Thank You, Cancer: A Story of Love, Loss & Hope

by Danny Lesslie, Raffaella Dobles

Thank You, Cancer is a powerful memoir about love, loss, resilience, and faith. Co-authored by Danny Lesslie and his late wife, Raffaella Dobles, it tells the story of their journey through Raffaella's five-year battle with Stage 4 cancer-and the life they built together in the face of it.

A captivating tapestry woven from two perspectives-- their journaling during her illness bound together with Danny's reflections after her passing-this book is a tribute to a remarkable woman, a loving mother and wife, and to a partnership that transcends time. It's a beacon of hope and a hallelujah born in deep struggle.

More than a story about illness, Thank You, Cancer invites the reader to choose love through the hardest moments. To choose hope despite alarming odds. It's about loving fiercely, letting go, and carrying someone's voice forward. This deeply personal memoir will move and inspire anyone who's faced loss, loved deeply, or searched for light in the dark.

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 5, 2025

Reviews

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t personally know Raffi and Danny but knew OF them through a very close friend of mine. The way she spoke of Raffi and her family just hit me in a way that said “you’re in a position to help”. By helping in any way I could I felt I was also helping my friend. Then, by happenstance, I got to meet Raffi and Danny in a checkout line while doing my weekly grocery shopping. I had seen pictures and to be honest Danny isn’t hard to miss as he looks like Jason Momoa and Raffi was as beautiful as my friend talked about. I didn’t want to impose so didn’t say anything. But then Danny commented on my choice of sparkling water and the conversation began. Raffi and I kept looking at each other in a “you look familiar” kind of way and then we both saw it click in our eyes. Our mutual friend had spoke of each other to the other and we knew then who it was. We laughed and chatted for a brief moment. We said our goodbyes and since then I felt an even greater sense to help. I believe that what you put out in the universe comes back to you, whether that be good or evil, it comes back. It’s not always easy to choose good and kindness but it’s worth it every chance you get. I am so glad I got to meet them even if for a brief period of time and to read their story in depth.

[howsoonisnow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This man loves this woman, like really, wholeheartedly, no strings attached, I'm-all-in, loves her. This is rare, because statistically , most men with terminally ill wives, leave within the first year of diagnosis. It's interesting to read a memoir from a man that is unflinchingly loyal to his dying wife. He is articulate, honest, upfront, exposes the physical horror of the cancer; for instance, explaining that because the weeping fungating tumours are located on her undercarriage, she cannot even sit on her bottom, let alone have s3x. The memoir is peppered with excerpts from his wife's diary, and these aren't as insightful or engaging as Lesslie's narrative; due to a level of emotional distance and denial his wife maintains about her illness. I would've liked insight into his life as a widower; minimal information is provided on that next phase of his life.