Suleika Jaouad Celebrates Blood Cancer Heroes With CURE and Blood Cancer United

Emmy-winning journalist and author Suleika Jaouad recently delivered the keynote address at the inaugural Blood Cancer Heroes celebration.

The event, held in partnership with Blood Cancer United, honored those who make a profound impact on people living with leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs)/myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

Jaouad, the author of “Between Two Kingdoms” and “The Book of Alchemy,” received her first diagnosis of leukemia at the age of 22 and is now facing cancer for the third time in 15 years.

After the Blood Cancer Heroes event, she sat down for an interview with CURE to discuss the event and the often-invisible work done by members of the blood cancer community.

Transcript

What was your reaction when you learned you’d been invited to speak at this year’s Blood Cancer Heroes event?

I was so honored. It's been such a privilege to get to work with Blood Cancer United as they usher in this new wave of inclusion that encompasses all the blood cancers, not leukemias and lymphomas only, and also to get to do it in partnership with CURE. Like many patients, any time I'm in a waiting room at the doctor's office, I see CURE magazine, and so, to me, those two organizations coming together for the first inaugural event of this nature is a testament to how important it is to have partnerships across different nonprofits and also how far we've come with regards to blood cancer advocacy.

It was the first, and I hope it won't be the last. It really left me feeling so inspired and grounded back in the why of why we all do this work.
This is not easy work. It is often discouraging. It's hard work. It's largely invisible work, and I can say for myself that I don't think I would be alive if it weren't for a community of advocates like the blood cancer heroes who not only care but who then take that care and translate it into initiative and execution.

I've gotten to witness firsthand the kind of progress that's possible in the decade between when I was first diagnosed and when I relapsed, not only in terms of drugs and treatments that weren't available to me the first time around that were the second time around, but also the variety of resources that are now available, supportive resources, whether that's in the form of financial aid or support groups or mental health support, that just didn't exist the first time around.

We've made so much progress. We still have so much progress to make, and if it weren't for individuals like those four incredible blood cancer heroes who are leading the way, we wouldn't be where we are now and we wouldn't get to where we need to get next. And so, recognizing that work is not only important to the individuals being recognized, but it's also inspiring to the rest of us who are looking for inspiration and motivation and also a reminder of what's possible.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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