Share Your Story: Ira Hughes

Ira Hughes and his family went through two and half years of fighting pediatric cancer with their daughter Audrey before she passed away in 2017.

• 01:17: Can you take us back to the very beginning and what happened with your daughter?
• 03:33: She progressed while we got some physical therapy, everything was looking like a normal kid.
• 05:16: They went to do some research and found four documented cases that had ever originated in the spinal quarter before.
• 07:16: She was getting chemo.
• 09:20: The hospital we had gone to had partnered with MD Anderson in Houston.
• 11:03: It's a very aggressive growing cancer.
• 15:05: She always made people laugh, made us laugh.
• 17:56: Phase one trial is a significant trial and it's mainly for safety at that point to see if the patient can tolerate the regimen.
• 20:48: I can't imagine trying to fight cancer right now and having our families more separated than they were during that time.
• 23:29: Do you mind if we talk about the after?
• 26:01: We're going to be a strong family of four or a strong family of three when we get out of this.
• 28:42: I try to read a book a week or listen to a book a week.
• 30:13: I think my wife and I had done a good job of letting each other have the time that we need to have to heal.
• 32:30: I felt like I was giving away my child.
• 34:07: When did Audrey die?
• 37:10: I felt like I was in a place where I generally would be happy, but I wasn't giving myself permission to be happy yet.
• 39:08: I almost threw myself off the roof.
• 41:17: Our battle through cancer was on social media.
• 46:03: What is one thing you wish you had known at the very beginning of Audrey's cancer journey?
• 47:09: If you could only do one thing to improve health care in the U.S., what would it be and why?
• 48:37: Thriver Rapid Fire
• 50:40: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource you recommend for cancer patients and caregivers?

Resources

• Ira on Facebook
• Ira on LinkedIn
• Email Ira
• Audrey's website
• Truth 365
• Children's Cancer Network (Arizona)
• Thinking Fast and Slow
• Man's Search for Meaning