I walk in tribute to my mother, Ila Patel, who was diagnosed with colon cancer this year.
Every day I have the privilege of walking alongside people during one of the hardest chapters of their lives. As an oncologist, I don't just treat cancer; I sit with families in the quiet moments after a diagnosis, celebrate the small victories of a clear scan and hold space for grief when treatment doesn't go as we had hoped. This work has taught me that courage is not the absence of fear, but the choice to keep showing up anyway. I see that courage in my patients every day.
I've watched a mother finish chemotherapy just in time to walk her daughter down the aisle. I've seen patients return to visit our infusion center months after remission with treats for our staff, simply to say thank you. These moments remind me why I chose this field, and why I believe in the power of community when it comes to fighting cancer.
Cancer extends beyond the walls of a clinic. It lives in research that opens new doors, in support programs that ease the burden on patients and families and in the simple, powerful act of a community coming together to say you are not alone in this. That's why this fundraiser means so much to me. Every dollar raised directly helps the people I see every day, offering hope in what is a dark time for families.
I'm honored to stand alongside my patients not just in the exam room, but here too, as an advocate, a supporter and someone who believes that together is how we change the story of cancer.
Outside the clinic, I'm a breast medical oncologist who loves to travel and try new restaurants with my family, and I make a point of visiting quirky bookstores wherever I go. I'm a supporter of all kinds of arts and a firm believer that community shows up in every part of life, not just in medicine.
Thank you for walking this journey with me and with my mother.
