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When Julie Yip-Williams was a few months old, her parents almost had her murdered.
Then, at 37, she was given a diagnosis of terminal colon cancer.
Below, we get to hear from another uncommon voice that of the bereaved.
How are you and your girls?Things are normalizing.
Julies last birthday was January 6, 2018, and she was extremely sick at that time.
It wasnt a joyous occasion we all knew it was going to be her last birthday.
Probably 150 to 200 pages.
She didnt really [aspire] to commercialize it, but she wrote this manuscript about being born blind.
This was long before the cancer.
[The manuscript] sat on the shelf for some years.
And then when she got sick she started writingthe blog.
Julie got too sick in the last several months to write it.
I deferred to the professionals, but had a hand in shaping it.
At one point in her illness did she sign a contract?Very late, very late.
I want to say the latter stages of 2017.
And that there was room in the world for a blog that would actually get into the raw truth.
She was just over the moon.
She was really sick by that time.
I think that is an important part of the story.
She knew she didnt have much time left.
But also I think she really, really wanted to leave a tangible legacy, particularly for the kids.
They were so young when she died.
Julie writes a lot about being really pissed off.
We all got together on the outer banks of North Carolina.
And being stunned that there werent more that were clear and helpful.
It was definitely there from the very beginning of her cancer journey.
As much as I hate the wordjourneyto apply to cancer.
Like youre going to end up somewhere tropical.Yeah.
It sounds like the blogs that were out there.
Are you protective of the story in some way?
So many people will be talking about your wife, the mother of your children.Oh Lord.
Im very proud of her.
And I really am very grateful that she got the book deal that she got.
I think its such a bolt of lightning.
She deserved something incredible, especially given the shitty hand she was dealt.
Im really proud of her.
And Im also glad for my childrens sake.
At 42 years old, Im old enough to know that memories fade.
But personally, its very daunting.
Im just trying to remain philosophical about it and focus on the good aspects.
But it would not be my choice.
I dont like to talk about my personal life.
Its the most painful experience of my life by far.
Theres just no two ways about that.
I was very deeply in love with her.
I wanted her to be happy.
I knew this made her very happy.
And I knew that it was a life goal for her.
Even her death certificate lists her as an attorney and author.
You dont have any control over that it just comes from the government.
She wouldve liked that.
She would smile at that.
Or if Id had a particularly exhausting day at work, maybe the next day.
But as time wore on, things got darker, in 2016, 2017.
I think she was already dead when I read that post.
Back in 2013, [they] wouldve been helpful to me.
These people view [cancer] as a challenge.
They were written almost as though you had just been given a goal, like losing ten pounds.
[Whereas] my every thought was pretty much,Holy shit.
At some point in the book, Julie comes to accept whats going to happen to her.
Julie didnt really come from religion, but she had an Eastern philosophical mind in that sense.
She wasnt afraid of death.
I think everyones a little bit afraid, but she wasnt even long before she was sick.
I, on the other hand, was completely terrified of it.
I struggled with belief in an afterlife.
Watching her, I always wondered what it would be like when it actually happened.
[She] was fairly peaceful when she slipped away so in some ways that did diminish my fear.
But I dont know if its really answered any of my deeper questions about the afterlife.
And Ill let you know when Im talking with God.
Something that really struck me was how practical Julie is.
She talks so much about just wanting to set you up for success after shes gone.
Its very loving.It was an act of love, no doubt.
We both, in different ways, are very key in-A, organized people.
It made me think about how life carries on no matter what.
Its not just the vision issue.
Its not just her grandmother.
She was an incredibly adventurous person who traveled all seven continents by the time she was 30.
I know that some could read the book and think she was harsh.
She had some tough edges, but Julie was ultimately a kind, loving family person.
I hope it comes through in the book.
It does.We had a wonderful a marriage, and I was very grateful for it.
Just wish it could have been a whole lot longer.
I mean, shit, I miss her.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
