OMAHA, Neb. — A educator in Omaha diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer turned her students' questions into the inspiration for a children's book designed to help young children understand what can be difficult even for adults to explain.
Andrea Foster, who worked with children ages 3 to 5, said the curiosity of her youngest students sparked the idea. "My preschool students would come up to me and say, Ms Andrea, what happened to your hair?" Foster said.
Foster received her first breast cancer diagnosis in 2015. After the cancer returned in 2019, she underwent a mastectomy. In March 2024, she received a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer. Even through treatment, she said she chooses to hold on to hope.
Foster said the book was not about making money — it is about making a difference. "It's not just a story about cancer. It's a story about the courage to ask questions. And and something that students often don't understand. We shy them away from. Parents used to say, oh, be nice, don't ask her that. Well, they are being kind by inquiring," Foster said.
The faces Foster chose for her book represent her own children.
Even amid an uncertain future, Foster said her faith keeps her grounded.
"I remember bargaining with God, saying Lord, please let me be able to see my son get married, let me be able to see my daughter go to college, like, those types of things, and he's giving me this grace. So I'm just very thankful for that," Foster said.
With every page, Foster hopes her journey teaches readers that it is okay to ask questions, that kindness begins with understanding, and that even in the hardest moments, there is still room for hope.
"Every day may not be good, but there's good in every day," Foster said.
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