Excited to be recruiting new postdocs that will leverage our high-content screening and live-cell imaging platform to discover new therapies for pediatric glioma patients: verhaaklab.com/archive/2023-…. Contact me with questions and for more info!

Turning pain into purpose 🧡 I never imagined my post would reach so many. If there is one theme and take away I have taken from it- it’s the shared desire from us all to simply know others care. It’s what makes us all human. It also highlighted just how many want to help but don’t know how. People who deeply care about their loved ones but didn’t reach out because they were afraid of saying the wrong thing or bothering them, not knowing the pain their absence or lack of words may have caused. I wanted to share because I’ve been on both sides of the fence, even as a cancer patient myself. This post was even partially inspired by my own guilt from a friend who passed recently- who I thought I’d have more time with. Someone I was in contact with often but wished I told them how much they meant to me. None of us are perfect and we all do the best we can but at the end of the day, it isn’t about big grand gestures or knowing the right words to take away the pain. It’s about simply being there through it. If you’re unsure what to say, here are a few examples that folks have crowd sourced of things that are impactful: 🔸“Just thinking about you” messages 🔸Pictures/gifs/videos 🔸Specific offers to help (bring food, watch pets, rides to appointments) 🔸Offers to help take care of household chores (lawn, house cleaning etc) 🔸Post cards/letters periodically to let them know they’re on your mind 🔸Care packages 🔸Texts/messages/calls (knowing they may not always respond) Little efforts go a long way ❤️ Many have asked how I’m doing since my post and I have to say I feel beyond fortunate to be where I am these days. There was a time I wasn’t sure I’d see past 30. I was already stage IV when I was diagnosed and things didn’t look great. But coming up on 3 years later, I am happy to share that I currently have no active cancer and have been fortunate to be able channel the pain from those early days into purpose I spent 1.5 years before I was diagnosed, struggling to be heard and trying to convince others something was wrong. So chronic illness fighters, I see you. The first emotion I felt when I heard I had stage IV cancer was relief that someone believed me. The day I shared my diagnosis, I was flooded with support that I know many of you don’t get as you struggle to track down a diagnosis of your own I have a one in a million cancer, so I also know the pain and uncertainty that comes with an endless stream of unanswered questions and unknowns In the absence of support from others- I want you to know I see and feel your pain and I encourage others who have friends or loved ones that are struggling with any battle to take the time to let them know you care. Your small gestures will always be remembered Someone I look up to a lot (@renalmedullary) recently described the act of refocusing their most difficult days as turning their pain into purpose, which resonates with me deeply So much of my outlook has been influenced by facing a bleak prognosis and feeling like I was given a second chance Today’s been a crazy day, seeing this post go viral and wanting to send a giant hug to so many of you- while also having a bit of a surreal and milestone day myself Today, was not only my first day at a new job, a nonprofit very close to my heart that’s moving research forward for rare cancers But I also found myself on the cover of one of the largest cancer magazines, which honestly just feels crazy I promised myself if I ever reached no active cancer, I’d dedicate the gift of time I was given to helping other patients who may come behind me. I give away everything I make from advocacy to research, including 100% of my portion of the earnings from a memoir I’ve been writing Today I feel insanely grateful to have been able to turn my pain into purpose and I hold all of you in my thoughts who are still in the thick of it. My words may not be able to take it all away but I stand with you in solidarity through the pain.