Seven years ago, life changed dramatically for Leon and Carolyn. Leon received a diagnosis of stage 4 cancer with a 30-50% chance to live.

Like many people who receive this type of news, the couple’s goal now became Leon’s day-to-day survival, and the future became a distant blur. This put their dreams, travel plans, and life on hold.

Thankfully, Leon beat the odds.

After two and half years of effective treatment, he still had the urge to travel. But, to Leon, it was difficult to imagine taking a vacation. He worried he would feel sick and not be able to fully enjoy the experience.

After working with several primary care physicians, Leon was looking for something more. He clung to the belief that he could continue to feel better, and therefore, should continue to enjoy life to the fullest.

Due to his complicated medical history, ordinary answers weren’t providing results. In Leon’s case, he needed a doctor that would give him specialized and personal attention.

He knew he needed a change in order to get truly transformational care.

Throughout Leon’s struggles with cancer and trying to move forward in its wake, Carolyn found herself struggling with anxiety.

Medication proved somewhat helpful, but in general, she wasn’t happy with how intense her anxiety became and how it prevented her from being able to tackle even the simplest activities, such as running errands. Carolyn’s anxiety brought out a critical perfectionism, which paralyzed her from enjoying one of her favorite hobbies—oil painting.

After a friend recommended Dr. Hager, Leon and Carolyn joined Novara, where they found an advocate who cared about them and their unique needs. With the ability to spend time more time with their doctor and set individualized goals, Leon and Carolyn found the doctor-patient relationship they’d been looking for.

Through Novara’s personalized approach, Leon’s unique needs were met. He was able to see and feel the progress that he wanted, and he is finally able to begin traveling again. The Netherlands is one of his favorite places to visit, and he now has the freedom to go abroad—despite some medical limitations. Dr. Hager worked with Leon to make his goals a reality.

After listening to her struggles with anxiety, Dr. Hager used prescribed an unconventional remedy for Carolyn: paint more. This provided her the motivation she needed to dedicate more time to her craft, helping her to pick up her brush and start painting again. Since then, her anxiety has decreased tremendously and she has feels she has her life back.

The deeply personalized care Leon and Carolyn have received through their Novara membership has brought rich benefits to their lives. They both hold the belief that feeling well involves more than just medication and following standard medical procedure. And with all the progress they have seen, they have continued hope for a happy and healthy future for years to come.