In 2000, I lost both grandparents, one to cancer, profoundly impacting me. Years later, my doctor sought help finding a bone marrow donor, prompting me to join the Dana Farber Bone Marrow Registry. While I wasn't a match for my doctor, someone else was. Later, Dana Farber informed me I was a match for a female cancer patient. Remembering the pain of losing my grandmother, I thought, “If I can give a girl like me more time with her grandmother, I will.”

In 2008, I donated bone marrow to a stranger, Diana, who has since thrived. We became close friends, and thanks to Azara, I traveled to Michigan to meet her, her son, daughter-in-law, and her best friend, who expressed deep gratitude. I am grateful for Dana Farber's impact on Diana and honored to be part of her family now.

At Azara, I've met remarkable people who have transformed my perspective on healthcare, particularly Heather Budd. She welcomed me warmly and consistently offered support. When I attended our annual user conference while breastfeeding my son in January 2018, Heather generously provided her room for me to pump, allowing me to continue nourishing my baby. This small gesture meant everything to us and, along with support from other key Azara colleagues, helped me achieve my goal of nursing him for a year.

In early 2009, my father slipped on ice outside his apartment, initially thinking he just pulled a muscle in his thigh. Despite using over-the-counter painkillers, his condition worsened, leading to an emergency room visit where they discovered both a muscle pull and advanced cancer. He fought diligently through months of treatments but ultimately accepted hospice care. My brother and I brought him home to spend his final days with us, and he passed away on November 19, 2009, with us by his side, honoring our promise to never leave him alone.

And for Carmen, our Peach.