Angus Cunningham
Angus Cunningham
From hospital wards to Parliament House, Angus Cunningham has shown what courage looks like. Many first met him onA Current Affairin 2015, after his second battle with childhood cancer at just twelve.
Now twenty-two, Angus shares his journey inTwice Before Twelve: A Journey Through Childhood Cancer, a memoir that is raw, wise and filled with gratitude. His story honours the love of family, the loyalty of friends and the generosity of a community that walked beside him through the darkest of times.
Twice Before Twelve
A Journey Through Childhood Cancer
In 2015, the nation watched twelve-year-old Angus Cunningham on A Current Affair, bravely sharing his story after a second fight with Hodgkin lymphoma. His strength touched countless hearts. Ten years later, Angus is twenty-two and ready to tell the full story in his memoir, Twice Before Twelve.
Now a young man, Angus looks back on the years that shaped him. His story is raw, funny, wise and filled with gratitude. It is not only about his own survival, but also about the extraordinary love of family, the unwavering loyalty of friends, and the kindness of a community that refused to let him fight alone.
This memoir is for anyone who has faced, or is still facing, the challenges of childhood illness – for the children who are enduring treatment, for the parents who sit beside hospital beds, and for the friends and supporters who make the unbearable just a little lighter.
Twice Before Twelve is Angus's way of saying thank you. It is also a reminder that even in the darkest moments, courage, kindness and hope can light the way forward.
'....Parents are programmed to protect and nurture their children and yet when their child has cancer, they become a spectator and supporter. They try to guess what their child is thinking and suffering whilst they deal with their frustrations and powerlessness. But no more, as this book provides everyone with an insight not only into Angus's state of mind as he navigated through his cancer journey but as importantly, a look inside the mind of a child undergoing treatment, and it does so with extraordinary clarity and eloquence. It is compulsory reading for anyone living or working with children and cancer....Angus is an extraordinary young man who will doubtless make a huge contribution to Australia during the twenty-first century. It is unthinkable that we could have lost him because our government and a pharmaceutical company couldn't agree on a price to treat him....Parts of this book are raw and confronting but it captures the incredible spirit and optimism that is Angus. We are lucky to have him in both senses of the word and there is no doubt we will be hearing lots more of him in the future, thankfully.'
Kate and Richard Vines, Rare Cancers Australia
'It is one thing to Know Angus's story from the news, but it is another entirely to sit with his words in Twice Before Twelve. He calls it a memoir, but it is nothing short of an absolute masterclass in resilience.
What struck me most was the sheer isolation Angus faced. It is a heartbreaking realisation to see how much time was taken away from him from brutal treatments and time in hospital wards. He does not sugarcoat it - the physical toll and the mental exhaustion of fighting a battle most adults couldn't handle, let alone a child.
This is by far my favourite book I have ever read. Whether you've dealt with illness or not, Angus's story will change the way you look at your own life. Do yourself a favour and pick this up.'
Bailee Raines
'What an amazing testimony of a great person, a great family and a great school, sports community and health system working together in a great country. Well done Angus on such an awesome book. It is so wonderful to hear good stories of courage and hope in difficult times. You are truly an inspiration.'
