In this episode of The Tragedy Academy Podcast, Jay speaks with Andrea Wilson Woods, author, patient advocate, and founder of Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association. Andrea shares the harrowing, heart-opening story of raising her sister from childhood through a terminal liver cancer diagnosis, and how that experience became the catalyst for lifelong advocacy and education. 🎙️
Andrea’s story is not just one of loss — it’s one of legacy. At just 22, she became the legal guardian of her 8-year-old sister Adrienne, raising her through the chaos of addiction and dysfunction. When Adrienne was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer and passed away at 15, Andrea didn’t turn away — she turned purpose into motion. From starting a nonprofit in her sister’s name to translating reams of medical data into life-saving layman’s terms, her story is one of fierce love, resilience, and patient-centered revolution. 💛
Jay brings his signature blend of compassion, insight, and lived experience to this raw, honest conversation about family roles, medical burnout, and the importance of agency in the healthcare system. Whether you’re navigating grief, caregiving, or simply trying to understand better how to support those who are — this episode will move you.

In 2002, Andrea founded Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association after losing her 15-year-old sister Adrienne, whom she raised for seven years, to stage IV liver cancer. As a patient advocate, Andrea has served on many committees and advisory boards, including NCI’s Hepatobiliary Task Force, Target Pharma Solutions HCC Advisory Board, ASCO’s Systemic Therapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Guideline Panel, Mayo Clinic Hepatobiliary SPORE, and the DOD Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program. Andrea represents Blue Faery as a member of AASLD, ASCO, Deadliest Cancers Coalition, and GI Cancers Alliance. Currently, Andrea is the only American serving on the Canadian Cancer Survivor Network’s Liver Cancer Advisory Council.

Andrea has received numerous scholarships to attend conferences around the country to tell her story, increase her knowledge, advocate for more funding, and continue her professional development. Organizations that have granted scholarships/sponsorships include Academy Health, American Association for Cancer Research, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Liver Foundation, Caring Ambassadors, Conquer Cancer Foundation, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable, and more.

We’re thrilled to announce the winner of this year’s Blue Faery Award for Excellence in Liver Cancer Research: Dr. Mark Yarchoan from Johns Hopkins. Dr. Yarchoan's groundbreaking work in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is pushing the boundaries of research and offering new hope to patients and families everywhere. Please join us in celebrating this important recognition!

Next up: Love Your Liver during AAPI Month. We're honored to have Dr. Daneng Li from City of Hope give a virtual presentation in English and Chinese about the risk of HCC to Chinese Americans and how they can mitigate it. Scroll down to learn more and register today!

Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association announces the Blue Faery Award (BFA) for Excellence in Liver Cancer Research recipient. Primary liver cancer, also known as Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), remains the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Blue Faery established the award to honor medical professionals conducting groundbreaking research to improve patient outcomes.

The winner, Dr. Mark Yarchoan, said, "I am deeply honored to receive the Blue Faery Award, which not only supports liver cancer research but also highlights the strength of the community driving progress in this field."

Discover insights from the Phase 3 LEAP-012 study evaluating lenvatinib + pembrolizumab + TACE versus double placebo + TACE for patients with intermediate HCC.

In this short expert video, Prof. Arndt Vogel covers the key findings from the publication and places the results into clinical context.

I'm thrilled to introduce you to Heather Drake, Blue Faery's new full-time Program Manager. Heather joins our team from Connecticut, and she has personal experience with liver cancer.

In 2004, Heather's father Ron received a life-saving liver transplant after being diagnosed with liver cancer. He had none of the typical risk factors (e.g., HBV, HCV, fatty liver, ALD). However, Ron was a Vietnam Veteran who had been exposed to Agent Orange, a potent carcinogen, which may have been a contributing factor. Ron lived ten years with his new liver until another cancer ultimately took his life. Heather joined Blue Faery to give back to the liver cancer community as she felt frustrated by the lack of information during her father's illness.

I'm thrilled to introduce you to Susan Hall, Blue Faery's new and first full-time Development Manager. You may have met Susan on Zoom or in person at The Liver Meeting or ASCO GI. She's been with us just over five months, and I'm so happy to have her on our team. If you have any questions about giving, including legacy gifts, please email Susan.

