Parul Somani Was Holding Her Newborn When the Doctor Called with a Cancer Diagnosis. Then Came the Layoff.

Parul Somani Was Holding Her Newborn When the Doctor Called with a Cancer Diagnosis. Then Came the Layoff.

April 27, 2026 · 38 min · Episode 42

About this episode

Parul Somani shares her journey of facing a cancer diagnosis while caring for her newborn and navigating unexpected career challenges.

Parul Somani was 31 years old, holding her one-week-old newborn, when her phone rang. It was her breast surgeon. On a Saturday. She knew it wasn't good news. What followed — cancer treatment, chemotherapy, a layoff she never saw coming, and a years-long search for work that actually meant something — would have broken most people. Instead, it rebuilt her. In this episode, Parul tells Maryam about growing up with immigrant parents who kept their struggles private; following the prestige path a...

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