Shir, United States

Nearly ten years ago, I began my career dedicated to patients living with life-altering diseases like cancer. Their courage, their stories, their resilience shaped my purpose in ways I couldn’t have imagined.

I never expected that, a decade later, I would find myself on the other side of that fight.

It arrived at the exact moment my spouse and I welcomed our baby into the world this past summer. The contrast was surreal, joy and fear, beginnings and uncertainty, all coexisting at once. At first, I was angry and overwhelmed. And yet, as I moved through treatment for salivary gland cancer, it began to feel like more than coincidence. Maybe even divine timing.

The photo I’m sharing today captures that paradox: ringing the bell at the end of treatment, my daughter in my arms. Becoming a parent while undergoing cancer treatment gave me something deeper to fight for. She has been my anchor, grounding me through treatment and reminding me not to take a single moment, milestone, or breath for granted.

Throughout my career, I’ve carried the voices of patients who navigated cancer with clarity and grit in the face of the unknown. Helping bring those voices into science has been the greatest privilege of my work. Now, as I step into survivorship, those same voices are helping me find my own.

This is the first time I’m sharing this publicly. For a long time, I wasn’t sure I would. I worried about being seen differently, or what it might mean to be honest about a delayed diagnosis. But staying silent only reinforces the doubt so many patients feel when their concerns are dismissed.

Looking back, my time working in patient advocacy feels deeply kismet. My diagnosis was missed for five years, and it was listening to advocates share stories of pushing for answers, trusting their instincts, and refusing to be dismissed that compelled me to do the same. Those stories quite literally saved my life.

If there’s one thing I hope this sharing offers, it’s this: trust your gut. Advocate for yourself. Ask again. Push when something doesn’t feel right, even when it’s uncomfortable, even when you’re told it’s nothing.

I’m profoundly grateful for the family, friends, community, and coworkers who showed up fully and without hesitation. And especially for my spouse, my anchor, who somehow gave birth and held space for me with extraordinary strength and love. I am endlessly in awe of you.

I’m also deeply thankful for my medical team, who carried me through this with compassion and humanity.

This wasn’t the path I expected. But I move forward grounded in purpose, gratitude, and meaning.

#WorldCancerDay #PatientAdvocacy #Cancersucks #Survivor #AYACancer #SalivaryGlandCancerAwareness