Guest blogger Laila (@2sweaterpuppies on Instagram) gives you a glimpse into what it’s like to be only 28 years old and fight breast cancer. She’s a scientist. And, no joke, she finished her PhD in cancer research less than two years before she learned she had cancer.

Laila Roudsari is not your typical badass, she’s next level: brains, beauty, and ingenuity. She’s a realist so you won’t find sugar-coated smiles or bubblegum optimism here. Instead, she details the important stuff: an almost missed diagnosis (everyone told her she was too young to have breast cancer), the science behind treatment options (because this is a comfortable space for her, unlike many fellow survivors, so she’s leaning in to shave the jargon off the science-speak), how-to’s on making it through tough treatments, and lifestyle changes she’s employed to live a balanced, happy life after cancer.
Imagine your approachable doctor friend, who studied your disease, sat in the chair next to you, having undergone the treatments herself, and shared her notes with you. This is Laila’s space. She’s about advocating for yourself and your health first and foremost, and she does that by sharing the honest details about treatments and support (because how else will you know what to expect), spreading awareness about breast cancer in women under 40, getting real about which organizations are making a (scientific) difference, arming women with knowledge about the disease so they feel confident making treatment decisions, oh and advancing breast cancer medicine. Laila is a vibrant, enigmatic, kind soul who now researches cutting-edge technologies to advance what we know about tissue regeneration. So basically… a full-time badass whose proper title is Dr. Roudsari.
For a healthy dose of real talk that informs and inspires, 2sweaterpuppies can be found here:

Laila’s Story
Laila’s pre-cancer bio:
I was born in Charleston, South Carolina and I love the coast. I'm half Persian, half Southern. I have 1 sister, 2 brothers, and 2 awesome parents. I went on to do lots of schooling to earn my PhD from Duke in Biomedical Engineering. I'm now a researcher at a biotech company working on growing lungs for people with chronic lung diseases. Oh yeah, and I have 2 cute sweater puppies (actual dogs, not boobies) named Pharah (plott hound/pit mix, age 3) and Willa (whe