Myelofibrosis Survivor Reflects on the Impact of Her Physician

For nearly a decade, Mayra Andujar-Delgado has navigated the complexities of living with myelofibrosis, a journey she says was fundamentally shaped by the steady, compassionate guidance of her physician, Dr. Faseeh Khaja.

Mayra discussed how Khaja, who is a medical oncologist of Pinellas Hematology and Oncology in Trinity, Florida, positively impacted her throughout her treatment journey, starting from the moment she received her cancer diagnosis.

Khaja was honored at the 2025 Blood Cancer Heroes event, which is dedicated to honoring those who make a profound impact on people living with leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs)/myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). The event, which was hosted by CURE®, was held in partnership with Blood Cancer United, whose mission centers on elevating patient voices and strengthening community support for all individuals affected by blood cancers.

Mayra shared further details about her doctor-patient relationship with Khaja, what truly stood out to her about his bedside manner and how he helped her mentally approach her cancer.

For Mayra, Khaja’s impact goes beyond clinical expertise; it lies in his ability to simplify the "frightening and rare" through calm communication and hand-drawn sketches that empower his patients to understand their own bodies.

Transcript

Can you describe how your doctor supported you throughout your myelofibrosis journey and what stood out about their approach

The way he makes you feel when he has to inform you about a very rare chronic disorder like mine — myelofibrosis — is very kind and very calm. He goes slowly, but truly explains to you what the situation is, what the circumstances are, and how we can deal [with the disease] — not only with the follow-ups, but with the treatments ahead.

The way he explained the whole procedure to you, your disorder or your circumstances is very informative. He drew sketches of the inside of my body in a way that I could understand and comprehend my disorder, and to move forward with that.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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