I am so inspired by this woman’s brilliant leadership, courageous ideas, and loving spirit.

NEW YORK, October 21, 2019 - Why has so little progress been made in preventing, diagnosing, and treating cancer? How can physicians, caregivers, and patients advocate for more effective research and humane treatments? Dr. Azra Raza, the director of the MDS Center at Columbia University, tackles some of these important questions in The First Cell: And the Human Costs of Pursuing Cancer to the Last.

hero - def. an ordinary person facing extraordinary circumstances, and acting with courage, honor, and self-sacrifice.

This woman is a hero.
Dr. Azra Raza is type of hero that that makes it her personal mission to leave this world in a better place than how she found it. As an oncologist and cancer researcher, she is bold, creative, humble, and most importantly, passionate as HELL to find an end to cancer. I am in awe of her achievements (she is so so smart), her innovative ideas for early detection (for example- what if we had blankets and bras that could detect cancer before a tumor forms?!), and her grit to keep going over the years despite facing countless setbacks (just watch her TED talk... this is one incredible woman).

She inspires me to make it MY life mission to find a cure for cancer in THIS LIFETIME. I believe and have hope we can do it... especially with Dr. Raza leading the pack! Thank you, Universe, for bringing this super hero into my life when I needed her most. I can’t believe I took a selfie with you. 😲 (don’t mind me... just fan-girling over here.)

"The First Cell" by Dr. Azra Raza