Saving Charlotte

When her new-born daughter Charlotte was diagnosed with a rare and deadly leukaemia, Pia de Jong and her husband made a momentous decision: they rejected chemotherapy and instead choose to "wait for what will come". As the following year unfolded, they entered a disorienting world of doctors, medical procedures, and a cast of neighbours and protectors in Amsterdam. de Jong’s house became her inner sanctum, where she gave Charlotte the unfiltered love and strength she needed. Their decision, now known as "watchful waiting", has become the standard medical protocol for Charlotte’s type of leukaemia.

This deeply felt memoir reveals the galvanizing impact one child can have on a family, a neighbourhood and a worldwide medical community. Vivid and immersive, Saving Charlotte is also a portrait of a woman’s brave voyage of love, hope and, in its inspiring climax, self-discovery.