Diem Brown's death sheds light on young adult cancer

Diem Brown stepped out on July 26, 2014 for an event in Water Mill City, New York. Neilson Barnard, Getty Images

The recent death of Diem Brown -- the spunky, tough-as-nails reality star and cancer advocate -- rocked the many who'd followed her long, public struggle with the disease. Brown, who was 32 and had beaten cancer twice, lost her battle when it returned a third time in the form of colon cancer and spread to her liver and lymph nodes.

Nearly 70,000 Americans aged 15 to 40 are diagnosed with cancer each year, according to the National Cancer Institute. These are critical formative years, when people are making important life choices: beginning careers, getting married and starting a family. And, because certain types of cancer and cancer treatments can cause infertility, getting sick sometimes means having to start immediately planning for an unimagined future.

Dr. Elizabeth Fino, who sees patients at the NYU Fertility Center, says young adults have to make hard choices very quickly. "Most of the cancers encountered in that age group are aggressive and need to be treated very quickly. So, in midst of having to make a lot of decisions regarding cancer, they also have to come to us and be proactive about preserving their fertility."

Fino says it can be overwhelming for young women to have to plan chemo and fertility treatments simultaneously. "With some types of aggressive breast cancers, young women also have to think about lining up a gestational carrier down the road," she says.

The overwhelming emotional, physical, social and spiritual impact of receiving a cancer diagnosis at this pivotal time in life can cause some people to want to give up. Others, like Diem Brown, choose to move through the traumatic journey by reaching out for support and getting active about finding solutions.

Some of these young people have become strong forces of cancer advocacy, using social media as a tool for raising awareness and education. Speaking out about their disease and treatment on social media, and building supportive communities is a way to make meaning out of a devastating diagnosis.

"Through blogging, writing, and social media, I've found my voice, and I've found small ways to make a difference. That's something you can do from a hospital room. It's empowering and liberating to realize that you're not just a cancer patient but you're so much more than that," leukemia survivor and New York Times wellness blogger Suleika Jaouad says.

Brown shared her cancer journey in real time with 200,000 Twitter followers, nearly 200,000 Instagram followers, and through her blog for People.com. One of her final tweets shows her will to live and her willingness to reach out for support.

When Brown died just three days later, the young adult cancer survivor community took a hard hit.

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Diem Brown's death sheds light on young adult cancer