My name is Kelly Baughman, and I grew up in a small town in Louisiana—tight-knit, faith-driven, and yes, I went to church and summer camp with the Duck Dynasty family. Right after nursing school, I made a bold move to Las Vegas and jumped into the pharmaceutical world at 24. Everyone thought I was crazy. But my little sister joined me, and for four years, we built unforgettable memories.

Vegas is a city of extremes. Either you get pulled into the chaos or you become a light in it. That became my mantra: Be the light. Whether walking into a stressed-out clinic or facing personal struggles, I reminded myself and my sister, “The dark attracts the light—shine, don’t dim.”

But behind the scenes, I was battling symptoms that no one could explain. For over 15 years, I was misdiagnosed with IBS. I was exhausted, losing hair, couldn’t keep food down, and had to leave the life I’d built. In 2017, I moved back to Louisiana—jobless, sick, and heartbroken. But in October 2018, a pancreatic specialist hospitalized me and gave me the real answer: neuroendocrine cancer – the same kind Steve Jobs had.

It’s rare. It’s incurable. And it can come back.

Getting that diagnosis is like being thrown into a storm: grief, anger, fear… they all hit hard. But through faith, I found the strength to ask:

“Will I be bitter, or will I be better?”

“Will I just survive this, or can I thrive?”

That’s when advocacy became my mission. I knew I couldn’t let others go through 15 years of misdiagnosis like I did. My pharma background gave me the tools—but it was humility, faith, gratitude, and service that gave me purpose.

Now, I use platforms like Instagram to reach others. It’s fast, it’s visual, and it makes advocacy personal. I share my story not for sympathy—but so that someone else sees it and thinks, “That sounds like me. I’m not crazy. I deserve answers.”

Because you do.

And I’m here to help you find them.