At Baylor Scott & White, we’re proud to celebrate the women who make us Better every day. Discover stories from the women—patients, employees and caregivers—who are inspiring a future filled with more innovation, opportunity and hope.
As aunt and niece, Demaris and Brittney have always had a special bond. For them, family is everything. So, when Brittney found out that Demaris needed a new liver, she didn’t hesitate to offer hers. Now self-described “liver buddies,” the two are closer than ever. This is their story of hope, healing and never giving …
“Liver buddies” for life: Niece saves her aunt’s life through organ donation Read More »
As Chief Nursing Officer for Baylor Scott & White – College Station Region, Amber Reed, MBA, BSN, RN, OCN, NEA-BC, isn’t used to being the one whose life is on the line. She shares her story now as both a word of caution for others to take care themselves and as a token of gratitude …
“You have cancer.” It’s a phrase we hope to never hear in our lifetime. If we do, we assume we’ll hear it when we’re middle aged or older, right? I was only 29. Nine months before my diagnosis, I began noticing I was putting on some weight, specifically in my abdomen. I credited those extra …
Beating cancer before 30: My shocking 17-pound tumor discovery Read More »
Our bodies can often overcome serious health challenges—sometimes, they just need a little help. That’s what non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor Tana Davis learned when her doctors from Texas Oncology and Baylor University Medical Center suggested a stem cell transplant that would ultimately help her own healthy cells combat the aggressive cancer cells in her body. Today, …
How Tana’s own body helped her beat non-Hodgkin lymphoma Read More »
The idea of “working in research” likely conjures up images of sitting in a lab all day or spending countless hours assessing data. While those responsibilities are often involved, they by no means reflect the full scale of what a career in medical research can encompass — or the passion many researchers bring to the …
My mom was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma, or LMS — a rare type of cancer in the smooth muscle that starts in the uterine area — around December of 2017. At the time, the tumor was small and when testing was done, it came back negative for cancer. Though surgery was still scheduled to remove it, it …
Our hospital room wedding: Bringing the ceremony to my mom’s bedside Read More »
It started with a numbness in my left arm and an unrelenting husband who refused to accept my blasé attitude about my body changes. Over a course of several months, I noticed that my left arm was getting weaker and I was unable to lift at my normal capacity. I attributed it to sleeping incorrectly …
From singing in musical productions to caring for patients in the operating room — meet Christine Giammona, BSN, RN, CNOR. When she was only 2 years old, Christine sang her first solo in a church Christmas program. Deemed her “gift” by family and friends, singing came naturally to Christine — a talent she has worked …
Meet the opera singing nurse who comforts patients with her voice Read More »
My cancer story doesn’t begin with me — it begins with my family. I am a 68-year-old woman and out of eight children, I was the second youngest. My two oldest sisters were breast cancer survivors but have since become angels for the Lord following unrelated medical challenges. Two of my brothers are cancer survivors. …
My turn: From cancer caregiver to cancer patient Read More »
As I sit here dictating my story, I have 3-week-old baby Skyler comfortably sleeping on my chest. If you had asked me this time last year where I would be in a year, I would never have imagined I’d be here — a new mother having just given birth during a pandemic, economic crisis, and …
What it’s like to bring a baby into a pandemic world Read More »