Woke up today. Shook off the cobwebs. Shuffled to the computer. Read the news.
Saw a headline about a 37-year old entrepreneur who died. Something urged me to click on it.
It ruined my day, but in a profound way.
Leila Janah was a beautiful woman, inside and out. She dedicated her short time on Earth to lifting up the poor, disadvantaged, forgotten. She started nonprofit companies to train and employ some of the most impoverished people in Africa in AI.
Leila was in the midst of planning her wedding when something didn't feel right. The first doctor said nothing to worry about. But she sensed otherwise. She said it felt "ominous." So she went for a second opinion. She was right. It was rare and awful.
Leila was public about her ordeal. Always positive, optimistic, full of gratitude. When she was given access to a new drug to treat her condition, she was over the moon. She never lost hope.
Leila died on January 24.
I never heard of Leila until today. Until her obituary randomly popped up in my newsfeed.
I never knew her. But I will never forget her.
Here is her last Facebook post.
A quick update! It has been a trying few months in and out of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center with different types of chemo and a chest drain (!). But I have never felt so loved, fortunate, or cherished. My beloved @tassilo_f and our team of doctors, nurses, family and friends have prescribed, cooked, cuddled, FaceTimed, sung, visited, and scrabbled me into as happy a state as possible given the circumstances! I celebrated 37 last month with a “00” on the cake, a symbol of the fresh take on the world this cancer has given me. One thing I realized is how philosophically important my work has been in my life, but how obsessed I was with controlling every detail. In my recovery, I’ve had to change my relationship to work and accept not being able to step into everything. As a founder it is a tremendous relief to have the best leaders and coworkers I could ask for— soon we will share some exciting news on the Samasource front, and the LXMI team is about to launch a new product. It brings me such joy to see these teams flourish, to see our vision take root and flower. Epithelioid sarcoma is a rare, strange beast. As it moves through my body I’m trying to understand what it could possibly teach me. My biggest lesson is awe: I’m awe-struck by the complexity of human biology, and equally by the almost mystical power of human connection and love flowing my way. Thank you all for your support and care ❤️🙏🏽 #sarcoma #epithelioidsarcoma #cancer#cancerfighter #msk #mskcc
Saw a headline about a 37-year old entrepreneur who died. Something urged me to click on it.
It ruined my day, but in a profound way.
Leila Janah was a beautiful woman, inside and out. She dedicated her short time on Earth to lifting up the poor, disadvantaged, forgotten. She started nonprofit companies to train and employ some of the most impoverished people in Africa in AI.
Leila was in the midst of planning her wedding when something didn't feel right. The first doctor said nothing to worry about. But she sensed otherwise. She said it felt "ominous." So she went for a second opinion. She was right. It was rare and awful.
Leila was public about her ordeal. Always positive, optimistic, full of gratitude. When she was given access to a new drug to treat her condition, she was over the moon. She never lost hope.
Leila died on January 24.
I never heard of Leila until today. Until her obituary randomly popped up in my newsfeed.
I never knew her. But I will never forget her.
Here is her last Facebook post.
A quick update! It has been a trying few months in and out of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center with different types of chemo and a chest drain (!). But I have never felt so loved, fortunate, or cherished. My beloved @tassilo_f and our team of doctors, nurses, family and friends have prescribed, cooked, cuddled, FaceTimed, sung, visited, and scrabbled me into as happy a state as possible given the circumstances! I celebrated 37 last month with a “00” on the cake, a symbol of the fresh take on the world this cancer has given me. One thing I realized is how philosophically important my work has been in my life, but how obsessed I was with controlling every detail. In my recovery, I’ve had to change my relationship to work and accept not being able to step into everything. As a founder it is a tremendous relief to have the best leaders and coworkers I could ask for— soon we will share some exciting news on the Samasource front, and the LXMI team is about to launch a new product. It brings me such joy to see these teams flourish, to see our vision take root and flower. Epithelioid sarcoma is a rare, strange beast. As it moves through my body I’m trying to understand what it could possibly teach me. My biggest lesson is awe: I’m awe-struck by the complexity of human biology, and equally by the almost mystical power of human connection and love flowing my way. Thank you all for your support and care ❤️🙏🏽 #sarcoma #epithelioidsarcoma #cancer#cancerfighter #msk #mskcc
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