Celebrating Dr. Aziza Shad: The Focus, The Fight, & the Miracles

As much as I try to do other things, sometimes the pull of my son’s experience being a 5X cancer survivor pulls me back in like an errant rip tide. I’m thankful that the book I wrote, The Focused Fight - A Childhood Cancer Journey: From Mayhem to Miracles, is celebrating its 5th anniversary this week. What I’ve realized is that when I sat at my dining room table for eight months, while the world was in lockdown due to COVID-19, I was giddy with words on the page, paragraphs that followed, and bona fide chapters flying off the keyboard. Plus, not every kid who is diagnosed with cancer has a book written about their hellacious disease and the fallout from the madness of it all.

Thank goodness for the miracles.

Over the weekend, we learned that Ryan’s Ped/Hem/Onc doctor, Aziza Shad, was recognized and chosen as one of 8 women leaders featured in the 2026 International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) Women’s Almanac. WE couldn't be more thrilled with the good news!

Here is the link: Dr. Aziza Shad

The article is a wonderful write-up, a chronicle of her career, really, on this incredible woman who has been a part of our lives for just shy of 30 years! No one can do doctoring like this woman. She is the shining light in the lives of thousands of children and their families around the globe. Yet, Dr. Shad tells the reader about the thoughtful and brilliant mentors who inspired her as a young doctor rising through the system.

I hope you will take a peek at the article that shares Dr. Shad’s programs and more (it's not that long). If we can all celebrate those who make a difference in our lives, as Dr. Shad has in ours, wouldn’t the world be a better place?

I think you know the answer. Because behind every miracle, there’s someone who chose to show up, time and time again. #ManufacturingSunshine

bSoleille!

Terri

Georgetown Grand Rounds - September 2022