Жена на годината 2024: Andrea Kuoni

На 15 години Андреа чува думите, които разтърсват света ѝ, но тя не се отказва. Вместо това, днес е модел, вдъхновител и носителка на наградата „Жена на годината“ в категорията "Model Survivor, Advocate". Тя се превръща в символ на силата и надеждата, докато работи за мисията си да събере един милион долара за болница „Сейнт Джуд“ – същото място, което някога ѝ подари втори шанс за живот. С всяка своя стъпка Андреа преобръща представите ни за красота, устойчивост и безкористност, вдъхновявайки ни да вярваме, че след всяка буря слънцето отново изгрява.

Бяхте диагностицирана с рак на белия дроб на 15 и лекувана в Сейнт Джуд. Как преживяванията ви там повлияха на възгледите ви за живота и на решението да се застъпите за каузата?
Да чуеш думите „имаш рак“ е като да се сблъскаш с парализиращ страх – страх от неизвестното, страх от липсата на бъдеще. Но моите лекари ме увериха, че вече са обмислили най-добрите варианти и че Детска изследователска болница Сейнт Джуд може да се справи с моя случай. Сейнт Джуд промениха напълно начина, по който гледам на света. Изпитвах много силни емоции, като тийнейджърка, бореща се с рак, но те ми напомняха, че слънцето винаги изгрява след бурята. Вместо „защо на мен,“ започнах да се питам „какво мога да направя, за да оставя следа, докато съм тук.“ Моята вяра и моят екип ме спасиха. Това също така подсили моята любов към живота и желанието да споделям тази любов с другите. Сейнт Джуд ми дадоха нов шанс за живот, и винаги ще съм им задължена за това. Те са моето „защо.“

Като посланик на Сейнг Джуд сте поела ангажимента да съберете 1 милион долара за болницата. Какво означава за вас тази цел и какви инициативи или събития сте организирали, за да я постигнете?
Тази цел си поставих преди няколко години, когато осъзнах, че имам възможност да привлека внимание към усилията, полагани в болницата. Моите последователи винаги са подкрепяли моята работа и всяка година се включват с ентусиазъм, когато организирам дарителска кампания – от мисията Inspiration4 за изпращане на хора в космоса с цел набиране на средства, до ежегодните Walk/Run събития. Ако мога да накарам още хора да се включат в мисията, милионът е лесно достижим. Влиянието ще продължи и след като средствата бъдат събрани, защото ние като общност се обединяваме, за да подкрепим по-светло бъдеще.

Често се изявявате като „принцеса на Дисни“ за младите пациенти в Сейнт Джуд. Как тази роля влияе върху вас и върху децата, и защо мислите, че е толкова важна?
Започнах по време на COVID, когато не можехме да влизаме в болниците, а децата го обожаваха. Да им кажеш като любимата им принцеса, че „всичко ще бъде наред, защото те са истински рок звезди!“ беше стимулът, от който много от тях имаха нужда. Имах щастието да се запозная с дете, което е в ремисия години след като се запознахме виртуално. Тя дотича до мен и каза: „Погледни, Елза! Ти ми каза, че съм силна и наистина съм! Сега съм добре!“ Този момент ще остане завинаги в сърцето ми. Мисля, че това носи надежда в момент, когато тя може лесно да бъде изгубена, а тези деца са истински пример за сила и устойчивост.

Какво научихте за важността на изследванията и директните грижи за пациентите чрез опита си в Сейнт Джуд и как това знание повлия на вашия подход към застъпничеството?
Удивителното е, че Детска изследователска болница Сейнт Джуд е точно това, което предполага името – изследователите и учените работят рамо до рамо, за да създават медикаменти и иновации, които моментално се прилагат за грижа за пациентите в съседната сграда на болницата. Те приемат и посрещат доктори и изследователи от целия свят, които след това разпространяват знанията си обратно в своите общности. Аз съм продукт на тази система и ще се застъпвам за нейното продължение завинаги!

