Northwell Nurse Celebrates Being Cancer-Free at Islanders Day of Beauty

In what was supposed to be the happiest time of her life in the days leading up to her wedding, Lauren Doda faced a difficult breast cancer diagnosis in July 2022. Now cancer-free and happily married to her husband Bob who carried her through it, Doda was filled with emotion when looking back on how her battle with breast cancer began.

“We had our wedding five days after my diagnosis, and only his and my immediate family were aware,” Doda said. “Looking back at the wedding videos, to see the looks we gave each other, through thick or thin and in sickness and in health was defined in that very moment.”

Upon returning from their honeymoon, the newlyweds knew the intense journey that was in store, but they were facing it together as a unit.

“Landing at JFK after our honeymoon, the tears started flowing for both of us because we knew that when we got back, we’d be doing PET scans and MRIs and figuring out the treatment plan,” Doda said.

Bob kept her in good spirits during rigorous testing and treatments. He’d make her laugh on each drive to the hospital, pamper her when she was sore from chemo, and watched Beatles documentaries her during chemotherapy sessions.

“People at the cancer center during infusions would comment on how we were just two silly kids, sitting there getting treatment, one with no hair,” Doda said with a smile. “I could not have asked for anyone better to be at my side.”

Doda had a unique experience as a cancer patient and a healthcare worker. She’s been a nurse for almost 10 years at Northwell, working as a supervisor in various units. Despite being a patient herself, she was a natural caregiver, finding herself helping the other patients around her in any way she could, providing physical help and emotional support although she was battling the disease herself.

“It was kind of funny as an employee being treated at a Northwell facility,” Doda said. “Because despite having no hair on my head and an IV sticking out of my chest, I was helping the other patients. If someone needed something I couldn’t resist but to help. You just can’t turn that off as a nurse.”

Doda relied on Northwell’s fertility clinic when she faced the uncertainty of first being diagnosed, where she had an egg retrieval that gave her and Bob the option to start a family down the line.

“If and when we can have children, Northwell made that possible,” Doda said. “They made sure we had those fertility options, and I could not be more thankful to be part of a company that not only supports us every day as nurses, but also as humans.”

While undergoing intense treatment, Doda continued to put in long hours at the hospital to maintain an important sense of normalcy. She kept her diagnosis to herself, working with a wig on and a scrub cap on and pushed through each day.

“Working kept me focused and it kept me not feeling sorry for myself being in that situation,” Doda said. “It was a matter of power and control that I was able to go to work, pretend to be normal for eight hours, get back in the car and take my wig off, knowing it was a good day.”

When it came time for her mastectomy, she viewed the surgery as a positive benchmark in her steps toward recovery and a healthy life.

“It was such an upsetting diagnosis with so many scary steps, but when it came to the mastectomy surgery, I couldn’t be happier,” Doda said. “I was smiling because it was a good thing, we’re going forward. It makes you appreciate everything from a different perspective.”

The experience deepened her already meaningful job as a nurse. Going through and overcoming cancer first-hand allowed her to empathize and connect with her patients on a new level.

“As a nurse I’m on both sides of that line, it made me become a more understanding caregiver,” Doda said. “It changed the way I practiced. If you give someone a smile and make them happy in a time of need, that’s what I hope to give to my patients.”

The mission of caring for others is deeply rooted in her family. Doda’s mother is also a nurse and her father and sisters are physicians, so her passion for healthcare came to her pretty naturally, as did her love for the New York Islanders, as her family has been huge fans for decades. Doda fondly remembers going to games with her dad at Nassau Coliseum for special father-daughter time, but her feelings on hockey evolved over time.

“It was special daddy-and-me time, but when I was a kid I mainly cared about the chocolate eclairs,” Doda said. “But as I’ve grown up, I’ve learned to love the Islanders and the amazing spirit of the team. They show it on the ice, and their wives have shown it in the sauna today.”

Doda was one of 10 women who took part in the Day of Beauty on Oct. 24, where the Islanders and Northwell treated breast cancer survivors and thrivers to a day of luxury at the Garden City Hotel.

They’ll be in attendance for Saturday’s Hockey Fights Cancer Night at UBS Arena where they’ll cheer on the Isles in a sea of fans whose lives were also impacted by cancer, one way or another.

“There’s nothing like cheering for your home team, your favorite team, there’s an emotional reaction that you can see and feel in the arena,” Doda said. “Being a fan of a sports team gets you through things. Those victories – you win with them, you lose with them, and you feel connected to the team – it’s something to make your life better when you’re going through a rough time.”