Better Off Bald: A Life in 147 Days shows how two sisters endured the shock, horror, and grim reality of a deadly cancer diagnosis
BIRMINGHAM, AL, October 15, 2019 /Neptune100/ — Andrea Wilson Woods, an award-winning writer and founder of the liver cancer nonprofit Blue Faery, wrote a medical memoir detailing the day-by-day account of her 15-year-old sister’s battle with advanced liver cancer. The book is now available for purchase from many retailers.
Andrea had no idea how much her life would change when her younger sister Adrienne was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer. The news stunned both sisters as Adrienne appeared to be a healthy teenager finishing her first year of high school. However, one month after her 15th birthday, an ER doctor told Andrea, “She [Adrienne] has tumors in her liver and lungs.”
A few hours later, Adrienne was transferred to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. A biopsy confirmed Adrienne had Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), the most common and deadliest type of liver cancer. The disease had metastasized to Adrienne’s lungs. As Adrienne’s legal guardian, Andrea was both a parent and sister — and later caregiver after Adrienne’s diagnosis.
Despite numerous rounds of chemotherapy, Adrienne died in 147 days. Andrea and Adrienne’s journey had moments of heartbreak, but they also experienced triumphs. Better Off Bald will inspire readers to fight their own battles with cancer, advocate for themselves and their loved ones, and make the most of every day they have left.
Andrea stated, “When Adrienne died, I lost my child and my sister. She was my world. I want to create a powerful sustained movement that changes cancer care in this country. Detailing our experience with the medical system — the good and the bad — in Better Off Bald is one step toward achieving this goal.”
About the Book
Adrienne Wilson is a depressed, suicidal teenager — until the day she receives a diagnosis of stage IV liver cancer. Facing the fight of her life, Adrienne discovers how much she wants to live. In Better Off Bald: A Life in 147 Days, Andrea Wilson Woods chronicles her sister’s remarkable life from the time she was born to the day she dies at age fifteen. Written like a journal, Andrea takes the reader inside her and Adrienne’s journey explaining how she gained custody of Adrienne from their mother and how the sisters’ relationship evolved over time. Adrienne’s courageous spirit shines through as she squeezes more life into 147 days than most people do in a lifetime. From meeting Jay Leno to spending the day with Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction, Adrienne makes every moment count. As she lay dying, Adrienne teaches Andrea how to live.
About the Author
Andrea Wilson Woods is a writer who loves to tell stories, and a patient advocate who founded the nonprofit Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association. Andrea is the CEO and Co-founder of Cancer University, a for-profit, social-benefit, health tech startup. With Cancer U, Andrea synergizes her talents of coaching, writing, teaching, and advocacy. For over ten years, Andrea worked in the education field as a teacher and professor for public and private schools as well as universities. Andrea obtained her master’s degree in professional writing from the University of Southern California; her nonfiction writing has won national awards.