Last month, Susan and I attended ASCO GI in San Francisco. Between us, we participated in two patient advisory boards, held six meetings, and attended two expert seminars. We even squeezed in a Big Bus Tour of the city and Susan met one of our Board Directors Sarah Schiltz in person. The weather was beautiful, too!

Blue Faery is proud to announce the continuation of its annual Love Your Liver campaign during Black History Month, marking the fourth consecutive year of this impactful and award-winning initiative. This campaign aims to raise awareness about liver disease and cancer within Black/African American communities, who are 1.5 times more likely to develop liver cancer compared to the general population. 

Community members can understand their specific liver cancer risks through the Love Your Liver program and learn about proactive management strategies. Conditions such as type 2 diabetes and hepatitis C can lead to liver cancer, making education and early detection crucial for improving survival rates.

In this profound episode, Andrea Wilson Woods shares her deeply personal journey of resilience and advocacy, inspired by her sister Adrienne's courageous battle with primary liver cancer. As the founder of Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association, Andrea reveals how Adrienne's humor, passion for music, and unbreakable spirit shaped their bond and her mission to support liver cancer patients and families. She discusses the importance of "realistic hope", honest patient-provider communication, and how Blue Faery is making vital resources accessible to diverse communities. Tune in to hear how Andrea turned heartbreak into purpose, creating a lasting impact through advocacy, education, and a commitment to honoring Adrienne's legacy.

In this final episode of the four-part series on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), hosted by the Oncology Brothers, Drs Rohit and Rahul Gosain, the discussion focuses on the evolving role of immunotherapy (IO) in intermediate HCC.

The episode explores multimodal approaches that combine IO and IO-based therapies with loco-regional treatments and highlights the essential role of a multidisciplinary care team.

I can't believe it's already mid-January 2025! We hope you had a safe and wonderful holiday with your friends and family. If you thought you missed our December newsletter, you didn't. We've been moving to a new CRM, and as all data moves are, it's been a bit of a work in progress. 

Anyway, Blue Faery is kicking off the year by attending ASCO GI in San Francisco next week. If you plan to attend and want to meet, be sure to reach out to me. Next month, we're launching the fifth year of our Love Your Liver program. We have two workshops for Blacks/African Americans at risk for liver disease or liver cancer. Both virtual workshops are led by doctors who represent the community. Scroll down to register today!

In the third of this 4-part podcast series on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the Oncology Brothers, Dr Rahul and Dr Rohit Gosain, are joined by hepatologist Dr Maria Reig and interventional radiologist Dr Emil Cohen to explore treatment strategies for patients with intermediate-stage HCC.

A REALTOR®/Broker Associate Jennifer Schumacher has volunteered for several local charities over the past 18 years. Her Mom, Carol, was diagnosed with HCC in 2023, and Jennifer became her primary caregiver for the next 14 months during her tenacious battle. Two and a half months into Carol’s diagnosis, Jennifer was diagnosed with Stage III Kidney Cancer and immediately had her kidney removed. Jennifer’s cancer journey gave her unique insight as to what it’s like to be both a cancer patient and a caregiver. Her mother, Carol, was a pillar of strength in life and in death.

Hosts Kevin Price and Andrea Wilson Woods visited Frankie Osborne, our next guest for the Fighting Liver Cancer series. Frankie has metastatic pancreatobiliary adenocarcinoma, the most common type of pancreatic cancer, that has spread to her liver. While it’s not primary liver cancer, Frankie is a member of our community and she has an important message to share.

Fascinating as always, what is particularly interesting about this interview is that she was diagnosed while her mother was fighting her on liver cancer diagnosis.

In this heartfelt episode, Andrea opens up about her personal journey, sharing the tough decisions, emotional hurdles, and vital lessons she’s learned along the way. But it doesn’t stop there. She’ll reveal the practical, actionable steps families can take to support their loved ones, both emotionally and medically, and how critical psychosocial support is in the cancer journey.

Plus, you’ll hear all about the Blue Faery’s educational programs, cutting-edge research, and its mission to tackle liver cancer head-on.

In the second episode of a 4-part podcast series on HCC, the Oncology Brothers, Drs Rahul and Rohit Gosain, host a podcast discussion between Dr Lorenza Rimassa and Prof. Arndt Vogel on 2nd line treatment selection in advanced HCC and when to switch.