A Cancer Conqueror’s Pursuit of Happiness

There isn’t a better forum to showcase Dance4Healing than SXSW, since we are both celebrations of music (dance), film and technology. I discussed its goals and mission at the 2015 SXSW Festival, participating in a panel about healthcare.

Dance4Healing is an interactive, unique solution for “telemedicine,” using music and dance. We are an action-driven patient community built on a social platform where we connect dance teachers, patients, caregivers, clinicians and researchers. We utilize artificial intelligence and behavior design to recommend personalized music and dance programs, dance buddies, and patient groups, based on real-time emotion and health data.  In short, we aim to alleviate mental and physical pain while improving the quality of life. We are also producing a documentary showcasing the healing power of music and dance, as well as my personal story which inspired this social venture.

When Life Throws a (Dire) Curveball

Life is full of surprises, and you never know whether these surprises are good or bad until much later. At age 12, I won first prize in a county-wide speech contest. I performed in big theaters, and emceed many educational and corporate functions. This gave me a lot of confidence and made me believe I can accomplish anything in life.

And indeed, things seemed to be pointing in that direction: in 2007, I climbed Mt. Whitney. In 2009, my app “Have2P” was featured in The New York Times as “App of the Week.” In 2011, I ran a marathon.  In 2012, I received a full scholarship to attend a prestigious social entrepreneurship program at NASA, Singularity University, whose motto is to “empower leaders to address global challenges using technology.” And then…guess what! While I was ready to change the world, I was diagnosed with stage IV cancer!

Here is an excerpt about my feelings on this, posted on evernote:  Inside the cancer box is a gray zone.  How you see it is in your heart.  You either see the light coming through the edges of the box or you could be completely in the dark. What does a marathoner do when stage IV cancer tries to take over her life? I learned that fighting cancer and building a social venture is just like climbing Mt. Whitney or running a marathon. The only thing you can do is keep marching forward…and never give up. I learned to “let go,” and allowed my body and soul to heal through music and dance, as I described in .

People are often surprised to discover that I’m a cancer survivor, because I’m so bubbly and happy. They don’t know the brain tumor is so deep inside of me that it could not be taken out with surgery, and  both scar tissue, and a secret natural “bio sensor” were left inside my brain.

So now, if I don’t smile, my head hurts; if I’m stressed, my head hurts. I learned to drop anything and anybody that caused stress in my life. Life is so precious and fragile; I would rather fill it with smiles, love, music, art and dance, and let the California sun shine through my heart, and help me combat all the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy.  It’s as simple as that.

When Life Throws You a (Dire) Curveball, Dance

In 2013, after conquering cancer, I started Dance4Healing a few months later. In 2014, we launched two pilot programs for cancer patients, providing in-person dance classes and a virtual dance platform. In 2015, we were invited to be a partner with the Stanford Cancer Supportive Care Program.

What I have learned: behavior change is the biggest challenge in healthcare. Many patients and seniors suffer from physical fatigue and severe mental stress. They are often homebound, due to a compromised immune system, preventing access to public gyms and venues, thus eliciting isolative depression. Many are told by physicians to exercise — and have the ability and motivation to do so — but lack behavioral trigger. Ingenious solution: music soothes one’s mood and is also a natural trigger for dance!

Science back this up: research shows that Creative Arts Therapy improves quality of life by 50% and reduces pain by 59% for cancer patients.  Other studies show that dancing frequently reduces the risk of dementia by 76%; this was the greatest risk reduction of any activity studied, cognitive or physical. Lastly, many research papers we gathered (Koch, et al. 2007; Jeong, et al. 2005; Hund Georgiadis, et al. 1999; Elbert, et al. 1995; Cerebelum; Aboitiz, et al. 1992), show that dance can help with chronic disease, neurological disorders, and aging.

Yet despite these published medical studies, dance is very underutilized in healthcare. Dance4Healing aims to fill a huge gap and optimize the healing experience to make it more effective and fun.  Our virtual dance platform brings community support, exercise and fun to the comfort of patients’ and elders’ homes, enabling them to dance alone or with friends, families and fellow patients — anyone, anywhere, anytime in the world. I have never felt so passionate about something like this in my life.

It’s pure joy to watch our patients transform from feeling ill to being happy, energized dancers, and hear how they got so much of their spirit and stamina within four weeks. It was surprising to hear our patient, Charlotte —  to whom I loaned a computer to try our virtual dance platform — come back the next day and tell me she’s buying a new computer. She was new to technology, but exclaimed that “I love to dance on computer…what do you call it? Virtual?” Only later did I learn that she is battling incurable stage IV breast cancer. She makes it a point to come to our classes whenever she can.

More research: 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day; and by 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be over 65. APA reported that 77% of Americans suffer physical, and 73% suffer psychological, symptoms due to stress. Over 50% of Americans, and many more worldwide, can boost both emotional and physical well-being from Dance4Healing. It excites me to think about how many people we can help by using technology to make the process of healing easier, more cost-effective and appealing – and to make it more accessible to patients as well as busy professionals who suffer from stress.

However, technology is just like a pencil or a brush, and we, the artists, get to decide how we use it. In my case, cancer was a blessing in teaching me how to use technology to build human connections — and to bring community support to patients, one of the most important things they badly need in facing life challenges.

Full Circle: Giving Back and, in a Way, Fulfilling a Childhood Dream

My mom said that moving to study at NASA saved my life. Changing doctors enabled the correct cancer diagnosis, and I couldn’t be more grateful it happened while there was a loving community around me, who picked me up, and helped me gain strength to emerge intact.  On my first birthday after cancer, I sent out a thank you letter to the entire community. It said, “Thank you for making this day possible”. The amount of love and encouragement I received made me realize how important community support is for someone going through one of the most difficult challenges in life.

And you know what I wanted to be when I was a little girl? A gypsy who dances, sings and travels around the world. You see! Life is full of surprises but still comes full circle: being a stage IV cancer conqueror inspired me to give back to the community that supported me. And, I guess, to dance, as I had always wanted to do.

Watch this video and be inspired by our brave patients. Dance with us, and help us make the world a happier, healthier and smarter place!

Written by: Amy Li, Founder & CEO, Dance4healing (@meidesign) 
SXSW Presentaion: Women Leading Changes in Digital Health