Student Article: Carrying the Torch

By Olivia Mayer, OMS-II, TCOM

In one way or another, I have always been tied to medicine by an invisible string. One of my fondest memories of my childhood was around the age of five, when I would help my mom put together goodie-baskets for the oncology patients she would be visiting the upcoming week. This was a Sunday ritual for my mother and me, one we did while simultaneously baking chocolate chip cookies in the oven. No, my mom is not a medical provider; she is a pharmaceutical sales rep who spent any extra time she had on the weekends creating those baskets to show the patients that were taking part in clinical trials for the lymphoma drug she sold that she cared about them. This was an act out of pure benevolence and servitude for those who needed it more than the average person.

In a similar light, my grandmother spent most of her nursing career as a breast cancer nurse in Buffalo, New York. Growing up, I remember Grandma always sharing her favorite memories as a nurse. She was glowing with pride when I told her that I had a similar interest in oncology. Fast forward to today—now Grandma and I share conversations and exchange information about new developments in the breast cancer world. It is truly a full-circle moment with a touch of nostalgia from my younger days. Now as a medical student, I have the immense privilege to carry the torch of my mother and grandmother into my own medical journey. Besides being introduced to this field at a very early age, oncology has piqued my interest by its very nature. The endless opportunities to become a pioneer in cancer research or navigate complex treatment options that can potentially impact countless lives is truly the epitome of medicine, and continues to be the center of my “why.”

It has always been extremely important to me that I seek out any opportunity to create an impact in this field, just as my mother and grandmother did. As the current vice president for my school’s Oncology Student Interest Group (OSIG), I have had the amazing opportunity to assist in cultivating a tight-knit community of passionate students united by a shared commitment to being a source of support and positive change for patients during their most vulnerable moments.

One of the most significant moments I have had serving as a leader of this organization was in honoring the memory of my childhood friend, Zach, who passed away from astrocytoma in the fall of 2018. I felt a personal calling to head an OSIG fundraiser in honor of Zach and in support of his charity, the Big Z Foundation. The Big Z Foundation is led by Zach’s mother and father and financially supports terminally ill children and their families around the DFW area. Just in time for North Texas Giving Day on September 19th of this year, OSIG was able to raise hundreds of dollars for the Big Z Foundation. This support will help local families by assisting with the cost of their hospital bills, treatments, and housing costs. I can only describe the feeling I experienced as true enrichment when I surprised Zach’s parents on behalf of OSIG with our collective donations for the charity. The profound gratitude they expressed is something I will forever hold near and dear.

In moments like this, sharing acts of servitude and benevolence with fellow classmates is an experience so rewarding that it is impossible to fully express in words. This journey has brought me a feeling of gratification in service that is similar to the one I reminisce about when remembering making oncology patient baskets in my childhood. As I continue on my path in medicine, it is my personal mission to continue these acts of benevolence and shed light on those around me so that the flame of my mother’s and grandmother’s torch continues to be passed forward and illuminate a new generation’s impact on the field of oncology.