The Bronx Bleeds Blue: Vanessa Ghigliotty vs. Everyone
Out of Patients with Matthew Zachary · Matthew Zachary
Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (pdcn.co) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
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
Colorectal Cancer Alliance: Vanessa’s Story
ZenOnco Interview with Vanessa
FEEDBACK
Like this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship inquiries, email [email protected].
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.