Katie Coleman was confronted with the decision that no job seeker should have to make. Her prospective employer could hear that she had stage four kidney cancer, which is the most serious stage.
She could also stay home.
She was aware that she could lose her job if she is honest about her diagnosis. Or, she could lose her self-respect if she keeps quiet.
Although it may sound like a plot from Grey’s Anatomy, it’s not. The decision was made by the Austin resident, 31, who had been fighting the deadly disease for almost three years.
She tweeted mid-April, “The number of people advising me not to disclose my [diagnosis]” Employers might be concerned about absenteeism and the cost of such a condition, even though federal law forbids them from considering health concerns when hiring.
Coleman was interviewing for the software engineer job she wanted in high-pressure software engineering, and shared her diagnosis with MDisrupt CEO, an Austin-based company which connects scientists and clinicians with digital health companies.
Ruby Gadelrab was the CEO and founder MDisrupt. After interviewing Coleman, she tweeted, “Today, I met a candidate for one of our jobs. She might just be the most inspirational person I have ever met.”
Coleman’s story is both heart-warming and hopeful. After eight doctors stating she was too young to be diagnosed with cancer, Coleman’s story is both heartbreaking and hopeful. On New Year’s Eve 2020, she finally received an ultrasound in an emergency room. It revealed that she had metastatic kidney oncocytoma. This rare form of kidney cancer spread to her liver and became fatal. She had to have extensive surgery to remove a 12-cm tumor from her right side and many other tumors from her liver. Doctors removed tiny tumors from her liver in a second operation. They were too small to be seen during the first procedure. Coleman asked the National Cancer Institute doctors to perform the procedure and she was glad they agreed. They were also interested in rare kidney cancers, like hers.
Coleman was able to fulfill her dream, despite the surgery, the prognosis and her honesty. MDisrupt also hired her as a full time software developer.
Coleman’s story has become a social media legend. She shares updates on her battle with cancer and her new job via Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. Coleman is leaving a lasting impression on social media, which she hopes will help other cancer patients in the years to come.
Her story is a reminder to both employers and job applicants that the medical history of a potential employee is theirs, unless they choose to share it.
According to Joyce Walker-Jones (senior attorney and adviser at U.S.), the Americans with Disabilities Act forbids prospective employees from asking about their medical history or using health issues to hire them. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Walker-Jones doesn’t recommend that potential employers share medical information. She stated that if a potential employer knows about a candidate’s serious medical condition, they don’t have to disclose it.
Coleman was adamant in this regard.
A recruiter spotted her posts on social media and approached her to apply for the MDisrupt job. Gadelrab claimed she didn’t know about Coleman’s battle with cancer and that she never asked her about her health. Coleman shared her story and accepted her diagnosis.
Coleman stated, “I consider my diagnosis my greatest strength.” Although the type of cancer she has is almost always benign in her case it was not in hers.
Coleman reached out to Driven to Cure, an organization that specializes in rare kidney cancers, for assistance. Driven to Cure then connected Coleman to the National Cancer Institute.
She has been off treatment since fall and she said that she is now on “active surveillance”, monitoring her with scans every three to monitor any suspicious spots.
A personal mission to eradicate her cancer is also her goal. She keeps a digital log of all the twists, turns and developments in her journey through her medical history with an app she created. Coleman began work on her app idea after her surgery, but before her liver operation in 2021.
It allows her to track her doctors and all other information she requires in one place. Her creation was shared with other patients for free. Coleman stated that Gadelrab liked the fact that she was able to create a positive from a negative.
Gadelrab stated that she is looking for three essential qualities in new employees, none of which are health-related: passion, purpose and potential. She stated that she found all three qualities in Coleman.
“Katie was so passionate. Gadelrab said that she has a unique way of communicating her empathy to patients and providers. “This is the type of thinking we should have as a company: empathy towards our users. Katie was able to do that.
Coleman was still hesitant about accepting the job offer. She was still waiting for a second critical cancer scan. She was anxious about quitting a company she had loved. She was also anxious about switching insurances. Then, she was surprised by something that convinced her to accept the offer.
She was at home packing her bags for the scan, but when she opened her door to answer the knock, it was clear that someone was at her door. She answered and saw a large bouquet of orange roses, the color that represents kidney cancer awareness. It was MDisrupt. It said, “Good luck with the scans.”
She accepted the job.
Coleman was born in April and her first day of work was in May. Coleman works remotely most of the day, but she visits the office at least once a week for group gatherings. She does not recommend that people with serious illnesses openly communicate with potential employers.
She said, “My advice to you is to do your research about the company you are interested in working for and to know that they will support you.”
Coleman has nearly 5,000 Twitter and 40,000 TikTok fans and continues to share her battle with cancer via social media and a blog. In her posts, Coleman pokes fun at her own self-deprecation, which she says often leads to more donations for the kidney cancer research she supports. Maybe her most recent tweet reflects this best:
