Patient
Mariah Forster Olson was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at the age of one in 1980. Her tumor grew out of her spine, wrapped around part of her heart, and pushed against her lung. At that time, few treatments existed and Mariah was given poor odds of survival. She underwent multiple surgeries, radiation treatments, and two years of an experimental chemotherapy protocol, which ultimately saved her life. Mariah is blessed to be alive, but outdated therapeutics and the location of her tumor left her with a number of complex medical conditions. She has also had 52 surgeries and deals with chronic, excruciating back pain in her bones, muscles, and nerves.
Mariah now dedicates her life to working within the childhood cancer community. She is the Survivor, Family, and Resource Director for the Neuroblastoma Children’s Cancer Society and serves on their Board. She is also the Board Secretary for the Coalition Against Childhood Cancer (CAC2), and she leads the Survivorship Interest Group, which just launched the CAC2 Survivorship Toolkit! Mariah also advocates for cancer-based legislation for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, and she co-leads the advocacy group for the Gold Together National Advisory Council, the childhood cancer initiative of the American Cancer Society. Mariah’s work fulfills her and gives her a sense of purpose, and she hopes to help others and provide support, encouragement, understanding, and hope!
Mariah has a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She lives in La Crosse, Wisconsin, with her husband and Siamese cat, Isaac. She is writing a book about her life, titled “Hope Over Despair,” which will be published by Bell Asteri Publishing. She also plays the oboe in a variety of community ensembles.
General Session II | Improving Medication Access and Affordability: The IRA and Medicare
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
9:30am – 10:45am ET