What are the motifs in The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan?

Coping with serious illness of loved one is a recurring idea. Kelly Corrigan was seriously ill herself but it didn't deter her from devoting herself to helping her father, George, when he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. By focusing on her father's disease, Kelly was able to feel she could have a positive impact on a person she loved. She had spent many months wrapped up in her personal problems and depressed about whether she would survive. She had felt so powerless and useless while she laid in bed most days unable to function due to nausea, fatigue and depression.