My name is Devona Olson, and I am the daughter of Bryce Olson. I am currently 16 years old, and, as of July 13, 2024, we marked the one-year anniversary of my beloved father's passing. Though this milestone brings a great deal of pain, I am committed to honoring his legacy by furthering his work and vision as his daughter. In tribute to my father, I plan to delve deeper into learning about precision medicine and genomic sequencing to raise awareness about the importance of cancer research.
I also had the privilege of finally meeting my father's life-saving doctor, Dr. Rana McKay in San Diego. Through conversations with her, I have learned about the 15 clinical trials my father participated in, which successfully extended his life. I want to extend my gratitude to Dr. Rana McKay for her passion and dedication. Her support was so instrumental in guiding my father through his cancer journey until the end.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity of volunteering at the ZERO Prostate Cancer Run/Walk in Portland, Oregon. During this event, I observed both survivors and individuals who had lost loved ones to prostate cancer. One question raised in my mind was the concern about how many of these participants were aware of or had access to precision medicine, as my father did.
This experience underscored the crucial need to raise awareness about precision medicine among patients and families as a new frontier in cancer treatment. With this goal in mind, I am committed to reigniting this website and dedicating myself to regular blogging. Until next time! — Devona Olson