I’m excited to attend The Liver Meeting later this week in San Diego. It’s not just the good weather and pickleball possibilities (yep—there’s a pickleball tournament on-site), but also a wonderful opportunity to have my US-based team together in one place at the same time. We look forward to meeting you at our Booth #710, attending sessions, and networking with peers. Additionally, I am visiting Los Angeles after the meeting, and as always, my first stop is tending to my sister Adrienne’s grave at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

We have other great news to share! In collaboration with City of Hope and Genentech, Blue Faery has several co-authors on the now published paper titled Why Liver Cancer Hits Home: Bridging Healthcare Disparities in the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community. Special thanks to Dr. Daneng Li, Spencer Cheng, and Zeena Chi for bringing together an amazing group of talented contributors.

When people ask what Liver Cancer Awareness Month means to me, I’m often at a loss for words. (A rare occurrence!) I think to myself—only a month? That’s it? You see … when you lose the most important person in your life to a disease, you live with it every day. Even when you know you did the absolute best you could, you still think about what you could have done differently.

Just as the weather is cooling down, things are heating up at Blue Faery. We’ve entered Hispanic Heritage Month, which means our second Love Your Liver event—in Spanish—is just around the corner. We also have another exciting panel for our The Truth About Liver Cancer (TTALC) program. This workshop’s topic is Unsung Heroes, the people who are often part of one’s healthcare team, but sometimes forgotten or not recognized as such. Scroll down for more details and registration links.

Want to be a panelist in our TTALC program? We’re seeking speakers for our November 23 workshop, specifically healthcare providers who treat cancer patients or patient advocates who support cancer patients in rural communities. (Your specialty doesn’t have to be liver cancer.) We are looking for physicians, nurses, PAs, social workers, therapists, and advocates. To better understand the format of the workshop, watch the replay of The Truth About Liver Cancer: Caregivers’ Corner on YouTube.

My sister’s book titled I’d Rather Be Dead Than Deaf is now available as an ebook! We’re giving away 100 Kindle copies in a Goodreads Giveaway. Enter today because the giveaway ends on September 30. Remember if you decide to buy a copy of the book, all proceeds go directly to Blue Faery.

Despite still being sick*, I’m grateful I was able to meet Kay Anderson, a Blue Faery donor and liver cancer survivor, at The APPLE Meeting last month in Honolulu. The photo above is before the Friday night lūʻau, a traditional Hawaiian celebration that typically includes a feast, entertainment, and festivities. Though I never got over the jetlag, the conference was entertaining, interesting, and most importantly, educational. Meeting Kay was the highlight of the trip, and I feel fortunate I was able to spend time with her.

With summer almost in the rearview mirror, the fall promises lots of events and changes at Blue Faery. Be sure to check our The Truth About Liver Cancer (TTALC) workshop on Saturday, September 7, and the first Love Your Liver program for Hispanic Heritage Month on Monday, September 16.

As I sit here typing this newsletter on Wednesday morning, I’m battling a massive head cold. Despite taking a few hours off yesterday and on Friday (when it began), I’m not feeling much better. Thankfully, I tested negative for COVID-19, so it is just a cold that refuses to go away. However, I’m not letting a little bug stop me from attending the APPLE Meeting in Honolulu this week. I’m excited to meet one of Blue Faery’s long-time donors (in person) who resides in Hawaii as well as hear from other HCC experts about how they treat liver cancer in their countries.

If you attended the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting this year, you know the traffic in Chicago was unusually bad! (Much worse than last year when Taylor Swift was there during her Eras tour.) Ubers canceled, taxis disappeared, and walking was sometimes the only option. However, the conference was still terrific.

We have many exciting events happening this month; I’m thrilled to share them with you.

First up, we’re producing our next The Truth About Liver Cancer workshop with a focus on Liver Transplant recipients. You don’t want to miss Tony, Karen, and Steve’s stories about their dealing with liver disease, kidney disease, and liver cancer. While their experiences differ, a liver transplant saved their lives.

Next, we have a live, in-person workshop in Brooklyn for our Love Your Liver program during AAPI month. Read the full press release and get the details about the Chinese educational workshop featuring medical oncologist Dr. Songchuan Guo, a community leader and leading expert in treating liver cancer.

