Arizona Tech Week conference puts patients’ experiences in the spotlight
‘Voice of the Patient’ aims to build communication between community members, health care providers and researchers.
Jackie Nguyen was a U of A freshman when she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. She hopes by sharing her story through Arizona Tech Week’s Voice of the Patient she can inspire hope for others and understanding in health care professionals working with the critically ill.
Photo courtesy of Jackie Nguyen
Jackie Nguyen loves to talk about the future. The 19-year-old University of Arizona junior will tell you she looks forward to taking the MCAT in May, graduating next year and then – hopefully – going off to medical school. Image
Jackie Nguyen dropped out of school for a semester to undergo a rigorous course of chemotherapy to fight cancer. Photo courtesy of Jackie Nguyen Just two years ago, she was waiting to die. As a freshly minted college freshman, Nguyen had just gone home to San Diego for winter break when she popped into urgent care for what she assumed was her asthma acting up. She was feeling oddly winded and started having trouble swallowing. It turned out she had a rare form of cancer: primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma. A large tumor was causing the problems. She went from worrying about being away from home for the first time and schoolwork to wondering if she’d live. “I thought I wasn’t going to leave the hospital,” said Nguyen, who’s majoring in molecular and cellular biology. Nguyen remembers becoming stable enough to leave the intensive care unit for oncology and hematology. The memory makes her tear up. “I was being rolled in, and I saw a bathroom and a couch,” said Nguyen, wiping at her eyes. “I thought I was going to die there.” Nguyen will share the story of her journey back from cancer at Voice of the Patient, which is part of the first Arizona Tech Week. The conference, which is designed to elevate Arizona’s profile as a leader in the tech industry, features more than 200 events across the state. The U of A is hosting several sessions on topics ranging from AI to health technologies, which features Voice of the Patient. The free event will bring together researchers, physicians and, of course, patients like Nguyen. It will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. April 9 at the U of A Health Sciences Innovation Building. Image
Now a junior, Jackie Nguyen hopes to one day become a doctor. Photo courtesy of Jackie Nguyen Nguyen, a volunteer with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, hopes sharing her experience can help those who work with people struggling with illnesses. “I hope, by telling my story, that it lets the health professionals recognize what goes through the patient's mind and be able to have empathy for the patient and that they are able to put themselves in the patient’s shoes,” Nguyen said. A driven young woman who finished high school a year early, Nguyen said it was a challenge to advocate for herself. “I understand what it’s like to be a patient and what it’s like to feel like you’re not being heard,” she said. Nguyen said she hopes everyone who comes to Voice of the Patient comes away with not just empathy for those struggling with health issues but a renewed sense of gratitude.
“What I went through was difficult, but I think it can be inspiring for some,” she said. “Don't take your life for granted. You never know what’s going to happen. I didn’t know that cancer was in the books for me. I didn’t know this was going to be thrown at me. “Coming out on the other side, I look at life a little bit differently. When I’m stressed with school, I think, ‘Thank goodness the only thing I have to stress about is getting this assignment done or taking this exam rather than worrying about my health.’”
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