Editor’s note: Bob Brisco is the CEO of Internet Brands, the parent company of WebMD.
Dec. 24, 2021 — We’ve lost Kristy Hammam, WebMD’s long time editor, to cancer. She was only 50.
Kristy’s passing makes no sense.
She did as much to educate the public about good health as almost anyone, ever. She took care of herself and her family. Exercised. Ate right. Got every cancer screening on schedule. She was always positive, like sunshine. The medical odds and karmic gods were always in her favor.
When diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago she embraced every form of treatment— immunotherapy, radiation, chemo. And it worked. For a while. Until it didn’t.
At first, it’s hard to pull the lessons from Kristy’s life. Because it makes no sense. She did everything right. And still, this.
But the lessons are there. You do the right things in life because they are the right things to do in life. Not because there are guarantees. But because as a parent and as a leader, the odds always matter. Because you are a role model. And because you are smart and courageous to your core.
About a month ago, Kristy flew from Atlanta to Washington DC, alone, to be with her best friend. Blind and compromised, but never really, she flew as an unaccompanied minor.
I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone more adult than Kristy. She always took responsibility. She always made things better.
I know I speak for everyone at WebMD when I say we’ve lost one of our best human beings.
It will never make sense. But she wouldn’t want it to change anything about our mission, which was her mission too.
