At Bayer, we are committed to advancing cancer care for patients through innovation and draw our inspiration from people all around the world navigating their personal cancer journeys. We strive to push the boundaries of possibility to redefine what it means to live with cancer.
Inspired By You shines a light on the people who inspire the people at Team Bayer to come to work every day and achieve more for patients living with cancer. Inspired By You captures Bayer’s promise to turn inspiration into action through ground breaking innovation to advance cancer care.
Peter's Story - Inspired By You
Last year, Peter Said, Head of Patient Engagement for Asia Pacific at Bayer, was diagnosed with bowel cancer. This happened the same year that he lost his mother to lung cancer. His experience has fuelled his passion for co-developing better solutions for patients.
Learn more about Peter’s story and be inspired by his strength, courage, and unwavering dedication to improving the lives of others impacted by cancer.
Here are more stories of people from our team sharing their Inspired By You stories.
Christine's Story - Inspired By You
“If I could send a message to my mom, it would simply be this. The warmth of your love, your courage, your tenacity, inspire me every single, waking day I'm on this earth.”
Christine Roth, Executive Vice President, Global Product Strategy and Commercialization, was 11 years old when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Christine's mother survived more than 45 years after an advanced breast cancer diagnosis that gave her a 5% chance to live five years. After her mum’s cancer experience, Christine made it her life's work to help others experience the good fortune that she and her family had of seeing her mother survive 45 years with breast cancer.
Jennifer’s story: Inspired by my Dad
“I can’t change what happened, but I can get out of bed every day to do what I can to help others avoid similar outcomes!”
I can’t explain why, but I was drawn to cancer-related topics as a child and recall doing a school project on child leukemia. I was emotionally invested to help in any way that I could because the fact this could happen to children and their families was a devastating thought. Years later and deep into my career in the pharmaceutical industry, I found my way into oncology and have been working in this space for about 10 years. Growing up, I didn’t really have any family members or even close friends who were affected by cancer, but I was still drawn to help those in need.
In Sept 2023, my world came crashing down with a phone call from my Dad. He had been diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia. The good news at the time was that this rare subtype of AML had a high cure and 10-year survival rate, but the bad news was that this statistic only applies to those who survive the first 30-days. Being a rare cancer, there’s not a lot of data and there is a large information gap on the likelihood of survival in the first 30-days.
One week after his diagnosis my dad went into respiratory distress, and within 10-days of his diagnosis, he had sadly passed away.
The pain was and still is indescribable. I can’t change what happened, but I can get out of bed every day to do what I can to help others avoid similar outcomes. This was one type of cancer that can be cured, but even with a curable cancer, clearly there is work to do.
Jennifer Lowther, MBA, BSc
Medical Field Manager, Oncology & Ophthalmology (Canada), Bayer
Mani’s story: Inspired by my Best Friend
“During one of our last conversations, she said – ‘I will not be around to do what I’d like, will you do it for me?’”
I’ve been working in oncology for the past 18 years. I specialized in oncology and biochemistry in medical school so that I could learn more about proteins with the aim of one-day being able treat hard- to-target cancers.
The inspiration behind my work in oncology comes from losing my best friend to Uterine/Ovarian cancer at 18 years old. Srujana was the kindest and funniest girl I had ever met. And she had big dreams of what she wanted to do in life. She wanted to become a doctor and wanted to contribute to society by helping the patient community. She had a strong interest in pursuing oncology research herself.
Today, I think of her every time we work towards a solution for a patient. During one of our last conversations, she said – ‘I will not be around to do what I’d like, will you do it for me?’ So here I am in Oncology – it’s been 18 years. This is for you, Sru!
Manaswini Sivaramakrishnan
Senior Director, Strategic Marketing, Oncology, Bayer
Ritva’s story: Inspired by my parents and best friend
“I remember her words “I don’t want to die”, and I was so powerless...these loved ones inspire me in my daily work.”
I work in oncology because of my parents and best friend. My mom is a breast cancer survivor, and I lost my dad to cancer. My father had brain metastasis and was diagnosed with rectum cancer at the same time as my mom was undergoing her chemotherapy. They took care of each other, and the journey was very tough. We lost my father after a very short fight.
My parents were already retired at the time of their cancers. My mother still loves gardening and my father loved walking in the nature and reading, both loved dogs. My father didn’t understand the position he was in due to brain metastasis, and due to his cancer, his behaviour changed. At first, we thought that was due to his reaction to my mother’s cancer, but it wasn’t. Having both parents as cancer patients at the same time was quite hard for all of us.
My best friend also survived from leukaemia. She is a dog lover and likes to do handwork and spending time at her summer cottage. She had a teenage girl, and of course she was afraid of dying mainly because of her. One of my most difficult situations has been when we met before her stem cell therapy. I remember her words “I don’t want to die”, and I was so powerless. Thankfully, she survived and works as a nurse currently. We celebrate her new life every year when she has her birthday.
I always wanted to work in oncology, since I worked as a nurse ages ago. These loved ones keep me motivated and inspire me in my daily work. What excites me the most about working in oncology is that we can really help our patients.
Ritva Lindgren
Senior Clinical Study Manager, Oncology, Bayer
Fabricio’s story: Inspired By You
“In cancer, everyday counts.”
I have worked in Oncology for over 10 years and being able to see the positive impact on patients’ lives brings me enormous pride.
I have already lost two loved ones to cancer and knowing that we are evolving every day with new treatment innovations and thus enabling more moments with family and quality of life is what inspires me! Because in cancer every day counts.
Fabricio Navachi
Prostate Cancer Medical Manager, Oncology, Bayer