Каква роля си представяте за себе си като глобален посланик в насърчаването на други държави да приемат отворен достъп до научни изследвания?
Бих искала да бъда дипломатически посланик, който говори по тези критични въпроси, защото вярвам в тяхната полза за нашето бъдеще. Когато споделяме научни изследвания, премахваме бариерите към науката и позволяваме на нови умове да развиват следващия нов протокол – потенциално животоспасяващ. Процентът на преживяемост се е увеличил значително благодарение на модела на отворено споделяне на научни открития, така че фактите подкрепят това като полезна структура за всички. За мен би било чест да бъда застъпник за тази практика.

Какъв съвет бихте дали на хората, които се борят с рак, или на тези, които се опитват да възстановят живота си след лечението?
Никога не губете вяра. Животът продължава и може да бъде красив, ако изберем да го видим по този начин. Всичко е въпрос на перспектива и на уважение към силата, която имаме. Често сме най-суровите си критици и не даваме на себе си същото търпение, което даваме на другите. Затова отделете време за възстановяване и после използвайте историята си, за да вдъхновите другите. Насърчавайте ги да слушат телата си и да създават живот, с който да се гордеят, защото е толкова ценен.

Какви са вашите най-големи надежди за бъдещето на лечението на рака и грижата за пациентите в Сейнт Джуд и извън него?
Надявам се да видя разширяване на кампуса за повече изследователски и лечебни центрове. Бих искала да видя деня, в който нито едно дете няма да умира от рак – това е крайната мисия! Освен това е важно да отбележа, че Сейнт Джуд изследва и други детски заболявания, така че бих искала да видя продължението на тези изследвания.

Ако има едно послание, което бихте искали да оставите на младите пациенти с рак и на оцелелите, какво би било то?
Животът е толкова красив, и вие ще го направите още по-невероятен. Ще бъде по-добър, отколкото сте могли да си представите. Споделяйте любовта, която имате, с другите – светът се нуждае от нея. И помнете, че хората в дъното се конкурират, а хората на върха си сътрудничат. Бъдете промяната, която искате да видите в общностите си, повдигайте каузи, за които ви е грижа, и никога не спирайте да се борите за следващото поколение.

Какво би означавало за вас да постигнете целта си от $1 000 000 в дарения и как бихте искали това постижение да повлияе на Сейнт Джуд и неговата мисия?
Това би било връхна точка в живота ми, пълен цикъл. От пациент до оцелял – никога не забравяш откъде си тръгнал. Ако мога да накарам милион души да дарят по един долар, това ще бъдат милион души, които са направили принос и са се почувствали свързани с мисията. Продължавам за тези, които се бориха и победиха, за тези, които все още се борят, за тези, които се бориха до край, и за онези, които още предстои да се борят. Тази моя мечта е доказателство, че мечтите са безгранични като Вселената (затова толкова обичам космоса!).

At 15, Andrea heard the words that would shake her world, but she didn’t give up. Today, she’s a model, an inspiration, and a “Woman of the Year” award winner in the “Model Survivor, Advocate” category. She has become a symbol of strength and hope as she works toward her mission of raising one million dollars for St. Jude Hospital—the very place that once gave her a second chance at life. With every step, Andrea redefines our perceptions of beauty, resilience, and selflessness, inspiring us to believe that after every storm, the sun shines again.

You mentioned being diagnosed with lung cancer at 15 and treated at St. Jude. Can you take us back to that time and share what it felt like to receive the diagnosis and begin treatment?

What role did your experiences at St. Jude play in shaping your perspective on life, and how did they influence your decision to become a lifelong advocate?

To hear the words, “you have cancer,” is one of paralyzing fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of not having a future. But my doctors reassured me they’d already looked into the best options and that St Jude Children’s Research Hospital could handle my case. I had only seen their TV ads and occasional marketing up to then, but I knew they were a great organization. And now I was putting all my trust into them. St Jude truly changed how I viewed the world because they always showed so much care for me as a patient and a growing person. I had a lot of big feelings being a teenager battling cancer but they reminded me that the sun always comes up another day, no matter how much it rained the day before. I came back to my faith super strong after my diagnosis because rather than “why me” I asked, “what can I do to make an impact while I’m still here.” My faith and my care team saved me. And it reinforced my love for life and sharing that love with others. I wanted people to know they can advocate for themselves in medical situations, never doubt what your body is telling you. St Jude gave me another chance at life and I’ll forever be in debt to them for it, they are always my “why.” 

