PROFILES IN LUNG CANCER
Lung Cancer Awareness Month 2015
Day 15: Dr. Lucy Kalanithi, Lung cancer advocate and former caregiver
“Lung cancer happened to Paul, but it’s something we did together.”
Twitter handle:@rocketgirlmd
Who are you?
I am Paul Kalanithi’s widow, I’m a doctor, and I’m Cady’s mom.
My husband was Paul Kalanithi, a
neurosurgeon and writer who was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in
2013 and who passed away this year at age 37. Paul and I met and married
in medical school at Yale and moved to California together 8 years ago
to start our residencies. When he was diagnosed, our top priority (apart
from the best medical care) was to clarify what was truly important to
us and help him seek meaningful time. That included going back to work
and, for him, writing (including the essay “How Long Have I Got Left?”
in the NYT and working on a memoir). We’d always thought we’d have a
child together at the end of residency and when he got sick, it was
about that time. We decided we were still going to do it, despite Paul’s
illness. So, I am also Cady’s mom! [Cady was born in 2014, 14 months
after Paul was diagnosed with lung cancer, and 8 months before Paul
passed away.] She brought us incredible joy.
...continue reading...
I read this yesterday and I encourage everyone to read Paul Kalinithi's essays on his website. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this.
I agree, Paul's writing is incredibly moving.
Delete