Out of Patients EP416: The Genes of Wrath: Jennifer J. Brown
Jennifer J. Brown didn’t write a memoir to make you feel better. She wrote one because she was drowning in a system that weaponizes politeness and punishes curiosity. Harvard-trained scientist. Mother of two daughters with a rare metabolic disorder. And apparently, still not qualified enough to get a straight answer from the NICU or the genetics team. Her book When the Baby Is Not OK is less memoir, more middle finger to a broken machine.
I brought her on Out of Patients because she’s the exact kind of guest I crave. One foot in medicine, the other in real life, and no patience for the script. We talked about medical gaslighting. We talked about healthcare “communication” that erases people. We talked about having a front-row seat to your kid’s pain and being told to fill out a form and wait.
She made me question how much the system trained us to tolerate. And she made me laugh. A lot. Because when the grief gets thick, dark humor keeps the lights on.
If you’ve ever been the one asking too many questions in the waiting room, this episode is for you.
Matthew Zachary
Producer
Matthew Zachary never planned on becoming a healthcare advocate. At 21, while training to be a concert pianist, he was diagnosed with brain cancer and told he might never play again. That was nearly thirty years ago. Spoiler alert - he survived! Instead of returning to the recital hall, he set out to change the healthcare system that nearly broke him.
In 2007, Matthew founded Stupid Cancer, a groundbreaking nonprofit that gave young adults with cancer something they’d never had before: a voice, a community, and the freedom to be angry. Through national conferences and online platforms, it helped millions of patients and families find connection and purpose in the face of isolation.
That same year, he launched The Stupid Cancer Show, the first talk radio program to cover the patient experience with the urgency of breaking news. It later evolved into Out of Patients, his award-winning podcast known for its honest conversations and unapologetic tone. His media work also includes the acclaimed documentary The Cancer Mavericks, which tells the story of the rebel patients who helped transform modern oncology.
Today, Matthew leads Matthew Zachary Worldwide, a media and consulting company that helps brands and organizations better understand the real needs of patients and how to co-create solutions with them, not just for them. His upcoming book, We the Patients: A Field Guide to Surviving American Healthcare (Wiley, June 2026), draws on three decades of lived experience and advocacy to help readers navigate and challenge the U.S. healthcare system.
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Out of Patients EP415: Sorry, Your Awareness Campaign is Showing
