Andrea shares the deeply personal story of her sister Adrienne's battle with liver cancer, which began when Adrienne was just a teenager. Andrea, who became her sister's primary caregiver, recounts the emotional and challenging journey they endured together.

At this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Andrea Wilson Woods, Founder of Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association, sat down to discuss Blue Faery, a nonprofit aimed to prevent, treat, and cure liver cancer, and how the use of education and research has helped Blue Faery with improving liver cancer care.

In her own words, this is the journal of Adrienne Wilson, a teenage artist, poet, and beloved sister. Before her death from liver cancer at the age of fifteen, Adrienne expressed her funny, bright soul in this prolific journal. Her musings on life, relationships, music, love, and the beautiful grime of her adopted hometown of Los Angeles leap off the page; her deep sensitivity and perspective are captured in full-color prints of her award-winning artwork. Steeped in late-90s nostalgia, this artistic journey through a teenage girl’s eyes is moving, often hilarious, and unforgettable.

Love Your Liver helps raise awareness about liver cancer risk factors in the Hispanic community, as they are 2.5 times as likely to develop the disease compared with White Americans. Due to the high prevalence of fatty liver disease in the community, liver cancer continues to be one of the most significant health issues that Hispanic Americans face. Besides the stigma of liver cancer and fatty liver disease, Hispanic Americans also face language and cultural barriers and lack culturally appropriate educational programs. Love Your Liver delivers culturally relevant education about liver cancer risk factors, liver cancer surveillance, and treatments while offering hope.

In the world of healthcare, innovation often comes from those who have experienced the system firsthand. Andrea Wilson Woods, the inspiring founder of Blue Faery and Cancer University, transformed her personal experience of losing her sister to liver cancer into a powerful force for change, empowering patients through a unique combination of education, coaching, and community.

How To Discover Purpose in Loss

The Price of Business Digital Network has a new series of outstanding commentaries from thought leaders. This is one in that series.

Andrea Wilson Woods

Patient Advocate, Author, and Speaker Andrea Wilson Woods talks about why she founded Blue Faery, a nonprofit patient advocacy organization dedicated to helping people with liver cancer.

ANDREA WILSON WOODS is a keynote speaker, a writer who loves to tell stories, and a patient advocate who founded the nonprofit Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association. For over ten years, Andrea worked in the education field as a teacher and professor for public and private schools as well as universities. Andrea obtained her master’s degree in professional writing from the University of Southern California; her nonfiction writing has won national awards. Her best-selling and award-winning book, Better Off Bald: A Life in 147 Days, is a medical memoir about raising and losing her sister to liver cancer.

This is a "Girl, Take the Lead!" Sound Bite, which is a shorter episode, building on Ep 149 with Andrea Wilson Woods about her Blue Faery Foundation and the launch of the book she edited, I’d Rather Be Dead than Deaf. I thought you might like to hear some of the passages from that book to feel inspired during your day.

Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association announces its first book, I'd Rather Be Dead Than Deaf: A Young Woman's Journey With Liver Cancer. In her own words, the book is the journal of Adrienne Wilson, a teenage artist, poet, and beloved sister. Before her death from liver cancer at age 15, Adrienne expressed her funny, bright soul in this prolific journal. Her musings on life, relationships, music, love, and the beautiful grime of her adopted hometown of Los Angeles leap off the page. Her deep sensitivity and perspective are captured in full-color prints of her award-winning artwork. Steeped in late-90s nostalgia, this artistic journey through a teenage girl's eyes is moving, often hilarious, and unforgettable. Grab a free copy from Book Sirens!

Andrea Wilson Woods, Gen X, joins Yo to discuss the book she’s edited: I’d Rather Be Dead than Deaf. The book is the journal of Adrienne Wilson, a teenage artist, poet, and Andrea’s beloved sister. Before her death from liver cancer at the age of fifteen, Adrienne expressed her funny, bright soul in this prolific journal.

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.

Patients, caregivers, health care professionals, friends and family are welcome, as well as members of the local community, to learn more about Together Facing Liver Cancer. The event will feature an expert panel with Fox Chase Cancer Center physicians discussing surgical options, genetic testing and clinical trials.

In this episode of Believe in Progress, Mitch talks with Andrea Wilson Woods about how the loss of her sister to cancer motivated her to start Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association to help patients and families navigate liver cancer.

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.

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.