I’m so excited to announce this year’s Blue Faery Award Winner for Excellence in Liver Cancer Research. [insert drumroll] Meet Dr. Peter Galle!

Upon receiving the award, Dr. Galle said, "I am truly honored to receive the Blue Faery Award. It is a great privilege to join the group of national and international HCC experts who previously received this prestigious award and a stimulus to continue to work for our patients with this deadly disease. In the end, it's not the tumor but the patient with the tumor we are fighting for."

I feel blessed to have raised a child who left so much of herself behind, and now, I’m thrilled to share Adrienne’s art journal with the world. From pencil, ink, marker, crayon, charcoal, chalk, and pastels to watercolor, acrylic, oil, collage, multimedia, and digital photography, Adrienne created a world that gives us insight into her imagination. In the pages of I’d Rather Be Dead Than Deaf, you’ll discover why I call Adrienne, “The best kid ever.”

Years ago, I remember driving by a flower shop on Valentine’s Day. Dozens of men stood in a long line that ran alongside the building. Maybe it was forgetfulness or procrastination, but they had waited to the very last minute to buy their beloved flowers for Valentine’s Day. I laughed so hard that I almost ran a red light.

The good news is … you don’t need to buy flowers to love your liver. The bad news is … you may need to change your eating habits. Did you know that your liver loves water, coffee, and green tea? Oatmeal, blueberries, and greens like spinach and broccoli are good for it too. To love your liver even more, reduce your intake of alcohol, sugar, and processed foods.

I’m so excited for you to meet our new full-time Operations Manager Marina Uchenik. As my sister’s oldest friend, Marina became Blue Faery’s first volunteer when she was sixteen years old. Two years later, she joined our Board of Directors. Though she stepped down from the Board to become an employee, Marina’s support of Blue Faery has never waivered.

My sister Adrienne and Marina met during their first week at Luther Burbank Middle School. At eleven years old, they became fast friends. When Marina moved away from Burbank and attended a different school, she and Adrienne stayed in touch. My favorite photo of them is from Adrienne’s 13th birthday party. Standing back-to-back, both young women were glancing over their shoulder looking directly at the camera. Only Adrienne was a head taller than Marina. To be fair, Adrienne was taller than me, too! That photo always makes me smile.

This time last year, Blue Faery had one full-time employee (me) and one part-time, in-house, independent contractor. But a lot can happen in one year!

And in January 2024? Well, both part-time employees will become full-time with benefits. Aside from me, we have Executive Assistant George Galvez, Program Manager Allyson Luong, and Operations Manager Marina Uchenik.

I would like you to meet Allyson Luong, our new program manager. We're thrilled to have Allyson on our team. She manages The Truth About Liver Cancer program, and she also works with me to oversee other programs, including Love Your Liver, You and Liver Cancer (new in 2024), and much more.

Allyson has a personal connection to liver cancer. When she was in eighth grade, her mother Janice was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Prior to her diagnosis, Janice had no symptoms. After some blood tests and imaging, she had surgery to remove one tumor from her liver. When subsequent tumors were discovered, Allyson’s uncle, a healthcare provider, insisted a liver transplant was necessary to ensure survival. After seeking multiple opinions, Janice was put on the transplant list at Cedars-Sinai. When she received the call that a liver was available, Janice drove straight from work to the hospital.

Twenty-two years ago today, the light of my life—my child and sister Adrienne—died from stage IV primary liver cancer (i.e., hepatocellular carcinoma aka HCC). She was 15 years, six months, and one day old. Adrienne died at home in her bed surrounded by people who loved her. Other than oxygen, she was not hooked up to any machines. She was not in pain. But when I heard that last breath whistle through her teeth, my heart shattered into a million pieces

“Elevar is inspired by Blue Faery’s efforts to raise understanding of and advocate for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and their families,” said Elevar Vice President of Medical Affairs Bill Strickland. “As HCC typically has a poor prognosis and a lack of treatment options, we are highly focused on bringing a new therapeutic approach to those in need, and we are proud to support the caring community Blue Faery has built by participating in its Benefactors Council.”