Bio

International Motivational Speaker, Author, Performer, Cancer Survivor

After graduating from Columbia University-Barnard College, Eva taught in an after-school program where she found her calling as a Master Storyteller. As Eva discovered that interactive storytelling provided learners with greater retention and recall, she began recording and publishing her stories. The Film Advisory Board of Hollywood, CA awarded one of her videos the Award of Excellence. Eva has been the keynote speaker at many educational conferences on interactive storytelling techniques. She is the author of ‘You Are Not Alone: Families Touched By Cancer.’ Sample pages can be viewed on Talk4Hope.com.

Beating The Odds

In 1998, at age 33, in the midst of a successful career in storytelling, Eva was diagnosed with advanced stage oral cancer and given a 15% chance of survival. While her late stage diagnosis was common, her recovery was unique.

A non-smoker, she had been bounced from dentist to doctor for more than two years. The ulcer on her tongue became larger and more painful. After diagnosis, Eva endured a partial tongue reconstruction, a modified radical neck dissection and a maximum dose of radiation therapy.

She was lucky. Through an extraordinarily successful treatment plan, Eva not only survived but also regained her ability to speak clearly.  After getting a second chance at life, Eva developed an oral cancer awareness campaign Six-Step Screening.

Motivational Speaker

Eva’s career as an interactive performance artist provides her with the skills to communicate her experience as a patient and survivor in a unique and powerful way – mesmerizing her audience. She shares riveting details about her late stage diagnosis and how she found the strength to persevere through the devastating effects of surgery and radiation.

Her journey provides listeners with profound life insights and lessons in determination. Eva empowers listeners to find strength and opportunity in adversity, reviving passion and purpose both professionally and personally.

In 2003, Eva was a featured speaker at the American Dental Association in front of 9,000 dentists. Since then, she has been telling her story about overcoming great odds at dental, medical and nursing conferences, pharmaceutical companies and major corporations.

Eva has presented worldwide to companies and organizations in Japan, Korea, Greece and Canada. She has addressed audiences from the Mayo Clinic, International Society of Oral Oncology, Amgen, Shimadzu, and Verizon.

Advocate & Activist

A champion for early detection, Eva developed SixStepScreening.org, a grassroots oral cancer awareness campaign for dental professionals and the general public. For her initiative, she was recognized by the American Academy of Oral Medicine and given honorary membership (PDF, 4.9 MB).

“I share my personal story hoping it will inspire listeners to demand oral cancer screenings for themselves as well as for those they love. Together, we can save lives. It’s more than my mission to educate. It’s my tribute to all those that came before me and my obligation to those who will follow.”

Eva offers guidance, hope and inspiration to countless oral cancer survivors that have contacted her over the years.

Author

In 2008, Eva celebrated her 10-year cancer-free anniversary by founding the Talk4Hope book series to empower children who have a family member with cancer. These books provide coping strategies and communication skills for children and families.