Julie Kanara established the Kanara Family Scholarship in loving memory of her sister, Dr. Jessica Ann Pye (38), who passed away on July 28, 2023.
Julie appreciates the support and compassion her Sonoran University colleagues provided throughout Jessica’s journey. Specifically, they recommended an alumnus with the hopes of providing palliative care. Sadly, Jessica’s disease progressed too fast and she was not able to be seen.
At the same time, Julie encouraged her husband, Ken, to see the same naturopathic physician for a baseline health check. The Sonoran alumni went above and beyond what an allopathic doctor would provide in terms of ordering labs, specialized testing and getting the “big picture” of his health history. Thanks to the doctor’s application of naturopathic principles, Ken was diagnosed with early-stage Hashimoto’s disease and has been proactively treated with dietary modifications and supplements. Ken’s mom passed from cancer which originated in the thyroid so both Ken and Julie are grateful and believe that naturopathic medicine is foundational to their health.
It is Julie’s hope that this story honors the memory of her sister, celebrates the life of her husband, and inspires future naturopathic physicians on the profound differences they make in people’s lives.
