Seventy-thousand young adults diagnosed with cancer every year. They’re not quite young enough to belong in the pediatric unit, but they’re not quite old enough to relate to other cancer patients who are diagnosed at, for example, the age of 65. Jaouad fell into this awkward category where it seems that there are so many gaps in the support system and coordination of care. 

After being diagnosed with cancer at the young age of 22, Suleika Jaouad found her voice in writing about her experiences in battling it. She now travels around the country speaking to different audiences, writes for national publications and news outlets, and is a strong advocate for improving health care’s fragmented system. 

In addition to finding strength through her writing, she also said that her caregivers were instrumental in her healing. "Never 

underestimate the power of a small act of kindness," Jaouad said. "My nurses and caregivers gave me the strength I needed."

Life, Interrupted chronicles her experience from chemotherapy appointments to losing her hair and everything in between. "We all deal with interruptions – whether it’s cancer, unemployment, the loss of a parent," she said. "We all have interruptions; it’s not the interruptions that make our lives more meaningful but what we choose to do with those interruptions."

Living with cancer allowed her to embrace vulnerability and how to ask for help. "Cancer allowed me to find my voice and how to advocate for myself," she said. And it’s important for case managers to realize that they’re the patients’ advocate. Jaouad confirmed this herself: "And when I was too sick, it was important to find those who could advocate on my behalf."

We all know that the health care system is experiencing change like it never has before, but at times can seem like the change in unbearably slow. Jaouad summed it up so eloquently: "Changing the health care system isn’t going to happen all at once – it’s not a ‘big bang,’" she said. "It’s the sound of a thousand little sparks, and those sparks start with you."

To learn more about Suleika Jaouad’s Life, Interrupted project, visit http://suleikajaouad.com.