ALULA TECH SUPPORT HOW TO

Daily decisions, like whether or not to return to the office after my second radiation session of the day, added to the burden.

ALULA TECH SUPPORT HOW TO

There was little guidance on how to prepare for the hair loss I incurred as a result of the chemotherapy (when the time came to purchase a wig, I wasn’t sure where and how to begin shopping for one). There was no playbook to explain how I should tell my friends and family the news. Beyond the hospital room, no one was helping me organize my life with cancer. And, there’s little that prepares you for what comes next.Īfter receiving my diagnosis, what I soon came to realize is that so much of my experience living with cancer would extend far beyond getting the right curative treatment in the hospital. It’s a club no one asks to join, but one that nevertheless needs a common language and trusted communication between members.Īs many cancer patients will tell you when the doctor walks in and mutters the words “I’m sorry to tell you, but…” there’s nothing that can prepare you for that moment. By centralizing the information you need to know (the kind that I only discovered in conversations between cancer-friends and scattered corners of the internet) Alula is translating the knowledge of others’ lived experiences into an unparalleled, radically honest resource. Resources and Trustworthy Content: Alula is a place of truth for how to live with cancer.Whether finding the right words for the hardest email you’ve ever had to write through customizable templates, or finding a friend to drive you to the doctor through sharable treatment calendars, Alula is digitizing all the needs of patients outside of the hospital. Communication and Treatment Logistics Tools: We’ve built powerful digital tools that help patients and their support system navigate cancer.Alula’s marketplace of products is curated by cancer patients for these needs and guided by our advisory board of medical experts. My amazing friends and family sent fuzzy blankets, books, wine and motivational socks, but what I needed was the right gauze, band-aids and ointments after a surgery, and special shampoos and cleansers for hair loss. Products and Patient Gift Registries: When going through treatment, my medical bills made up only 24% of my total cost of care.By organizing a revolutionary support system, we can truly transform the patient experience in a few key ways: Alula’s mission is clear: to support patients, families, and friends through the entire lifecycle of cancer, from diagnosis and treatment to recovery and (sometimes) bereavement. Until now, patients and their caregivers - as well as their wider support network - haven’t had a one-stop-shop for help dealing with all the complexities of life with cancer. What I soon came to realize is that the management of side effects and after-effects of cancer treatment persisted outside the hospital room, and that’s where it truly became difficult to ask for help. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2016, and a few months after she was finally in remission, I was diagnosed with stage 2 primary mediastinal b-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (I’ve been in remission for nearly 2 years). The concept for Alula arose out of five years of painful, unintended, and unplanned research and development. It’s impossible to talk about our product and services without first sharing my personal story. Tell us about the product or service that Alula offers. We’ve raised $2.2M in seed funding from some of the most admired VCs and angel investors including Andy Dunn, Chelsea Clinton’s Metrodora Ventures, BBG Ventures, Thrive Capital, Village Global, and Homebrew. Who were your investors and how much did you raise? The platform’s signature features include communication and scheduling tools, a vetted product marketplace that addresses the needs of this specific patient population, and a knowledge center that provides accurate information on treatments and patient experience.ĪlleyWatch caught up with CEO and Founder Liya Shuster-Bier to learn more about how her personal experience as a patient and caregiver inspired the platform, the company’s growth plans, and recent round of funding. Alula is a digital support platform for those with cancer, their families, and their caregivers to serve as a trusted and centralized destination to make the process of managing cancer a little easier. Millions of peoples’ lives are uprooted annually and the process of managing and treating this disease can be extremely taxing, isolating, and challenging. The anguish of dealing with cancer is difficult for patients and their families.

Alula tech support