In honor of #PrevivorDay, I’d like to celebrate the people who’ve taken action to learn their cancer risk and the providers who’ve equipped them to get ahead of cancer by sharing powerful previvor stories within the CancerIQ family.
From John Hansel, our SVP of Commercial Strategy, whose wife is a TP53 mutation carrier with Li Fraumeni syndrome, and has evaded cancer several times because of increased surveillance and knowing her risk. He is constantly thinking about how we can grow our company, but also adamant about making sure we fulfill our mission with every customer we bring on. When he speaks to prospects, he is speaking from experience about what the world could look like if everyone had access to CancerIQ-enabled care.
To Malvina Kefalas, our Director of Marketing and CHEK2 mutation carrier, who not only brings her colon cancer advocacy mindset into work everyday, but advocates for her own care. Her work speed and sense of urgency to make a patient impact has dramatically expanded the brand, the voice, and the reach of CancerIQ exponentially since she joined the team. She's single-handedly pushed our whole company to achieve our "patients first" goals.
To Kat Kostolansky, our Director of Health System Solutions and BRCA2 & CHEK2 mutation carrier, who is one of the youngest, and fastest-promoted members of our commercial team in history. Her passion, persistence, and personal experience navigating the healthcare ecosystem makes her exceptional at her job, and it shows every day.
And lastly - to myself, that has watched family members lose their battle with cancer way too soon. Beyond my day job, I've pushed for early cancer screening in my community, don't joke with my antioxidants and cancer-fighting nutrition, and preach to other women about reducing their alcohol consumption on a regular basis. Anything to prevent others from going through what I've seen first hand - later stage diagnoses in people years away from one-size-fits-all screening ages.
Collectively, I'm proud of the DNA we have within the CancerIQ team that makes us so adamant about making as many previvors as possible.
Happy Hereditary Cancer Week and Previvor Day!