How a Teen Cancer Survivor and Her Best Friend Created an App to Help Patients Between Appointments

A Cancer Diagnosis at 15

When Brynn Forlizzi was 15 years old, she knew something was wrong.

A freshman in high school, she began experiencing severe abdominal bloating and discomfort. Despite repeated visits to her pediatrician, she struggled to get answers.

"I would sit in hysterics and cry in the doctor's office," Brynn recalled. "I knew something was wrong with me. I knew my body."

Eventually, testing revealed the cause: germ cell ovarian cancer.

What followed was a whirlwind of surgeries, chemotherapy and hospital visits. Brynn underwent surgery at Yale New Haven Hospital before transferring her care to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she received three rounds of chemotherapy followed by another surgery.

"It was a quick four months, but it was a grueling four months," she said.

Like many teenagers facing cancer, Brynn tried to maintain as much normalcy as possible. She stayed connected with friends, continued exercising and remained active whenever her health allowed.

"I realized how important it was to stay active, both physically and socially," she said. "It helps your mental health a lot going through it."

Facing a Recurrence

After completing treatment, Brynn returned to her everyday life while continuing routine scans and follow-up appointments.

Then, about a year and a half later, she began experiencing familiar symptoms.

"I felt the same sort of pain," she said. "I knew something was wrong again."

Her cancer had returned.

Fortunately, her care team recognized the warning signs quickly. Brynn underwent another three rounds of chemotherapy followed by surgery to remove the tumor.

Although difficult, the experience highlighted a challenge she had already encountered during her first diagnosis: keeping track of symptoms, medications and concerns between appointments.

"When you're in treatment, there are a hundred different factors going on," she said. "You're focused on getting through it."

By the time an appointment arrives weeks later, important details can be forgotten.

The Inspiration Behind Soothe Note

That challenge became the foundation for Soothe Note, a mobile app created by Brynn's longtime friend, Teddy.

Teddy's connection to cancer began years earlier as a caregiver to a loved one undergoing treatment. Throughout that experience, he noticed a recurring problem: patients and caregivers often struggled to remember symptoms, medication schedules and questions for doctors.

"There was a lack of communication," Teddy said. "Lots of things were missed."

As more patients live longer with cancer and survivorship becomes increasingly common, Teddy saw a growing need for a tool that could help families stay organized between appointments.

Unable to find a solution that met those needs, he decided to build one himself.

"I know how to make apps," Teddy said. "Why can't I make something that helps a large amount of people and keep it free?"

What Is Soothe Note?

Soothe Note is a free mobile app designed to help patients and caregivers track health information, symptoms and treatment experiences between medical appointments.

The app allows users to log daily activities such as hydration, sleep, medication adherence and energy levels. Patients can also record symptoms, note how they are feeling and document concerns as they happen rather than relying on memory later.

Users can track symptoms through body maps, monitor trends over time and organize appointments and medications in one place.

One of the app's most unique features is its ability to generate appointment summaries. Information entered throughout the month can be compiled into a report that patients can share directly with their oncology team.

"Instead of trying to remember how you felt over the last 30 days during a 15-minute appointment, everything is already there," Teddy explained.

For Brynn, the feature solves a problem she experienced repeatedly during treatment.

"If I wake up every day feeling nauseous or fatigued, I can put that into the app," she said. "Maybe I don't remember that a month from now when I meet with my oncologist, but the app does."

She compares it to carrying a medical diary in her pocket.

Helping Caregivers Stay Connected

Soothe Note was also designed with caregivers in mind.

Patients can securely connect their accounts to caregivers through an encrypted code system. Caregivers receive updates about medication adherence, symptom changes and upcoming appointments without needing to constantly check in.

"I can't tell you how many times my parents and I argued about whether I was taking my medication or how I was feeling," Brynn said. "This lets everyone stay informed without feeling micromanaged."

For Teddy, reducing stress for caregivers is one of the app's most important goals.

"Caregivers want to help without hovering," he said. "Cancer is already chaotic. We wanted to create something that takes away stress instead of adding more."

Early Response From Patients

Since launching on the Apple App Store, Soothe Note has attracted hundreds of users and generated interest from cancer organizations and advocacy groups.

Brynn has spoken with fellow adolescent and young adult patients who say the app addresses a gap they have long experienced.

"They've all been saying this is kind of what's missing in their lives," she said.

For many young patients, the app provides something cancer often takes away: independence.

"It's nice to have some control over your own journey," Brynn said. "It's nice to have control in this very uncontrollable world of cancer."

Turning Experience Into Impact

Although Soothe Note is built on technology, its creators say the app's purpose is simple.

They want to make life a little easier for patients and caregivers navigating cancer.

"I hope they feel nothing but ease," Brynn said. "I hope they can use whatever energy they're saving and direct it toward something more important."

Teddy shares a similar goal.

"I hope the pressure between appointments is reduced," he said. "Patients shouldn't have to rely on memory during one of the hardest times of their lives."

For two teenagers who have experienced cancer from different perspectives one as a patient and one as a caregiver — Soothe Note represents an effort to transform personal challenges into something that can help others.

Their mission is not simply to build an app. It is to ensure that patients and families feel supported during the moments between appointments, when questions, symptoms and uncertainty often feel the hardest to manage.

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