A Tucson teenager battling cancer is now a published author thanks to Make-A-Wish Arizona.
Austin Thacker, 19, a senior at Ironwood Ridge High School, will sign copies of his book “My Hand Mitten” at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at the Barnes & Noble, 7325 N. La Cholla Blvd., at the Foothills Mall.
Thacker was diagnosed in 2013 with stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He went through a stem-cell transplant and a year of radiation and chemotherapy. An avid writer, Thacker started writing a novel when he was 15, using it as a coping method for dealing with the stress of fighting cancer, according to the nonprofit.
“Cancer forces you into survival mode. This novel was my escape, the grip I used to merge myself back into society,” Thacker said in a news release. “I don’t know where I’d be without this book.”
When Thacker said he wanted to have a book published, he worked with Make-A-Wish, which grants wishes to seriously ill children, and editors and publishers at Rare Bird Lit, a California-based publishing house.
Thacker will read and sign his book at the Barnes & Noble, where he also works. He will donate proceeds from the sale of his book to Make-A-Wish Arizona.
“My Hand Mitten,” about a “down-on-his-luck” police officer, is available for pre-order at Barnesandnoble.com.
“We are always pleased when a wish kid chooses a wish that is so personal, something that can really transform their life,” said Hollie Costello, vice president of marketing and public relations for Make-A-Wish Arizona.
“Austin’s wish has allowed him to experience the true life of an author — from creation to publication — and to refocus his energies on his future.
“We are excited to be a part of that future,” Costello added.
