Cancer While Pregnant: Eileen M. Vélez-Vega on Rebuilding Herself

The Wellness Driven Life Show · Oct 1, 2026 · 33m

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…