I'm thrilled to introduce you to Heather Drake, Blue Faery's new full-time Program Manager. Heather joins our team from Connecticut, and she has personal experience with liver cancer.

In 2004, Heather's father Ron received a life-saving liver transplant after being diagnosed with liver cancer. He had none of the typical risk factors (e.g., HBV, HCV, fatty liver, ALD). However, Ron was a Vietnam Veteran who had been exposed to Agent Orange, a potent carcinogen, which may have been a contributing factor. Ron lived ten years with his new liver until another cancer ultimately took his life. Heather joined Blue Faery to give back to the liver cancer community as she felt frustrated by the lack of information during her father's illness.

I'm thrilled to introduce you to Susan Hall, Blue Faery's new and first full-time Development Manager. You may have met Susan on Zoom or in person at The Liver Meeting or ASCO GI. She's been with us just over five months, and I'm so happy to have her on our team. If you have any questions about giving, including legacy gifts, please email Susan.

Last month, Susan and I attended ASCO GI in San Francisco. Between us, we participated in two patient advisory boards, held six meetings, and attended two expert seminars. We even squeezed in a Big Bus Tour of the city and Susan met one of our Board Directors Sarah Schiltz in person. The weather was beautiful, too!

I can't believe it's already mid-January 2025! We hope you had a safe and wonderful holiday with your friends and family. If you thought you missed our December newsletter, you didn't. We've been moving to a new CRM, and as all data moves are, it's been a bit of a work in progress. 

Anyway, Blue Faery is kicking off the year by attending ASCO GI in San Francisco next week. If you plan to attend and want to meet, be sure to reach out to me. Next month, we're launching the fifth year of our Love Your Liver program. We have two workshops for Blacks/African Americans at risk for liver disease or liver cancer. Both virtual workshops are led by doctors who represent the community. Scroll down to register today!

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.

This year, in honor of Liver Cancer Awareness Month, Eureka Therapeutics held a special event in recognition of all patient's battling liver cancer. This event featured a special guest, Ms. Sarah Schiltz, who shared her experiences as a patient advocate and as a caregiver to her husband, Greg, who battled hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; a type of liver cancer). This video was created to serve as a resource for those currently battling liver cancer and their loved ones.

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.

Love Your Liver helps raise awareness about liver cancer risk factors in the Hispanic community, as they are 2.5 times as likely to develop the disease compared with White Americans. Due to the high prevalence of fatty liver disease in the community, liver cancer continues to be one of the most significant health issues that Hispanic Americans face. Besides the stigma of liver cancer and fatty liver disease, Hispanic Americans also face language and cultural barriers and lack culturally appropriate educational programs. Love Your Liver delivers culturally relevant education about liver cancer risk factors, liver cancer surveillance, and treatments while offering hope.

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.

Love Your Liver helps raise awareness about liver cancer risk factors in the Hispanic community, as they are 2.5 times as likely to develop the disease compared with White Americans. Due to the high prevalence of fatty liver disease in the community, liver cancer continues to be one of the most significant health issues that Hispanic Americans face. Besides the stigma of liver cancer and fatty liver disease, Hispanic Americans also face language and cultural barriers and lack culturally appropriate educational programs. Love Your Liver delivers culturally relevant education about liver cancer risk factors, liver cancer surveillance, and treatments while offering hope.

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."

Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association announces its first book, I'd Rather Be Dead Than Deaf: A Young Woman's Journey With Liver Cancer. In her own words, the book is the journal of Adrienne Wilson, a teenage artist, poet, and beloved sister. Before her death from liver cancer at age 15, Adrienne expressed her funny, bright soul in this prolific journal. Her musings on life, relationships, music, love, and the beautiful grime of her adopted hometown of Los Angeles leap off the page. Her deep sensitivity and perspective are captured in full-color prints of her award-winning artwork. Steeped in late-90s nostalgia, this artistic journey through a teenage girl's eyes is moving, often hilarious, and unforgettable. Grab a free copy from Book Sirens!