Continuing The Dream: An Inspiring Story of Resilience

Cliff Davis

Cliff Davis was only sixteen weeks away from graduating medical school when he received the shocking news that he had Hodgkin Lymphoma.  His path has been unique and his story will inspire you.

Cliff has a story that is familiar to many patients –a cancer diagnosis that resulted in pausing his schooling and career aspirations. In this case, going back to finish medical school proved much more difficult than expected when he took a leave of absence. Be sure to tune into this incredible story of resilience, as Cliff never gave up on the one thing he felt like he was meant to do – while learning so much about the world of patient care along the way. 

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Support for this episode provided by: Genentech, Inc. & Biogen and Merck & Co., Inc.

7 Comments

  1. Thank you for this very inspiring podcast by Cliff Davis. I too am a lymphoma survivor . Although an elderly woman when diagnosed so many of the challenges Cliff Davis discussed I have experienced. It always made me wonder if I just wasn’t coping but in reality Cancer /Lymphoma is a very hard diagnosis. It was wonderful to hear again that there is a life after diagnosis . Thank you so much.

  2. Great podcast! I could so relate to Cliff Davis, especially as an AML bone marrow transplant recipient myself who actually ran a marathon fundraiser in 1996 in honor of a dear friend who was a pediatric resident at Stanford when she died of CML (today, it is fully treatable thanks to research). I am an occupational therapist; I have spent the past 40 years in the medical profession as a rehab specialist and as an OT with children with learning disabilities in the public school system. I have been on the “patient” side of life as well; it changes everything in the way I see life and fellow patients. I have been through the “7 and 3” induction/consolidation chemo, relapsed 9 months later, then 5 weeks of heavy chemo in preparation for a stem cell transplant in March of 2021 at UCSF. After the transplant, I had the Epstein Barr virus, a secondary graft failure, then treated by donor lymphocytic infusion (DLI). This caused horrible GVHD in my skin and eyes with massive peeling of the skin on my hands and feet to the point that it was too painful to walk. The steroids and immunosuppressive drugs then caused me to have cataracts in both eyes. I was unable to safely drive until the GVHD in my eyes settled down and I could have cataract surgery. It took 2 years for me to recover from the bone marrow transplant itself. I am still monitored every 3 months, my last bloodwork showing below normal platelet and red blood cell counts. The thought of another potential bone marrow biopsy is awful (very painful), but I plan like Cliff to pull through to the end.

  3. You are the true meaning of resilience. God has a plan in your life that you haven’t fully discovered.
    Your faith, strength and endurance enabled you to believe in yourself.
    Now you are a source of encouragement, mentorship, blessings to many who can relate with you.
    There is hope, trust in God, don’t give up.
    You’ll surely be a great doctor, God is with you.
    I wish you success.
    What a powerful life story.
    God bless.

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