The first 2,000 copies of a new book written by a terminally ill woman for children with a parent who has cancer have been delivered to a charity in Rhuddlan for UK-wide distribution.

Mummy’s Got a Poorly, a short story aimed at introducing children under seven gently to cancer in the family, will be distributed to cancer wards across the the country by Rhuddlan-based child support charity The Osborne Trust.

The trust was founded by mum of two Emma Osborne in 2014 after she overcame breast cancer.

The story was written by Sarah West of Loughborough, Leicestershire, who is receiving support from the charity for her daughters, Olivia, six, and Amelia Saha, three, after her own breast cancer spread to her brain, liver, lungs and bones.

Mrs West, 34, said: “When the girls each received a teddy, cinema voucher and colouring book, the joy on their faces when the parcel arrived was priceless. We were so grateful.

“Since then, my love and respect for Emma, with her dedication to the Osborne Trust, has grown so much and I feel compelled to support such a wonderfully charity, helping families through the most difficult of times.”

The book is written in an easily accessible poetic style with rhyming words, without using the word cancer, and is illustrated with drawings by Olivia. The charity – run from Mrs Osborne’s home with the help of18 other volunteers – has helped 730 children nationwide since 2014, with increasing referrals from Manchester and the West Midlands, and is currently the only charity of its kind in the UK. Mrs Osborne said: “When women are diagnosed with breast cancer, they are sent a book called Mummy’s Lump, which a bit too blunt and straight to the point. Aside from Mummy’s Lump, most of the support, if any, is aimed at children over seven.

“The assumption is that if the children are younger, they’ll just get on with it and it won’t affect them, but this simply isn’t true. To not offer support for them is just wrong.”

Mummy’s Got a Poorly sells at £4, available from theosbornetrust.com, with all profits supporting families of cancer patients.

After the initial run of 2,000 copies – which have been funded by sponsors in the author’s home town – Mrs Osborne hopes to translate the book into Welsh and seek new sponsors to print additional copies in North Wales.