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.

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."

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.

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!

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.

Patients faced with a serious diagnosis are often confronted with more questions than answers. Dealing with the shock of unexpected illness, while simultaneously learning about treatment options and navigating the labyrinth of insurance claims, can be overwhelming.

Andrea Wilson Woods, founder and president of Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association, found out firsthand about the challenges facing both those suffering from liver cancer and those who care for them.

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.”

Patients, caregivers, health care professionals, friends and family are welcome, as well as members of the local community, to learn more about Together Facing Liver Cancer. The event will feature an expert panel with Fox Chase Cancer Center physicians discussing surgical options, genetic testing and clinical trials.

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.

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.

Black Americans are 50% more likely to suffer with liver cancer than the general population meaning the need for diagnosis and treatment is high.

Black/African Americans are 50% more likely to get liver cancer than the general population, and incidence rates are climbing. The Love Your Liver campaign provides community members with convenient opportunities to learn more about their unique liver cancer risks and how to actively manage them. Type 2 diabetes and hepatitis C can both lead to liver cancer, so those in the Black/African American community who currently have or previously had one or both of those diseases are at higher risk for liver cancer. Both type 2 diabetes and hepatitis C are preventable and treatable, so education and early detection are vital to improving survival rates.

Love Your Liver Live, a Black History Month Community Event series, kicks off on February 22, 2024, at 7 p.m. ET with a live, virtual education workshop featuring Miriam Atkins, MD, a medical oncologist with multispecialty clinics in Georgia and South Carolina. The second live, virtual educational workshop will be on February 29, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET and features Gia Landry, MD, a hepatologist with Ochsner in Baton Rouge. These free virtual workshops allow community members to learn about relevant liver cancer risks and how to manage them from a trusted local physician.

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.