Embracing life’s difficult gifts
Hi, I’m Courtney. Thanks for visiting! I am passionate about raising awareness for brain cancer, patient advocacy, and invisible illness/disability.
I believe in the power of embracing life’s difficult gifts: the gifts we don’t always see as gifts at first, but ones that have the power to change us, teach us, motivate us, and inspire us.
My difficult gift was brain cancer. This gift was the worst, at first. Despite cancer being a gift I never wanted to receive, it helped me embrace my life in ways I never thought possible.
Have you opened a difficult gift? You’ve found the right place. A place to find happiness despite hardship, joy despite suffering, and a community here to support you through it all.
We are stronger together.
Fondly, Courtney
About Courtney
Courtney Burnett , MD is a board-certified internist working in hospital medicine, assistant professor of medicine, author, and motivational speaker. She is passionate about raising awareness for brain cancer, patient advocacy, and invisible illness/disability. But, more broadly, she works to raise awareness of our ability to embrace all of life’s difficult gifts, regardless of the cause.
At age 29, while studying medicine in Thailand, Courtney self-diagnosed her brain tumor which turned out to be an incurable and rare form of brain cancer. This radically shifted her perspective on what it means to be a patient, a compassionate physician, and a mortal human being.
Courtney works full time as a hospitalist, treating adults with a wide variety of medical conditions. She is the creator of the well-know blog, “Elephant, Lotus, Brain Tumor” and author of the award winning memoir Difficult Gifts: A Physician’s Journey to Heal Body and Mind.
Regardless of the unexpected situations life brings, she believes the power of hope, mindfulness, and vulnerable storytelling can help us all find gifts amidst difficulty.
“Through dying, I have learned to live. Through sadness, I have found happiness. Through the loss of the guaranteed future I once envisioned, I have found peace and freedom. I am more alive today than I’ve ever been before.” ~Courtney Burnett