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’m so excited 2023 is here! I don’t know about you, but 2022 was a bit … exhausting. After months of dealing with long covid, I’m starting to feel better. To feel stronger. And I’m thrilled with the programs we have coming up this year.

Recently, founding Board Director Monique Beatty, reminded me of our humble beginnings. Many years ago, we recycled toner and ink cartridges to earn revenue for Blue Faery.

You might not think about your liver health very often. If everything’s in good working order, you might not think you have to. But, according to the American Liver Foundation, liver disease affects more than 100 million Americans. The foundation cautions that when it’s left untreated, liver disease can lead to liver failure, cancer and can even be fatal—in 2020, it was the 12th leading cause of death in the US. With numbers like those, and a personal history with liver disease, former Yankees star Bernie Williams is stepping up to bat to help spread awareness about the importance of supporting your liver health.

He recently helped launch One Liver to Love in partnership with Eisai as well as Global Liver Institute (GLI) and Blue Faery, which are both patient advocacy organizations that provide education and resources to people living with liver cancer. The initiative hopes to offer support to families like Williams’ who are impacted by liver disease.

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.

Did you know? The day Blue Faery became incorporated by the state of California — December 19 — is the same date Adrienne came to live with me in Los Angeles.

A glance at Adrienne Wilson’s online journal provides some insight into the mind of a teenager wise beyond her years.

Someone I haven’t seen in two decades did this act of kindness that fills my heart with gratitude, and she did it during Liver Cancer Awareness Month.

Meet our campaign spokesperson Cuban-born American singer Jon Secada. With multiple Grammy Awards and 15+ million records sold, Jon is one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time.

Seeking patients & caregivers for advisory board

"Liver disease is personal to me. It has impacted my mom, my uncle and my grandfather, and I've seen first-hand the difficulties and feelings that come with it," said Williams.

When I started Blue Faery, I knew little about founding a charity.

Visit Blue Faery’s booth in the ASCO Patient Pavilion located near the main concourse entrance.