In Chapter 5 of Late Day, why did Miriam call the narrator?

Miriam called the narrator to tell her that her mother had cancer. The cancer had begun in the narrator's mother's spine. It was stage three. She had a partially successful surgery back in February. She was in remission, but the lat round of chemo had left her frail. Miriam wanted the narrator to stop Tracey from contacting her mother, because her mother did not need the stress.