As a St. Jude ambassador, you’ve committed to raising $1,000,000 for the hospital. What does this goal mean to you, and what initiatives or events have you organized to help reach it?

This goal was one I set a few years ago when I realized I had the momentum to bring awareness to the efforts being done at the hospital. My following has always supported my work and they come out in full force every year when I run a fundraiser, from the Inspiration4 mission to send people to space while fundraising to the yearly Walk/Run fundraisers— my community has showed up to ensure I maximize those goals every year. I’ve also had the honor of meeting people who fundraiser over $250,000 a year for St Jude. Those people have shown me there’s bigger ways to fundraise for St Jude (we all say, everything is a fundraiser!). And if I can further have people get involved in the mission, that million dollars is easy. The impact will last beyond just the money but rather us as a community coming together to support a brighter future. 

You often serve as a “Disney princess” for young patients at St. Jude. How does this role impact both you and the children, and why do you think it’s so important?

I started that during COVID when we were not able to go into the hospitals and the kids loved it. Being told by your favorite princess that “it’s going to be okay because you’re a rockstar!” was all the drive some of these patients needed. I was fortunate to meet one who is in remission now years after I met her on a call. She ran up to me and showed me, “Look Elsa! You told me I’m strong and I really really am! I’m okay now!” That moment will forever hold a piece of my heart. This is one of my favorite roles I’ve ever held while being involved with St Jude. Everyone loves to dress up and getting to do sing-a-long with kids or just watch them show me their new drawings, it’s all fun for me and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to do it. I think it gives hope in a moment when hope can be forgotten and these kids are the purest example of strength and resilience. 

What have you learned about the importance of research and direct patient care through your experiences with St. Jude, and how has this knowledge impacted your approach to advocacy?

The amazing piece I can speak to always is that St Jude Children’s Research Hospital is exactly as it sounds— researchers are in a building with scientists directly coming up with medications, innovations, all of the things and immediately putting it into practice for life changing instant care for its patients, right across the campus in the hospital. They bring in and welcome doctors and researchers from all over the world to collaborate and sent them back out into the world equipped with the knowledge to save their communities. St Jude does not gate keep its research and that to me is the ultimate mission: no child (anywhere!) should die in the dawn of life. And the entire campus represents that. Because of these efforts, I can fully stand proud to talk about the work being done there. I’m a product of it and hope to be an advocate for its continuation always! Awareness is a huge piece and I love sharing all of this information with others. 

St. Jude’s open-source approach is unique in the medical world. Could you tell us more about why this model matters so much, particularly for global healthcare?

It shows the true mission of Danny Thomas who started St Jude which is that every child deserves to have a future and we will fight against every childhood illness to ensure that can happen. In every community around the world, there is no barrier to the St Jude team. I believe it’s important to share this lifesaving research because it can change how our future is. It’s research and protocols have directly saved friends of mine I’ve met across the globe and those individuals have gone onto make great impacts in their communities. 

How does it feel to know that research from St. Jude benefits children worldwide, and what are some of the challenges you see in making these resources available globally?

The feeling that I get talking about St Jude will never get old. It’s a very proud and grateful feeling to talk about its research, the team, the volunteers, and ultimately the patients. On the St Jude Walk/Run committee we always say, “we move our feet for their heart beats!”  And those efforts continue to be discovered every event we do when a new patient meets us to tell us how this has changed their life and they have hope. The only challenges I see would be if we don’t continue our mission. The vital work being done takes times and money, so there isn’t a chance for failure. Our patients and their families never see a bill and we want to always continue that. We’re fortunate to have amazing partners in hope and sponsors who ensure that success continues long into the future. You may think conflicts in countries stop us but they don’t. An example of this was during the Ukraine and Russia conflict outbreak, St Jude deployed a team and evacuated a children’s hospital with the patients families to ensure their care could continue. Nothing can stop us because our mission will always ensure we find a way! 

