About
Who am I?
My name is Rachna Prasad. I am a recent graduate from UCLA and am pursuing a masters in cancer biology at the University of Zurich. I am also the sister of a DIPG warrior. My younger brother, Mithil, was my best friend. He made me laugh till my stomach hurt, made me smile even when I was crying, and inspired me to be better in every way. On August 1st, 2015 he was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) a rare pediatric brain tumor with no cure. Even after his diagnosis he radiated the same joy, love, and all around “live life to the fullest” attitude he did before. He fought a fierce battle against this disease until he became an angel on November 27th, 2016. I hold not only his story, but his spirit with me through everything I do. He is my motivation, my love, my joy. Mithil Prasad taught me to live life blissfully and it is something I will do now and forever.
What inspired me to create this podcast?
For DIPG Awareness Day on May 17th, 2020, I hosted an interview with DIPG patient Jace Ward and a leading DIPG researcher and physician, Dr. Nick Vitanza. After seeing all the questions they received during the interview, I realized how many people wanted to know more. I also realized that there must be so many other unheard voices. And so, Hear the Rare was born. I hope to raise awareness through discussions with many different people in different fields relating to DIPG.