Life has a funny way of helping us heal but often times not before we hurt. While playing flag football in 2023 at school, 15 year old Angela Unayan collided with another student which injured her leg. The pain lasted a little too long so she decided to go to the emergency room. There Angela received the news that would turn her life upside down. The scans revealed she had bone cancer. From that day forward, the chemotherapy sessions began. Angela tells us she struggled most with losing her hair and having to stay off her left leg in order to prevent her weakened leg bone from shattering. Then came the leg reconstructive surgery. While it’s hard to put into words the months of challenges she endured after surgery, Angela realized there is more to life than what we are conditioned to accept and that a person’s mindset does have a huge effect in the way we act and react.
She turned to music to keep herself positive. Singing brought her joy. Angela admits that her technique may have not been perfect but the desire to share happiness with others outweighed that thought. Music helped her pass time at home while she healed. She would also sing for the medical staff at the UCLA Medical Center. She kept showing up and singing in an attempt to use her voice to bring joy to the world. Then in the Summer of 2024 the Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles granted Angela the opportunity to work with Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter/producer Mike Posner to produce her own original song called It’s Okay To Cry. Angela says it’s her way to remind you that you are not alone. She told Mike at the studio recording…
“I want to bring a sense of understanding that everyone goes through hard things. I may not understand the specific thing you are going through, but I am here to listen. I am here for you.”
As part of our WomanKIND series, Angela also shares her thoughts on the power of kindness.
Who or what inspires you to be kinder to yourself and others?
My journey with osteosarcoma inspires me to be kinder to myself. When I got sick, it taught me many lessons, but the most important one was to take care of myself. I used to believe that academics meant absolutely everything, but after all the hits I took to my health, I realized that my health is my top priority.
As for who inspires me to be kinder to others, that would be my mom. Despite all the challenges we’ve faced over the years, she has always tried to be kind, even when her reserves are running low. Especially the way she always tried her best to support me during my treatment shows that no matter how tired I am, I have no excuse to not be kind to people when I am not at my best.
What does it mean to you to support other women and to be supported by other women?
I think it’s extremely important to support other women because our issues are often overlooked or brushed aside because there are no studies done on us or people simply don’t believe in what we say. I want to show women that they can and should speak up for their needs.
Advocacy is extremely significant, but self-advocacy is even more essential. To be able to support women in communication is a pretty big goal of mine, as I have witnessed many times the importance of communicating and making sure the other person understands your point. I find it very uplifting to be supported by other women. It’s always inspiring to meet women who uplift one another because, due to generational trauma, that doesn’t always happen. Experiencing support from women is always something I see as a motivation to become in the present and future.
What is your superpower?
I believe that my superpower is resilience. Resilience means getting back up even after countless failures. It’s always easier said than done when it comes to actually being able to prevail through hardships. Resilience to me is moving in any direction, forward, backwards, left, or right when you don’t necessarily know where to go. Even if it doesn’t feel like you’ve moved anywhere at the moment, as you look back into the past you’ll realize that you had made progress back then.
How do you lead with kindness in your personal life?
I lead with kindness in my personal life by always holding respect for people regardless of how they treat me. I always try to keep a smile on my face and be someone that people can approach if they need someone to talk to. Not only that, but I listen and try to give advice to my friends and classmates if they are struggling with a topic I have knowledge upon.
Beyond personal relationships, I try not to judge people too quickly because there’s always more to someone than meets the eye. Every person has their own unique talents and abilities, and I prefer to understand them first before making assumptions. I also believe that being honest about ways people can improve is a form of kindness. Of course, the way feedback is delivered matters, but I’d rather help someone grow than let them continue making the same mistakes, which could lead to bigger problems later on.
Angela currently serves as a Youth Ambassador for the American Cancer Society, promoting cancer awareness among teens and the Asian American community. She has also spoken as a guest at several events, including Hyundai Hope on Wheels and the Make-A-Wish Annual Gala, to advocate for furthering pediatric cancer research.
Angela loves music and hopes to use her voice to uplift other cancer patients in need of advocacy. In the future, she not only hopes to enter the field of medicine to advance cancer research but also to inspire others who feel uncertain about their future due to life-altering events.
You can find her on Instagram @angelameitunayan.
