Jennifer Cramer-Miller’s Incurable Optimist: Living with Illness and Chronic Hope, Recounts 4 Kidney Transplants in 20 Years, and Wins Top Prize in International Book Excellence Awards

Jennifer also serves as the Board Chair for the Minnesota National Kidney Foundation, a Donate Life ambassador, and a patient advocate. She helps people manage uncertainty, move forward with hope, and find joy.

This one-on-one interview shares Jennifer’s background and experience writing Incurable Optimist: Living with Illness and Chronic Hope.

Tell us about Incurable Optimist.

At twenty-two, I had my whole life ahead of me—a new job, charming boyfriend, and Seattle apartment.

Then I received a devastating autoimmune diagnosis.

Suddenly, my bright future evaporated. I found myself soaking a hospital pillow with tears and grappling with the word “incurable.” I had unwillingly crossed over from wellness to chronic illness—from thriving to kidney failure.

My survival hinged upon the expertise of doctors, the generosity of strangers, and the benevolence of loved ones. But what kind of life would that be?

Spanning two-plus decades, Incurable Optimist is my deeply personal memoir that explores loss and acceptance, the miracles of kindness, and the gift of being alive.

Four kidney transplants later, I am here to shine a light on resilience in difficult times, with a story that will make you want to hug the humans you love. Because sometimes it’s the sorrows that threaten to pull us apart that ultimately unite us in hope.

What inspired you to write Incurable Optimist?

First, my daughter Liza. When she was younger, I worried (as moms do), what if I get hit by a bus and she never knows she’s a miracle? Given my health history, I feel so lucky to have a healthy child.

Then, randomly, a conversation between Madonna and Ellen (on the Ellen Show) fueled my urgency. Madonna had encouraged Ellen to share her coming out story, underscoring that she was the only one who could. I’m far from Ellen-level famous, but I felt that singular pressure to share the story that only I could.

It’s an honor to spread my message of hope to lift others who face challenges. I believe that the most idiosyncratic of experiences hold universal themes, and we find ourselves in the story of others.