We recently connected with Charissa Bates and have shared our conversation below.

Charissa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

When I was 33 years old with a 7, 5, and 2 year old at home I heard the worst words you could ever hear “You have cancer.” I started writing about my experiences for cancer organizations. I felt drawn to create a book about how we found joy during the hard times. We Find Joy Cancer Messed with the Wrong Family children’s book was born.

When I was first diagnosed with cancer my first concern was about my children. Will I be there for them? Will they miss out on life while I’m in treatment? Will chemo kill me? How can someone else take care of my kids while I’m recovering from surgeries and treatment? The first month was difficult. It was so hard to focus on anything and anxiety and worry took over. I hardly slept. I ate I think.
Then treatment came and I felt empowered. I felt that I needed to make the most of my days. My kids, husband and I decided that we needed to find JOY each day. It was so empowering and needed. We eventually wrote We Find Joy and found it to heal us. My son said to me after we wrote it, “Mom, we didn’t have it that hard. We were thankful each day.” That was enough for me to know that this book was needed.

Charissa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Bio: Charissa is a mother to three beautiful children. She is a survivor of a rare and aggressive cancer. She works as a Children’s Mental Health Therapist and enjoys volunteering at her children’s school, with the Young Survival Coalition, and American Cancer Society. Her and her children wrote this book to help other families gain some control and joy while conquering cancer. Again her most important role is being able to watch her three beautiful children grow up.

My goal has been to bring joy to as many people as possible. First my passion is to help children when a parent has been diagnosed with cancer. My second goal is to bring awareness to the community about young moms battling cancer. Thirdly, I’d like to be a big part of finding a cure for cancer. I do this by connecting to the community, taking time to dedicate to getting to know others that have a big impact in the cancer community, and supporting those going through cancer. I believe we each have our own unique strengths. I sadly am no different than anyone else in the cancer community as we all go through the struggles of fighting cancer.

More info: I am well connected in the community – both in the local community and online cancer community. I write for “Her View from Home” that has 1.2 million followers. My next article will appear April 27th, 2022. Most of my writing is about cancer. I volunteer with the Young Survival Coalition and am an admin for the Minnesota group. I’ve written articles for the Young Survival Coalition website and social media. In the last 2 years I have been on KSTP (news station for Minneapolis/St. Paul and greater area) discussing how cancer affects moms with young children. I recently had an article highlighting the struggles of being diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer in the Woodbury Magazine which goes to all of Woodbury, MN (population 75,000). This year I have joined the American Cancer Society board to work on the Twin Cities biggest breast cancer fundraiser. The plan is for me to be a media spokesperson. Last year I was asked to be the Keynote speaker at “Pursuit for a Cure” at Ashley for the Arts.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Interestingly I was a poor writer all my life. Writing has always been a struggle for me. I wrote my first article for a well known cancer organization and that pushed me to write more. I’ve learned that there are people in the writing community that can help you with your weaknesses. A weakness does not mean you are not good at what you do, but more so that you need to become aware of your weakness and find people to help. For me, that is an editor.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect will always be reading reviews for We Find Joy Cancer Messed with the Wrong Family. Hearing that others have found it meaningful and helpful is what fills my heart. I am saddened that my book is needed, but feel comfort that children and families are able to feel empowered during a hard time. I’m honored that people use their money to buy my book.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://findingjoypress.wixsite.com/charissa-bates
• Instagram: instagram.com/charissabatesauthor
• Facebook: facebook.com/findingjoypress
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuFv6BcayVi4V-o1p1nVnig

Image Credits
Prudlick Photography