Brittany McKelvey

In this episode, Brittany shares her story about being diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer at age 13 after losing her voice and then going through a full thyroidectomy followed by 2 additional surgeries for an implant to create a functioning voice for her. She shares about what it felt like to be given this diagnosis at such a young age for both her and her parents, with the added challenge of not knowing any other teens with this diagnosis. She also shares about the impact of being told she was "strong" by others, the pressure this created for her emotionally, and how looking back she wishes she shared more of the difficult emotions that she felt at the time. She is now a facilitator of the ThyCa teen group and is a science policy analyst for a cancer research company.

Link for ThyCa support group for teens: https://www.thyca.org/sg/sig-teens/

Please note: This podcast is unedited and represents the opinions, experiences and views of those speaking. Please consult your own medical doctor(s) or therapist for all matters involving your health and medical care.