The Bronx Bleeds Blue: Vanessa Ghigliotty vs. Everyone

Out of Patients with Matthew Zachary

Episode Description:

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a Bronx-born pediatric nurse with stage 4 colon cancer survives, raises a kid, becomes a policy shark, and fights like hell for the ignored, meet Vanessa Ghigliotty. She’s not inspirational. She’s a bulldozer. We go way back—like pre-Stupid Cancer back—when there was no “young adult cancer movement,” just a handful of pissed-off survivors building something out of nothing. This episode is personal. Vanessa and I built the plane while flying it. She fought to be heard, showed up in chemo dragging her kid to IEP meetings, and never stopped screaming for the rest of us to get what we needed. We talk war stories, progress, side-eyeing advocacy fads, TikTok activism, gatekeeping, policy wins, and why being loud is still necessary. And yeah—she’s a damn good mom. Probably a better one than you. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll want to scream into a pillow. Come for the nostalgia. Stay for the righteous anger and iced coffee.

RELATED LINKS

Vanessa on LinkedIn

Colorectal Cancer Alliance: Vanessa’s Story

ZenOnco Interview with Vanessa

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