Amanda R. Ferraro
Amanda R. Ferraro is a 2x AML Leukemia survivor, stem cell transplant recipient, and 7x brain surgery survivor. She tells us that, “I am a dedicated cancer patient advocate and I volunteer to help cancer patients. I am the founder of Cancer Is An A LLC, and run cancerisanasshole.com. I freelance for several different publications and am a keynote speaker.”
Before you became the business titan you are today, enlighten us about the thrilling adventures of your pre-business life.
In May of 2017 I was diagnosed with AML Leukemia, after previously being missed at an earlier ER visit. I let myself get sicker and sicker until one day when I decided to stand up and advocate for myself. Through my cancer journey I felt like there was a reason why I had cancer. I started blogging on my website while chemo poured into my veins. I talked about all of the things that I had never heard discussed before. I spoke about the good, the bad and the ugly. Because of the things I had gone through in my life, I found that speaking up is a way that I can help others and myself at the same time. Like therapy, writing was a way for me to get what I was feeling off of my chest. I learned that I could talk about what was bothering me and it was relatable to others. From there I never looked back. I started to send emails asking companies if I could write for them or if they could publish my article. I never took no as an answer.
Eventually I ended up landing a TEDx talk and that skyrocketed my career. I now have several articles published, I own a website, and an author, have a publication in a medical journey, and so much more. All of that because I never gave up hope and I advocated for myself. I used what I was given, and turned it into something that worked for me.
Could you elaborate on the nature of your initiative/ business/current role, highlighting its purpose and the ways it benefits people?
I am a Cancer Patient Advocate. As an advocate I rally on Capitol Hill to get legislation made to better the lives of cancer patients. I volunteer as peer to peer support for cancer patients, I write articles for several publications and I run a website. I am the founder of Cancer Is An A LLC, and I am also a contracted patient advocate, and have worked with governments, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies. My goal is to interconnect patients and doctors by providing patient advocate services through my company.
What has been the response of the users/consumers towards your venture?
Throughout my career so far I have had an abstract published in a medical journal, I have a TEDx Talk, and I have had several articles published on various websites. I run my own website. Through my business, I have been contracted to work as a patient advocate for cancer patients as well as for governments, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies. I have completed several courses to further my education on advocacy and look to obtain my board certification in patient advocacy.
Having a strong support system is essential for your well-being. We would love to know who your biggest supporter is. Share with us and let’s celebrate the amazing people in our lives who make a positive impact.
My biggest supporters would be my family. They are the biggest blessing. I have also found so much help within the cancer community. The friends that I have made through social media have been without a doubt a huge help throughout my cancer journey and beyond. My biggest driving force was and is my son, Isaac.
As a young woman entrepreneur, what changes do you hope to see in the world and what opportunities are you seeking?
I think that many companies think of patient advocates as volunteers, however patient advocates can offer a tremendous amount of guidance to not only cancer patients and their families, but they can also be a source of knowledge and awareness to doctors, companies, governments, and organizations looking to better the lives of those affected by cancer.
Women now stand shoulder-to-shoulder with men in the workplace, breaking through glass ceilings to reach the top. What are your thoughts on women’s leadership today?
I think it is wonderful to see equality in the professional work space.