Millsboro man publishes daughter’s cancer memoir

Jeremiah Davis of Millsboro recently fulfilled his daughter Heather Davis Johnson’s dream of publishing the journal she kept during her struggle with cancer. It will serve as a memory-keeper for her little girls Grace and Katy, and as an inspiration for all those affected by this disease. She called it “The Starfish Chronicles,” and it is available now on Amazon.com in paperback and as a Kindle e-book.

Johnson was just like a lot of people – a mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend. She knew her most important role was being a mom to Grace and Katy. When she was just 38 years old, she was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer. She waged an all-out war on cancer for five years and endured several major surgeries, radiation and countless chemotherapy sessions. She did so with great courage and determination, and also with humor, wisdom, insight into the human condition, and a goal of eventually helping other cancer warriors on their journey toward being disease-free.

She resolved during her five years of treatment to write about her experiences, victories, setbacks, ups and downs, and her hopes and dreams for the future. Most of all, she wanted to write of her love for her daughters, her husband and her family. This book is a compilation of her writings. It will give the reader hope and determination, whether a cancer patient, a caregiver or just a bystander. There are portions that are laugh-aloud funny. Others may evoke tears. Johnson's wit, wisdom, courage, faith and love will certainly inspire a desire to live as she did.

“Life is to be enjoyed NOW. Tomorrow will wait. Each day is a celebration. Each day is a chance to get a running jump before hitting the slip-and-slide, a chance to play in the leaves, a chance to roll down a hill, a chance to dance in the rain, a chance to take in all the small things ... a chance to recognize the big things. We should not wait until some future date to live. Living happens now. Hope happens NOW,” said Johnson in a speech delivered to the staff at Johns Hopkins’ Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore.

Johnson intended to publish her journals in book form when she was declared cancer-free. Her post-cancer goal was to work as an advocate for other cancer patients, to help them through the maze of procedures and red tape, to give them hope, to inspire them to become the kind of fierce and determined warriors that she was.

Johnson’s dad Jeremiah Davis compiled her writings and published her book. He is a retired senior intelligence officer who had a 30-year career with the National Security Agency. He and his wife Dorothy reside near Millsboro.