, Grace created stories to amuse him. One of those stories was Robert's Snow.

After seven months of treatment, the future brightened for Robert and Grace. Robert was cancer free and Grace's story Robert's Snow was accepted for publication.

However, just as Grace finished the artwork for Robert's Snow, fate dealt them another devastating blow. Robert's cancer had returned.

While she was confident for Robert's remission, Grace wished to do something to help insure a better future. Using her book as a catalyst, Grace rallied her colleagues to make this, Robert's Snow: for Cancer's Cure. Illustrators from all over the country (and overseas) created original works of art that were auctioned online and the proceeds were given to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute for Sarcoma research, in honor of Robert.

Jane Yolen's Snowflake

The snowflake pictured was created by renowned author Jane Yolen.   Ms. Yolen is an author of children's books, fantasy, and science fiction, including Owl Moon, Devil's Arithmetic, and How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? She is also a poet, a teacher of writing and literature, and a reviewer of children's literature. She has been called the Hans Christian Andersen of America and the Aesop of the twentieth century. Jane Yolen's books and stories have won the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, two Christopher Medals, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards, the Golden Kite Award, the Jewish Book Award, and the Association of Jewish Libraries Award.
Grace was sitting in Jane's living room, meeting her for the first time, and she was showing her the first dozen snowflakes. They bonded immediately, and not just because they are children's book people. Both their husbands were struggling with cancer, though 30+ years apart. Jane sighed. "I wish I could paint. I'd do you a snowflake in a heartbeat." Grace smiled, "Write a poem. I'll get someone to calligraph it." And so it happened. Not in a heartbeat. Poems don't happen quickly, but with plenty of heart.  The words were inscribed by calligrapher Agy Wilson.

Our Purchase

My wife was told about the Ebay auction containing the snowflakes.  She was drawn in particular to Jane's snowflake as it touched her after our experience with my cancer.  We were stretched to the limit on the bidding but won it in the last seconds.  We were ecstatic!  My wife wanted me to place the image on my website to inspire others.  

And the proceeds went to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund.