The Wellness Driven Life Show
Cancer While Pregnant: Eileen M. Vélez-Vega on Rebuilding Herself
At 29, five months pregnant, Eileen M. Vélez-Vega was diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin lymphoma. She had chemotherapy while she was pregnant, and her daughter was born that December, healthy, with a lot of hair. Years later she became the first woman to lead Puerto Rico's Department of Transportation and Public Works in its 105 years. She grew up in Sabana Grande writing letters to NASA and NOAA for posters, fundraised her way to Space Camp, and became the first engineer in her family. When the governor's office asked for her résumé in November 2020, she said no. Her husband told her she was ready, even though she did not feel ready. She tells us what four years of public scrutiny after Hurricanes Maria and Fiona required, why she chose honesty over looking like she knew everything, and why she always saves the cancer story for last. ▶️ Watch the full conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HNE2Iv7Smy4 CHAPTERS 00:00 Chemo while pregnant 00:26 What if the hardest thing you ever rebuilt was yourself 01:36 Meet Eileen M. Vélez-Vega 02:56 Growing up in Sabana Grande 03:39 Letters to NASA and Space Camp 04:29 The first engineer in the family 05:22 The call from the governor's office 07:39 Diallo Wallace and the Space Camp Hall of Fame 09:49 Never underestimate your network 12:25 Saying yes before you feel ready 14:18 An aviation engineer at heart 15:09 Why she said no 16:55 The first, but not the last 17:36 The best and the worst job of her career 19:09 Leading through public and media resistance 20:27 Who is this girl 21:09 Listening in the field 22:12 Telling the public when the plan changes 23:45 What she is building now 24:45 Her daughter, and daring to dream 26:29 Where to find Eileen 27:01 The story she always tells last 28:13 The relapse and a stem cell transplant 29:16 Everything is different after cancer 31:15 Esther 4:14 31:38 Not perfect, but the life you were supposed to have WHAT YOU'LL TAKE AWAY A good leader cannot pretend to know it all, so she went to the experts, then to the field. Say your aspiration out loud. She told a colleague she would be Secretary of Transportation, and that colleague made the call. In your career, you can be replaced. With your family, you cannot." ABOUT EILEEN M. VÉLEZ-VEGA Eileen M. Vélez-Vega is a professional engineer and Strategic Infrastructure Director at Kimley-Horn Puerto Rico. From 2021 to 2024 she served as Puerto Rico's Secretary of Transportation and Public Works, the first woman to hold the post, leading recovery work after Hurricanes Maria and Fiona. An aviation engineer by training, she is a member of the Space Camp Hall of Fame class of 2024 and speaks to cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers about life after a stem cell transplant. Eileen on LinkedIn STAY CONNECTED Every episode: drivenlivin.com/the-wellness-driven-life-show Newsletter: drivenlivin.substack.com/subscribe The Drive Collective: drivenlivin.com/community PRODUCTION CREDITS Hosted and executive produced by April Chavez. Video production by Manlee J. Chavez. Music by Steve Stuntz. Guest agreements and disclaimer: drivenlivin.com/guest-agreements
