282. Diagnosed at 30— This Bio Engineer Built the Tool She Needed to Survive—Meet Samira

Love the podcast? Send us a text!What happens when you’re diagnosed with stage 2B breast cancer, start a new job, and are asked to lead a COVID response—all at the same time?In this powerful episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, host Laura Carfang sits down with Samira Daswani, founder and CEO of Manta Cares, to talk about what it really means to navigate cancer when the system isn’t built for you.Diagnosed at 30 and undergoing chemotherapy during the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Samira shares how she worked through treatment, wrestled with impossible decisions about hormone therapy, and struggled with the loss of control that so many cancer patients feel—but rarely name.Out of a sleepless night during chemo, Samira created a simple paper planner just to survive her own care. That tool would eventually become Manta Cares: a personalized, cancer-specific platform designed to give patients and care partners the thing most people never get—a map.In this candid, founder-to-founder conversation, Laura and Samira explore:Being diagnosed with breast cancer during COVIDWorking through chemo and surgery while leading critical healthcare programsDeciding whether to stay on hormone therapy—and living with that choiceWhy cancer care feels like being dropped into a hike without a mapHow patient-built tools can restore agency, clarity, and peace of mindThe emotional cost of fixing a system that failed youWhat’s next for Manta Cares, including mobile tools and AI companionsThis episode is for anyone who has ever thought: There has to be a better way.Support the showListener FeedbackIf this episode resonated with you, we invite you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.You can also click the link in the show notes that says "Love this episode? Send us a text" to share feedback.Messages are completely anonymous.If you would like us to follow up directly, please include your email address in your message so we can respond.Latest News: Join our Mailing List - New content drops every Monday! Discover FREE programs, support groups, and resources from SurvivingBReastCancer.org! Become a Breast Cancer Conversations+ Member! Sign Up Now. Enjoying our content? Please consider supporting our work.