People of Amgen: Meet Rebecca Hodgson

My name is Rebecca Hodgson. I've worked at Amgen for nine and a half years and I'm a manager for the company. I've been in the industry for over 22 years and this company has touched me personally because of the innovations and the impact it's had on my own personal family members. 

My grandfather died of heart disease, my father-in-law currently has cardiovascular disease, and he's had a recent heart attack and a previous one 12 years ago.

My grandfather had had four heart attacks, he suffered from cardiovascular disease, and at the age of 51, after his fourth, he died.

My father-in-law, 12 years ago approximately, had a heart attack while he was traveling to the United States of America on vacation He lived on our couch for a period of seven to 12 weeks while he was recovering from his heart attack, which was as a result of having high cholesterol.

On Dec. 15, he went in for an angiogram and what they found out was that he had five blockages, of which five blockages required an emergency surgery and angioplasty. He survived the surgery, however, he lived in the hospital for a period of three months, and during that time he almost died on three occasions.

My children and my nephews had to go in and say goodbye to him, which were obviously very difficult conversations to have with your children, around saying goodbye to their grandfather. The man has nine lives though. He's a fighter. He continues to have heart disease.

He has lots of plans, he wants to travel, he wants to continue to see his grandchildren, hangout with his friends. We see a future with our father, or for me my father-in-law, that will allow him to have a happy ending to the period of life that he has left with us.

I feel very proud working for a company like Amgen. I feel very proud to talk about who I work for and what I do and where we're going in the future, because I know that every day this company is making a difference and helping patients to live their best life and to live a longer life.