What role do you envision for yourself as a global ambassador in encouraging other countries to adopt similar open-source practices?

I’d love to be a diplomatic ambassador who gets to speak to these critical matters because I believe in its benefit to our futures. Every community deserves to have a thriving future and our children of the globe are that future. When we open-source research, we take down the barriers to science and allow for fresh minds to develop our next new protocol, a better one— a potentially life changing one. The survival rate has significantly changed due to the model of open-sourcing research so the facts support this being a beneficial structure for all. It would be such an honor to advocate for this practice. 

You talk about wanting to show others that “there is life after cancer.” What advice do you have for those currently battling cancer or for survivors who are trying to rebuild their lives?

Never lose faith. That nurse who told me that the sun still rises after a day of rain was right— life goes on and can be beautiful if we choose to see it. It’s all about perspective and honoring the strength we have. We’re often our hardest critics and don’t give ourselves the patience we give to others. So take the time to recover and then use your story to inspire others. Encourage them to listen to their bodies and to create a life they’re proud of because it’s so precious. I found a lot of hobbies to pour my heart into after treatment such as yoga and walking. Also prioritize time with my loved ones over work— I’ll never look back and say, “wow I’m so glad I worked!” I’ll look back and think of the moments I gave to myself, my family, my friends. 

What does resilience mean to you personally, and how has it influenced your journey as a model and an advocate?

Resilience is when the world has every book stacked against you and instead of being defeated, you read through every one to take that wall away. The cards were dealt are one thing, what we do with them is another. It’s shaped how I approach being a business owner, model and advocate. There isn’t a challenge I cannot handle and everything that is meant for me, will be mine. It’s helped me stay positive in the toughest of times but also if a door closes, find a window or a new room. Those might have been better opportunities anyways! 

As you look ahead, what are some of your biggest hopes for the future of cancer treatment and patient care at St. Jude and beyond?

I hope I continue to see the expansion of the campus for more research facilities and patient care centers. I’d love to see the day where no child dies of childhood cancer — that is the ultimate mission! However, I love noting that St Jude researches other childhood illnesses as well so I’d love to see the continuation of that research to help cure things such as PKU. Every year our community gets stronger, our events become bigger and our teams expand which means a bright future for St Jude. 

How has your personal journey influenced the way you see your platform as a model and public figure?

I see my platform as a highlight reel to show aspects of my life and I hope to use it as a beacon of light for others who struggle — to know that there is life after darkness. And it’s always darkest before dawn. I try to be as transparent as possible that life is tough but we are tougher. I’m grateful for the influence I have and the ability to give back because of the community that surrounds me online. My personal journey has inspired me to share my knowledge of the industry to others and be a mentor when I can. It’s a personal responsibility to use my platform for good and I’m honored to do such. 

If there’s one message you hope to leave with young cancer patients and survivors, what would it be?

Life is so beautiful and you’re going to make an incredible one. It’s going to be better than you could’ve imagined. Share the love you have with others, the world needs it. And remember people at the bottom compete and people at top collaborate. Be the change you want to see in your communities, bring awareness to causes you care about and never stop fighting for our next generation. 

What would reaching your $1,000,000 fundraising goal mean for you, and how would you want that achievement to impact St. Jude and its mission?

It truly would be an eclipsing moment in my life that’s full circle. From a patient to survivor, you never forget where you came from. And I know that $1,000,000 would greatly help the care for so many patients and their families. If I could have a million people donate $1, that’s a million people who made an impact and felt connected to the mission. I will not stop until the day we see a cure, even if I surpass the $1,000,000. I continue for those: who fought & won, who are still fighting, who fought until the end, and those who are yet to fight. We are all stronger together though community, connection and one mission— to save kids. This dream of mine is a testament that dreams are limitless like the universe (hence why I love space so much!).