My name is Alexis Zarycki and I want to share with you all some news. In February of 2015 I lost my mother at the age of 21 years old to a three year battle of stomach cancer.

My mother was well-liked within our community, among both family and friends. She was only 51 years old when she passed; I being only 21 years old now left to live without a mom. 

After my mother’s passing, our family was a mess. We actually are still a mess, just a cleaner one. However, after the screaming, crying, and distraught; we all decided to do something in order to share our mothers live with others. Share her story and life with the world. So my father wrote a book. And we helped him. My mother’s story is empowering, important, and tells the story of a person’s battle with cancer. The book, which you can find more detailed information online is entitled, "Stairways- A True Story of Love, Life, and Death."

I wanted to share this news with you all because we all know how it feels. To be without a mom. To have to face each day forced to accept the fact you cant hug, kiss, smell and feel your mother next to you. hear her voice: nothing.

I think what my father is doing is inspiring. I really do. My father didn’t write this book for anything else but to remember and honor my mother’s life. He did it out of love, out of grief, to give people an outlet they could relate to.  Cancer and sickness affects so many lives today, and my father wanted people to see that. He  is such an amazing man. Truly he is. I am being contacted by many individuals about how inspiring and influential his book and I know in the bottom of my heart I know my mother is proud of him as well as myself, brother and the rest of our family and friends. My father’s book is not only a story about love and loss, but it is also a self-help book. It shares our mother’s story and my father’s journey as a caregiver while also teaching people ways to deal with stress, anger, and sadness.

So with that, I thank you for giving me the time of day and letting me share this news with you. Please let me know if there are any questions regarding the book or our story. Together we can all fight cancer and put an end to sickness. We just need to share one story at a time.

Thanks again and have a blessed day.