Blue Faery
Andre from https://www.bluefaery.org shares part of her story as she helps us learn more about primary liver cancer and the steps we can take to help prevent it.
Andrea Wilson Woods [http://www.andreawilsonwoods.com/] is a patient advocate, speaker, podcaster, and author.
In 2002, Andrea founded Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association after losing her 15-year-old sister Adrienne, whom she raised for seven years, to stage IV liver cancer. As a patient advocate, Andrea has served on many committees and advisory boards, including NCI’s Hepatobiliary Task Force, Target Pharma Solutions HCC Advisory Board, ASCO’s Systemic Therapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Guideline Panel, Mayo Clinic Hepatobiliary SPORE, and the DOD Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program. Andrea represents Blue Faery as a member of AASLD, ASCO, Deadliest Cancers Coalition, and GI Cancers Alliance. Currently, Andrea is the only American serving on the Canadian Cancer Survivor Network’s Liver Cancer Advisory Council.
Andrea has received numerous scholarships to attend conferences around the country to tell her story, increase her knowledge, advocate for more funding, and continue her professional development. Organizations that have granted scholarships/sponsorships include Academy Health, American Association for Cancer Research, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Liver Foundation, Caring Ambassadors, Conquer Cancer Foundation, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable, and more.
Andrea is cited as a co-author of many academic articles about hepatocellular carcinoma. In 2017, Andrea debuted her podcast Better Off Bald [https://www.andreawilsonwoods.com/podcast]. Better Off Bald is based on Andrea’s story about raising and losing her sister to liver cancer. In October 2019, Andrea published her medical memoir titled Better Off Bald: A Life in 147 Days [https://betteroffbald.com/]. It became a #1 Bestseller on Amazon in multiple categories and has won many awards.
Andrea obtained her master’s degree in writing from the University of Southern California, where she focused on non-fiction. She loves telling and writing stories. Her nonfiction writing has won many national awards. As an adjunct professor for Kaplan University, she taught a writing skills and strategies class to incoming freshman students. As a graduate TA, Andrea worked with more than 100 undergraduate students with the goal of improving all aspects of their writing.
Before focusing on her graduate studies, Andrea worked as a development writer and editor for USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. As a family service specialist at the Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA, she facilitated women’s groups in the Legacy for Children research study [https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/legacy.html] sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and managed by the Research Triangle Institute. Additionally, Andrea worked as a social media manager for the nation’s largest wine importer.
During the seven years she raised her sister, Andrea worked as a primary and secondary school teacher, and she acted in film, television, and theatre. Andrea received her certification in fundraising with a focus on institutional development from UCLA Extension. Andrea is also an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a 500-Hour Certified Yoga Teacher. She graduated cum laude from USC with a B.A. in humanities. After graduation, Andrea gained custody of her then-eight-year-old sister Adrienne.
Raising Adrienne has been Andrea’s greatest joy in life; losing Adrienne to liver cancer has been her greatest loss. Andrea started Blue Faery because she doesn’t want another person to lose a loved one to HCC, and she wants the world to know Adrienne’s spirit, strength, and courage. [https://www.bluefaery.org/adriennes-story/]
