Somebody's Bright Balloon

The second section, "Givers," offers poems about doctors, surgeons,
nurses and other hospital staff who care for seriously ill patients. The
final section, "The Dark Side" is about concomitant
depression and mental illness that many patients experience.

Somebody's Bright Balloon offers a rare glimpse into the thoughts,
impressions and coping mechanisms of a cancer patient during
treatment and recovery and how he assimilated the reality of cancer
into his life.

Caregivers -- from family members to health care professionals -- have
gained compassion and understanding through the insights provided in
McCallum's poems. Other cancer patients have found strength in the
knowledge that their fears and reactions to cancer and its treatment are
shared experiences.