"We Have Your Back"

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Five years ago, my family was changed forever when my dad was diagnosed with Stage IV esophageal cancer. The diagnosis was grim, and we were reeling.?But we didn’t have time to grieve: we had to act fast if there was any hope of gaining quality time, much less be in that tiny percentage who survive. That meant uprooting my parents’ lives to travel from rural, western Pennsylvania to access the best treatment possible.?Via recommendations and our own research, my brother and I settled on Johns Hopkins Medicine, both for their world-class care and the proximity to my home in Washington. (A local oncologist continued to provide support.)

It quickly became apparent that managing my dad’s situation would be a huge endeavor even if I didn’t have a job.?Yet I did have a job – one that I loved leading a public affairs and PR team at an edtech company. I spent many days on Capitol Hill promoting our interests and traveled a lot for work. I boarded the shuttle to Boston or the Acela to NYC so much that at times I felt like I lived in these cities. I also had a new manager whom I was trying to build a relationship with during a critical period for the company.?More than once I felt overwhelmed and thought, “How will I keep advocating for my dad’s life and still do this job?” The answer came fairly quickly when my manager, and then our CEO, said to me, “Go help your dad. We have your back.”

And have my back they did.?Sometimes that meant joining Zoom meetings from a chemo room instead of my office.?Sometimes I couldn’t join meetings or take work trips at all. They never once questioned my judgment.?My talented colleagues were always ready to help and never complained. They always seemed to know when I needed another Starbucks card and would send bottles of bubbly to celebrate key treatment milestones. They proudly wore the #TeamBud shirts that my brother and I created to honor our dad and would send pictures that kept us going during the tediousness of radiation and chemo. In short, they were on this journey with us.??

My dad has had four-plus years of clean scans, thanks to amazing medical professionals, the ability to access quality care, his family genes, many prayers – and in no small part because of the support we received from my company’s leaders.?They enabled me to be there for my family when it mattered most.?We are forever grateful.

“We have your back.” Four simple words with such a powerful impact. You know who you are. Thank you.

And PSA: Your heartburn can kill you.