I’m so excited to announce this year’s Blue Faery Award Winner for Excellence in Liver Cancer Research. [insert drumroll] Meet Dr. Peter Galle!

Upon receiving the award, Dr. Galle said, "I am truly honored to receive the Blue Faery Award. It is a great privilege to join the group of national and international HCC experts who previously received this prestigious award and a stimulus to continue to work for our patients with this deadly disease. In the end, it's not the tumor but the patient with the tumor we are fighting for."

Patients faced with a serious diagnosis are often confronted with more questions than answers. Dealing with the shock of unexpected illness, while simultaneously learning about treatment options and navigating the labyrinth of insurance claims, can be overwhelming.

Andrea Wilson Woods, founder and president of Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association, found out firsthand about the challenges facing both those suffering from liver cancer and those who care for them.

I feel blessed to have raised a child who left so much of herself behind, and now, I’m thrilled to share Adrienne’s art journal with the world. From pencil, ink, marker, crayon, charcoal, chalk, and pastels to watercolor, acrylic, oil, collage, multimedia, and digital photography, Adrienne created a world that gives us insight into her imagination. In the pages of I’d Rather Be Dead Than Deaf, you’ll discover why I call Adrienne, “The best kid ever.”

Years ago, I remember driving by a flower shop on Valentine’s Day. Dozens of men stood in a long line that ran alongside the building. Maybe it was forgetfulness or procrastination, but they had waited to the very last minute to buy their beloved flowers for Valentine’s Day. I laughed so hard that I almost ran a red light.

The good news is … you don’t need to buy flowers to love your liver. The bad news is … you may need to change your eating habits. Did you know that your liver loves water, coffee, and green tea? Oatmeal, blueberries, and greens like spinach and broccoli are good for it too. To love your liver even more, reduce your intake of alcohol, sugar, and processed foods.

Black Americans are 50% more likely to suffer with liver cancer than the general population meaning the need for diagnosis and treatment is high.

Black/African Americans are 50% more likely to get liver cancer than the general population, and incidence rates are climbing. The Love Your Liver campaign provides community members with convenient opportunities to learn more about their unique liver cancer risks and how to actively manage them. Type 2 diabetes and hepatitis C can both lead to liver cancer, so those in the Black/African American community who currently have or previously had one or both of those diseases are at higher risk for liver cancer. Both type 2 diabetes and hepatitis C are preventable and treatable, so education and early detection are vital to improving survival rates.

Love Your Liver Live, a Black History Month Community Event series, kicks off on February 22, 2024, at 7 p.m. ET with a live, virtual education workshop featuring Miriam Atkins, MD, a medical oncologist with multispecialty clinics in Georgia and South Carolina. The second live, virtual educational workshop will be on February 29, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET and features Gia Landry, MD, a hepatologist with Ochsner in Baton Rouge. These free virtual workshops allow community members to learn about relevant liver cancer risks and how to manage them from a trusted local physician.

I’m so excited for you to meet our new full-time Operations Manager Marina Uchenik. As my sister’s oldest friend, Marina became Blue Faery’s first volunteer when she was sixteen years old. Two years later, she joined our Board of Directors. Though she stepped down from the Board to become an employee, Marina’s support of Blue Faery has never waivered.

My sister Adrienne and Marina met during their first week at Luther Burbank Middle School. At eleven years old, they became fast friends. When Marina moved away from Burbank and attended a different school, she and Adrienne stayed in touch. My favorite photo of them is from Adrienne’s 13th birthday party. Standing back-to-back, both young women were glancing over their shoulder looking directly at the camera. Only Adrienne was a head taller than Marina. To be fair, Adrienne was taller than me, too! That photo always makes me smile.

This time last year, Blue Faery had one full-time employee (me) and one part-time, in-house, independent contractor. But a lot can happen in one year!

And in January 2024? Well, both part-time employees will become full-time with benefits. Aside from me, we have Executive Assistant George Galvez, Program Manager Allyson Luong, and Operations Manager Marina Uchenik.

I would like you to meet Allyson Luong, our new program manager. We're thrilled to have Allyson on our team. She manages The Truth About Liver Cancer program, and she also works with me to oversee other programs, including Love Your Liver, You and Liver Cancer (new in 2024), and much more.

Allyson has a personal connection to liver cancer. When she was in eighth grade, her mother Janice was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Prior to her diagnosis, Janice had no symptoms. After some blood tests and imaging, she had surgery to remove one tumor from her liver. When subsequent tumors were discovered, Allyson’s uncle, a healthcare provider, insisted a liver transplant was necessary to ensure survival. After seeking multiple opinions, Janice was put on the transplant list at Cedars-Sinai. When she received the call that a liver was available, Janice drove straight from work to the hospital.

At AstraZeneca, our patients are at the heart of what we do. This patient-first mindset goes beyond developing treatments for our patients with liver cancer – the fastest-rising cause of cancer-related deaths in the US and the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, affecting approximately 41,000 people every year.1-3 For us, learning from—and listening to—our patients is one of the most impactful ways we can serve people living with a liver cancer diagnosis. Partnering with patient advocacy groups who serve as a trusted resource for patients is critical to better serve those affected by liver cancer and their loved ones.

Twenty-two years ago today, the light of my life—my child and sister Adrienne—died from stage IV primary liver cancer (i.e., hepatocellular carcinoma aka HCC). She was 15 years, six months, and one day old. Adrienne died at home in her bed surrounded by people who loved her. Other than oxygen, she was not hooked up to any machines. She was not in pain. But when I heard that last breath whistle through her teeth, my heart shattered into a million pieces

“Elevar is inspired by Blue Faery’s efforts to raise understanding of and advocate for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and their families,” said Elevar Vice President of Medical Affairs Bill Strickland. “As HCC typically has a poor prognosis and a lack of treatment options, we are highly focused on bringing a new therapeutic approach to those in need, and we are proud to support the caring community Blue Faery has built by participating in its Benefactors Council.”

Recently, I attended a small women’s weekend retreat. I don’t treat myself often, but it was an opportunity to spend time healing my grief, interacting with other women, and convening with nature. But the retreat involved strong recommendations before showing up.

A few weeks ago, I woke up one morning unable to breathe through my nose. Congested head. Raw throat. Dry mouth. The previous weekend, I had traveled to Arkansas to surprise my dad for Father’s Day.