Dana-Farber Cancer Institute shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Bilasan Hammo, MD, had just turned 30 as she wrapped up her residency at Cleveland Clinic Children’s and landed a prestigious fellowship in Boston Children’s Hospital’s Gastrointestinal-Nutrition Department – which felt like a dream come true as her father was a pediatric gastroenterologist.
Before starting, her physician called her to tell her she had Ewing sarcoma. “I will never forget it. I’m about to finally start ‘adulting,’ if you will, and then suddenly it’s like, ‘Nope, you can’t do that anymore. We have to stop,’” she recalls.
Adolescent and Young Adult Sarcoma Program Manager Liz Marconi, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), MSc, says this is a common feeling among her patients who are between the ages of 15-39. “Whether it is finishing school, starting a career, or settling into relationships, these young patients are just starting to build their lives. Then, they get a cancer diagnosis, and it is a major disruption.”
Fortunately for Hammo, the program director arranged a delayed start date, and after completing treatment and receiving clear scans, she began her fellowship. Hammo moved to Boston and transferred her care to Dana-Farber – joking that she had a Boston oncologist before she had an apartment.
Then, a scan found that her cancer had returned. Life was, once again, interrupted.
Hammo’s care team put together a personalized care plan and through it all, she was able to continue her fellowship with the support of her colleagues and leaders. She would sometimes call herself a “patient by day and doctor by night.” Hammo was supported by friends, family, and colleagues, but felt isolated at the same time. That’s when she connected with Marconi and the Adolescent and Young Adult Sarcoma Program for additional support.
The program was an extension of the gratitude she feels for so many people in her life who made it possible for her to enter her third and final fellowship year. Hammo believes her experiences have made her a better physician, especially for young patients who may be facing a new chronic condition.
‘I can tell them, ‘I know how you feel,’
she says.
’Look at me, I’m here. I’m working. I’m living my life. You’re going to be okay too.'”
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