Melissa Thomas was three months into her new job scheduling patients at Huntsman Cancer Institute when she herself received a thyroid cancer diagnosis. "My coworkers were so reassuring," she says. "It was so nice to be surrounded by people that were supportive and had experience helping people with cancer." But it wasn't only her coworkers who helped her through treatment.

Thomas became friends with a woman who was a patient who found out one day about Thomas's diagnosis. "She took the time to comfort me," Melissa remembers. "She told me that I was going to be OK and that everything was going to work out. For her to be able to comfort me when she was going through such a hard time, that was so inspiring to me."

Following treatment that included a thyroidectomy, radioactive iodine therapy, she found a new level of "compassion and perspective" when working with patients. "The scary diagnosis of cancer made me want to help patients even more. I want them to have as good an experience as they can. I know firsthand how one person can make such a difference during someone’s hardest days, and I want to be that person for people."

Read more of Thomas's story here.