The tragedy of Kristen’s untimely death led to her father, Kirk Forbes’, authoring of the book, “Dear Kristen,” which Kristen’s mother says covers her daughter’s journey through Kristen’s “journal entries and our family’s email updates.” The book also includes poetry Kristen wrote and a great deal of information on the vaccine for HPV as well as numerous organizations fighting the disease.
Writing the book, says Kirk Forbes, “started as therapy for me to get through the grieving process. At first I was just going to put our e-mail updates written during Kristen’s illness into a notebook for friends and family to read. I thought maybe it would help them too.”
Then Forbes discovered that his daughter had kept her own journal during her illness – two books filled with emotional and insightful day-to-day accounts of her agony, her treatment, her hopes, her sense of humor, her fears and her unwavering faith.
Together, Kristen’s own words and the e-mail updates tell the tender and heartbreaking story of a bright and hopeful young woman’s last year of life. But Love, Kristen does more than tell a story. It recounts Forbes’ own relentless research into cervical cancer, its cause and treatment as well as the stigma surrounding the disease and the controversy over the vaccine which can prevent it.
The author, an airline pilot by profession, was told by Kristen’s physician he had “done what no one else has been able to do; you have put a face on this dreaded disease.”
The has also been named a finalist in the Women’s Issues category of the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, which were established to recognize and honor the most exceptional independently published books in 60 different categories; the awards are presented by Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group.
Brenda Lindvall Forbes grew up in Culver, where her mother, Phyllis, and brothers Bryce and Brian still live. She was able to participate in Culver’s Relay for Life this year with Bryce and the Culver Volunteer Fire Department’s team, she says.
Kristen’s family is in the process of setting up a foundation. More information about the book, Kristen, and her family may be found at www.kristeneve.org (Brenda notes the “eve” at the end of Kristen’s name is an acronym, “E” for Educate, “V” for Vaccinate, and “E” for Eradicate, pertaining to cervical cancer).
The book may be purchased online through the website or via amazon.com and Barnes and Noble online. The Forbes family hopes to make copies available locally in Culver soon.