Mom’s Magical Crown: A scalp cooling children’s story 

Lauren McClain, a schoolteacher and mother of three from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, faced a life-changing diagnosis of breast cancer shortly after her 40th birthday. Determined to help her young sons understand her treatment journey without fear, Lauren drew on her experiences to write Mom’s Magical Crown – a children’s book that explains chemotherapy and scalp cooling in a gentle, relatable way. 

Lauren’s diagnosis  

Lauren’s diagnosis came following a routine mammogram, and her life quickly became a whirlwind. Within three weeks, she underwent a double mastectomy and began chemotherapy shortly after, aiming to complete treatment in time to enjoy the summer with her children. 

Having never heard of it before, Lauren discovered scalp cooling through social media, where she learned about its potential to reduce chemotherapy-induced hair loss. She decided to try cold capping to maintain her appearance for her children, hoping it would help them see her as “Mom” rather than a cancer patient.  

Whilst Paxman was not available at her centre and other mechanised scalp cooling machines were already in use, Lauren was able to scalp cool through manual cold capping, which involves applying and reapplying a frozen cap periodically throughout a chemotherapy session. Lauren’s husband attended her chemotherapy sessions and helped her reapply the cap each and every time it was needed. 

Lauren’s cold capping journey was a success, and she retained most of her hair during treatment. Inspired by this experience, she recognised the need for resources to help families navigate the challenges of cancer treatment together. 

Discovering a Gap in Resources 

When Lauren searched for books or materials to explain her cancer journey to her children, she came up empty-handed. While some resources addressed cancer broadly, none addressed her specific situation as a mother undergoing chemotherapy and scalp cooling. 

During her daily walks, Lauren realised she could fill this gap herself. As a teacher, she had long dreamed of writing children’s books but found it difficult in an oversaturated market. Now, with a deeply personal story to tell, she discovered her niche. 

This inspiration led to Mom’s Magical Crown, a story that introduces children to chemotherapy and scalp cooling in an accessible and uplifting way. 

Developing a children’s book and facilitating open discussions 

“I have really developed such a passion to be able to share some really good resources with families,” Lauren told us, “to allow them to have open discussions with their kids about what their mom is going to be going through.” 

In the story, the family bravely confronts the challenges of a mother undergoing chemotherapy. The journey is one of hope and a touch of “magic” as she tries to retain her hair through cold capping. It delivers the process of chemotherapy and scalp cooling in a gentle manner, paying attention to the finer details, for example, ensuring that the children wash and wear clean clothes after a busy day at school, before giving their mom a cuddle.  

Mom’s Magical Crown is available on Amazon.com.  

In addition to her success, over 300 books have been donated and sent to local and national cancer centres, hospitals or foundations in the US. 

Adaptations and new stories 

Initially focused on her manual cold capping experience, Lauren soon realised she could adapt the story to include mechanised scalp cooling, making it relatable to a broader audience. 

Out of pure coincidence, Paxman’s VP of the US, Karin Buck, came across Mom’s Magical Crown and reached out to Lauren. This serendipitous connection led to a collaboration on a special Paxman edition of the book, furthering its reach to families navigating cancer treatment.  

Lauren’s first book was so well-received that she followed it with another, Brave Rays, which takes children through radiation therapy from a mother’s perspective from start to finish as well as highlighting the multiple cancers that radiation therapy can treat.  

In an interview with Paxman, Lauren also shared that she is currently working on a third book, Mom, What’s a Mastectomy? This upcoming book aims to demystify terms children might hear during their mother’s recovery and provide guidance on how to support her post-surgery. 

Lauren’s heartfelt series of books continues to make a meaningful impact, offering comfort and clarity to families facing cancer together as well as achieving her dream of becoming a children’s author in the face of adversity.  

For more information on Lauren’s books, her experience and resources, visit www.momsmagicalcrown.com.