Current:Home > InvestA doctor leaves a lasting impression on a woman caring for her dying mom -AssetPath
A doctor leaves a lasting impression on a woman caring for her dying mom
View
Date:2025-04-13 14:31:56
This story is part of the My Unsung Hero series, from the Hidden Brain team, about people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else.
When Julia Minson was in graduate school, her mother was diagnosed with advanced-stage lung cancer.
It was a difficult time, and to cope, Minson became a student of the disease. She read through clinical studies and learned all the terminology she could. Her research uncovered something she found promising: a new experimental drug that had a small chance of helping her mom. But when she brought the idea to her mother's physician, Dr. Charlotte Jacobs, she was met with skepticism. Minson remembers what Jacobs said that day.
"No. It's incredibly risky ... she could bleed out. She could be paralyzed for what remains of her life. I could lose my license. I could go to prison. Absolutely not."
Minson pushed back, determined to consider any path that might help her mother. But in the end, Jacobs' final answer was a firm "no."
"I [left] the office disappointed. And then we came back two weeks later for whatever the next appointment was, and she said, 'I took your idea to the tumor board,'" Minson recalled.
The tumor board was a gathering of the top oncologists in northern California. Every month, each doctor was allowed to present one case for the group to discuss. Dr. Jacobs had brought up Minson's idea.
"And they pretty much unanimously agreed that it was a non-starter for all the reasons that I already explained to you," Minson recalled Dr. Jacobs explaining. "But, you know, I really thought it was worth discussing and thoroughly thinking through and I'm sorry that we can't do it."
Disappointingly, Jacobs was right. A few weeks after that appointment, Minson's mother passed away. But Minson's interaction with Dr. Jacobs left a lasting impression.
"I still remember that conversation — 17 years later — as the time where I felt most heard, perhaps in my life," Minson said.
Minson is now a psychologist, and runs a research program at Harvard University that studies how people can be more receptive to views that oppose their own.
"And I think part of the reason that story is particularly precious to me is because I spend a lot of time trying to convince people that making somebody feel heard doesn't require changing your mind. And to me, that is a very stark example where she did not change her mind ... but I still felt heard."
My Unsung Hero is also a podcast — new episodes are released every Tuesday. To share the story of your unsung hero with the Hidden Brain team, record a voice memo on your phone and send it to [email protected].
veryGood! (25)
Related
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Texas Supreme Court halts Robert Roberson's execution after bipartisan fight for mercy
- Ex-funeral home owner pleads guilty to assaulting police and journalists during Capitol riot
- Attorneys give opening statements in murder trial of Minnesota man accused of killing his girlfriend
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- She got a restraining order against her boyfriend. Hours later, he killed her, police say.
- Harry Styles mourns One Direction bandmate Liam Payne: 'My lovely friend'
- Review of Maine police response to mass shooting yields more recommendations
- Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
- CVS Health CEO Lynch steps down as national chain struggles to right its path
Ranking
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- Dennis Eckersley’s daughter gets suspended sentence in baby abandonment case
- Georgia measure would cap increases in homes’ taxable value to curb higher property taxes
- See Liam Payne Reunite With Niall Horan in Sweet Photos Days Before His Death
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Chiefs owner 'not concerned' with Harrison Butker PAC for 'Christian voters'
- The best Halloween movies for scaredy-cats: A complete guide
- Paulson Adebo injury update: Saints CB breaks femur during 'Thursday Night Football' game
Recommendation
Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
Harry Styles mourns One Direction bandmate Liam Payne: 'My lovely friend'
Booming buyouts: Average cost of firing college football coach continues to rise
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade lineup will include Minnie Mouse — finally
Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
Georgia state government cash reserves keep growing despite higher spending
Elon Musk holds his first solo event in support of Trump in the Philadelphia suburbs
Woman dies 2 days after co-worker shot her at Santa Monica College, police say