One Doctor’s Memoir of Surviving Pancreatic Cancer and Confronting Medical Racism in Healthcare.
A compelling narrative about resilience, truth-telling,
and the urgent need for equity in a broken medical system.
Coming Soon!
Fruit from the Manchineel Tree
Fruit from the Manchineel Tree is the searing memoir of Dr. Yvette Colón, a pancreatic cancer survivor who endured not only the deadliest of cancers but also the devastating toll of medical racism.
Drawing on her experiences as both a patient and a medical professional, Dr. Colón reveals how missed diagnoses, dismissed concerns, and systemic bias shaped her fight for survival. Her story blends raw honesty with hard-won resilience, showing how illness stripped everything away to uncover truth, advocacy, and purpose.
This book offers more than one woman’s journey, it shines a light on the inequities many patients face and calls for a vision of healthcare where dignity is a right and every voice is heard.
Reviews
“Fruit from the Manchineel Tree broke my heart and mended it at the same time. Dr. Colón shares her journey with breathtaking honesty, inviting readers into the fear, the fight, and the fierce determination it took to survive, not just cancer, but a healthcare system that too often turns its back on women of color. Her words are vivid, vulnerable, and deeply human. This book is perfect for anyone who has ever felt unseen in a medical setting, for survivors searching for strength, and for readers who believe stories can spark real change.”
A Note from Dr. Colón
My mission is to empower people from marginalized communities to advocate for fair, equitable, and compassionate healthcare. As both a survivor and healthcare professional, I offer more than statistics, I share a lived story of resilience and a call to action. I provide practical tools to help others understand their rights, navigate complex systems, and build strong support networks, so no one faces the medical system uninformed or alone. Grounded in dignity and equity, my work aims to create meaningful change in the areas that need it most.