Transforming adversity and loss into a powerful force for change in cancer advocacy, we sit down with Andrea Wilson Wood, Founder of Blue Faery.

Andrea shares some powerful stories of overcoming personal and familial adversity, including childhood trauma, addiction, raising her sister, and the challenges of managing a serious illness. She reflects on her experiences with resilience and humor, especially through her sister Adrian’s battle with liver and lung cancer.

In this episode, Gary sits down with writer and Liver Cancer Advocate Andrea Wilson-Woods. At the age of 22, Andrea took full-time custody of her 8-year-old sister, Adrienne, after their mother succumbed to addiction. She opened up about the challenges of raising her sister and the devastating diagnosis of stage 4 liver cancer that Adrienne received at the age of 15. Andrea also talks about her advocacy work through The Blue Fairy Foundation, which aims to prevent, treat, and cure primary liver cancer. She emphasizes the importance of patient education and self-advocacy in navigating the healthcare system.

In this first interview, they discussed how Sharon Dixon and her husband Jimmy made the difficult decision to choose hospice when treatment failed. Sharon Dixon is 60 years old. She lives in Peerless, Texas, which is a small rural community in Northeast Texas with her chi-weenie, Ollie, and two cats, Sassy & Chloe. She lost her beloved husband Jimmy to liver cancer (HCC) on October 27, 2022. She spends her time gardening and raising awareness about HCC.

This week Ivy Slater, host of Her Success Story, chats with her guest, Andrea Wilson Woods. The two talk about the importance of tapping into your zone of genius, surrounding yourself with the right people, and the impact being made by Blue Faery for liver cancer patients and doctors alike.

In this episode, we discuss:

How channeling grief was the catalyst that led her to begin a nonprofit 

The mission of Blue Faery, and where they are today

What challenges and obstacles she faced in building, and how long it took to gain traction

What transformation made a big difference in the impact that Blue Faery makes

Why it’s so important to tap into your zone of genius and surround yourself with the right people

What has surprised her on her journey as a leader

What tips she has to share for entrepreneurs who want to make an impact and start a nonprofit organization

Andrea shares the deeply personal story of her sister Adrienne's battle with liver cancer, which began when Adrienne was just a teenager. Andrea, who became her sister's primary caregiver, recounts the emotional and challenging journey they endured together.

At this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Andrea Wilson Woods, Founder of Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association, sat down to discuss Blue Faery, a nonprofit aimed to prevent, treat, and cure liver cancer, and how the use of education and research has helped Blue Faery with improving liver cancer care.

In her own words, this is the journal of Adrienne Wilson, a teenage artist, poet, and beloved sister. Before her death from liver cancer at the age of fifteen, 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.

In the world of healthcare, innovation often comes from those who have experienced the system firsthand. Andrea Wilson Woods, the inspiring founder of Blue Faery and Cancer University, transformed her personal experience of losing her sister to liver cancer into a powerful force for change, empowering patients through a unique combination of education, coaching, and community.

How To Discover Purpose in Loss

The Price of Business Digital Network has a new series of outstanding commentaries from thought leaders. This is one in that series.

Andrea Wilson Woods

Patient Advocate, Author, and Speaker Andrea Wilson Woods talks about why she founded Blue Faery, a nonprofit patient advocacy organization dedicated to helping people with liver cancer.

ANDREA WILSON WOODS is a keynote speaker, a writer who loves to tell stories, and a patient advocate who founded the nonprofit Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association. For over ten years, Andrea worked in the education field as a teacher and professor for public and private schools as well as universities. Andrea obtained her master’s degree in professional writing from the University of Southern California; her nonfiction writing has won national awards. Her best-selling and award-winning book, Better Off Bald: A Life in 147 Days, is a medical memoir about raising and losing her sister to liver cancer.

This is a "Girl, Take the Lead!" Sound Bite, which is a shorter episode, building on Ep 149 with Andrea Wilson Woods about her Blue Faery Foundation and the launch of the book she edited, I’d Rather Be Dead than Deaf. I thought you might like to hear some of the passages from that book to feel inspired during your day.

Andrea Wilson Woods, Gen X, joins Yo to discuss the book she’s edited: I’d Rather Be Dead than Deaf. The book is the journal of Adrienne Wilson, a teenage artist, poet, and Andrea’s beloved sister. Before her death from liver cancer at the age of fifteen, Adrienne expressed her funny, bright soul in this prolific journal.

In this episode of Believe in Progress, Mitch talks with Andrea Wilson Woods about how the loss of her sister to cancer motivated her to start Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association to help patients and families navigate liver cancer.

Are you a female entrepreneur and also a caregiver for a cancer patient? Is it possible to care for your loved one and have boundaries?

On this episode of the Wellness and Wealth podcast, Andrea Wilson Woods of Cancer University addresses what self-care looks like when caring for someone with cancer and after. She’ll also share how she has learned in her forties that self-care is learning to prioritize your needs before others.

Andrea Wilson Woods is a writer who loves to tell stories and a patient advocate who founded the nonprofit Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association. Andrea is the CEO and co-founder of Cancer University, a for-profit, social-impact, digital health company. Her best-selling and award-winning book, Better Off Bald: A Life in 147 Days, is a medical memoir about raising and losing her sister to liver cancer. Andrea joins me for episode 90 to share her story of being a sister, parent, and caregiver to Andrienne who passed away from #LiverCancer 20 years ago. Her story is wrapped in a wealth of information on how to be a force of nature while caring for and advocating for a loved one, the importance of taking care of yourself and your mental health, relationships, and more.

I think you just need to not assume that you know what a patient wants, you need to listen and really listen and ask more questions.