Fragile Wings
Of Hope
"Fill it with truth."
Dan Haslam was twenty years old when he was diagnosed with stage IV bowel cancer in February 2010.
Like many young Australians, Dan was full of plans for the future. He loved music, family, friends and life itself. Cancer was the last thing anyone expected.
What followed was a five-year journey marked by surgeries, chemotherapy, hospital admissions and relentless challenges. Throughout it all, Dan faced his illness with extraordinary courage, humour and grace. Even in the darkest moments, he remained more concerned about the wellbeing of others than his own suffering.
DanHaslam
"I never intended to write a book."
In fact, I never intended to become an author, a public speaker, or a participant in one of Australia’s most significant healthcare debates. Like many women of my generation, my life revolved around family, work and caring for others. I spent more than twenty years as a registered nurse.
Then, in 2010, our youngest son Dan was diagnosed with stage IV bowel cancer at just twenty years of age. Everything changed. What followed was a journey no parent expects to take.
Lucy Haslam
Fragile Wings of Hope
When my son Dan was diagnosed with stage IV bowel cancer at the age of twenty, our family entered a world we knew nothing about.
Like so many families facing serious illness, we searched desperately for hope. We pursued every treatment available, travelled wherever we could, and held onto the belief that there had to be a way to ease his suffering.
Eventually, that search led us to medicinal cannabis.
What followed changed not only Dan’s life, but mine as well.
Testimonials
Helen Kapalos
Journalist
“In this powerfully written manuscript, Lucy Haslam has given Australia an extraordinary gift.
Through the heartbreak of losing her beloved son, Dan, she has transformed personal tragedy into a movement that has changed countless lives.
This is a deeply human story of love, courage and unwavering determination in the face of a battle no parent should ever have to fight. More than a decade on, Lucy reminds us that the journey is far from over.
Her advocacy continues to shape the national conversation, ensuring that the voices of patients and families remain at the heart of reform. She has helped Australians understand not only the potential of medicinal cannabis, but also the power of empathy, dignity and our shared humanity.
I have no doubt her work will continue to educate, inspire and change lives for generations to come.”
Mike Baird AO
Former NSW Premier
“In Fragile Wings of Hope, Lucy tells a story that is about a mother’s love for her son, overcoming impossible odds and fighting for those in need of compassionate care.
The question every politician should answer is what would you do if it was your child? It is not too late to act, and my hope is this book restarts a national conversation that is well overdue.”
Mick Palmer AO APM
Former Commissioner Australian Federal Police
“Fragile Wings of Hope ‘ is a deeply personal, genuinely educational ‘warts and all’ insight into the reality of the medicinal cannabis marketplace. In her examination Lucy Haslam makes no attempt to sugar-coat the medicinal cannabis environment and demonstrates levels of objectivity and impartiality which combine to ensure the validity and educational value of her assessment. Without question her analysis makes an invaluable contribution to the ongoing medicinal cannabis debate.”
A Life of its Own
The truth about medicinal marijuana by Helen Kapalos
