When cancer touched the lives of two Connecticut high school students, they got creative. Teddy Aaron and Brynn Forlizzi built an app to support patients and caregivers. It’s called Soothe Note - it tracks symptoms, manages medications, and appointments. And that’s just the beginning. Good at Heart host Randye Kaye spoke with Teddy Aaron about the inspiration behind Soothe Note and how it helps people now.
Teddy Aaron: Hi, I'm Teddy Aaron, and I live in Greenwich, Connecticut. I tried to make this app in 2025 because a loved one of mine is sick, unfortunately, and they're in my household. So I see cancer every day, and I know what it looks like and how hard it is on people, and as well as in the family. So I wanted to make an app to support both patients and caregivers, and help people improve their communication between appointments, which ultimately could help them live longer.
WSHU: Teddy is a high school student. He built the app with his fellow student and friend Brynn Forlizzi (for-LIZ-ee). It’s called Soothe Note, and it’s designed to support patients and caregivers. I’m Randye Kaye and this is Good at Heart. We have conversations with people who quietly make the world better. I asked Teddy to tell me more about his loved one’s illness and how it led to the app.
TA: Yeah, I would love to answer this question, but at the same time, I want to protect their privacy, so I'm not going to give more than pronouns. When I was eight years old, my loved one was diagnosed with cancer. So she's seen it; I've seen it for almost 9,10 years. And it's been a big part of my life. And when I was trying to figure out a tool to use to help my loved one, there were no tools; there was nothing out there. And I have a background of building apps originally, and I made my own AI. I started my own AI company, so I was like, who's better to make it than me? So I made the app myself, and it really serves the purpose of helping you track your medications and symptoms between your appointments so you don't miss anything. By the time you're ready to go to the doctor's office, you'll have a clear summary of up to 60 days of everything you've put in the app. So it really eliminates the time where you're like, okay, 15 minutes go, what's happened in the last 60 days? Like, have you had symptoms? What are your symptoms? You're obviously not going to remember everything. So this really helps you improve the communication with the doctor.
WSHU: Is this specific to cancer or is it any illness?
TA: So originally, because of Brynn and my story, we started off for cancer patients. But soon we broadened the horizons and brought it to all forms of chronic illness.
WSHU: Wow! All right, so tell us a bit about Bryn, because Brynn did this app with you and is a cancer survivor.
TA: Yeah. She's a senior in high school now, and thankfully she's in remission, and she's a two-time cancer survivor. So her freshman year, she was diagnosed with stage three ovarian germ cell cancer, which is a very rare form of cancer. And it's rare in children as well. And she ended up beating it, and then it came back sadly in her junior year. And now she's in remission. So having Brynn on the team is really important because she tells me to slow down and remove some stuff because she says this is way too complicated. Brynn’s support and her ideas have been extremely meaningful in this process.
WSHU: Now, is this free for people to use? Do they pay for it? How does that work?
TA: Cancer is chaos, and the last thing we want to do is put a paywall on something that could help so many people. So it's free to use. It's on the App Store right now, and we're in the process of getting it reviewed on the Google Play Store.
WSHU: Congratulations! Do you know how many people are using it right now?
TA: Around 519.
WSHU: Around 519 is a very specific around. That is fantastic. And have you gotten any feedback from users about how this helps them?
TA: We're working on setting up some pilot programs with different hospitals to increase app downloads and get good feedback on how to change the app itself. So we haven't been really setting up feedback forms inside the app, but we're on track to gain a lot of feedback in these programs this fall.
WSHU: Now you mentioned caregivers as well. So that is a great bunch of unsung heroes, if you will, in the world of illness. And I know you have experienced it within your family and perhaps with your friends. Can caregivers add information into the app if they have permission, I would imagine? How does that work?
TA: Yeah, so one in three caregivers actually experienced burnout within the first year of taking care of a patient. So we wanted to find a fit to serve both the patients and the caregivers. So the patient can provide a caregiver a six-digit code. It's encrypted, it's fully safe, and it's a one-use code. So once they link, it's over.
The code can't be used anymore. The caregiver will enter it on their screen, and immediately you get all the information the patient puts in throughout the day that will appear on the caregiver side. And in a simple UI friendly, visually friendly way. The app is designed for simplicity, so it's really easy to use. And then the caregiver can see how the patient's doing without hovering over them or asking, "Are you okay?" Are you okay? How are you feeling? How are you feeling? They can just look in the app and just have maybe a more normal conversation when they want to go in. Besides really focusing on their feelings throughout the day. And we also have added ways to send messages to the patient from the caregiver side, like we're thinking of you, etc. So the patient can see on their hard days that their loved ones are there for them, without having them hovering. And then we also have notes. So if you have more than one caregiver in your family, you can leave a note. For example, like if my brothers are taking care of my loved one, I could leave them a note like I just administered drugs, etc., and they could be like, okay, we know not to go that way when we go in.
WSHU: That is so wonderful, and I love what you said about. I think we've all known people with illnesses and cancer, and they have told me they long for a conversation other than how are you doing, how are you feeling, like just to talk about what's on Netflix or what book they're reading?
TA: The World Cup, maybe.
WSHU: Right. Exactly. So this is amazing. Can I ask you, what is it that inspires you? Is there advice that you got or a role model or a quote that has sparked you? What inspires you, Teddy?
TA: What inspires me is just the idea that I'm helping so many people. And that, like, I can change someone's life or a pain that has been in mine. I say this a lot: instead of being upset and asking, " Why does it have to be me? Like, it's so unfair, like all this stuff. I can put my energy into something that's positive, and that is helping others. And a role model of mine is my dad because he tells me never to give up, and he's always been by my side my whole life, and his advice and like just the way he is and how honest he is is really like important to me.
WSHU: Thank you, that's amazing. I'm gonna not cry. Okay, so how can others help you and Brynn now with this app? What can others do to help you or support the work that you're doing?
TA: Just downloading the app and leaving five stars. That's like all you have to do. Maybe if you would like, you can send us an email via our feedback forms on our website; they're really easy to get to. We're always looking for feedback and improvements. When we launched our first version of the app, I was getting emails from people like, "Okay, this is a bug. This needs to be fixed.” It meant the world to me that people were reaching out, and like I know I the app is fully secure. I see people are using it just because it's hitting our company credit card; people are using the app, so I know that's for sure. Just keep using it, and um, if you have a loved one that has cancer, it could really help them, or any chronic illness. Really, anyone can use the app.
WSHU: Now, why the name? Why Soothe Note? Where did that come from?
TA: Because we want to soothe, like as in soothe, like keep people calm, like soothing, and then a note, just like a happy note. So like sending a nice note, keeping someone in mind. So Soothe Note.
WSHU: I know Brynn's not feeling well today, and so couldn't join us. But if Brynn were here, do you think there's anything she would have liked to have added?
TA: I think she'd like to say that even though it was at the end of her treatment that Soothe Note helped her stay organized with her medication, and that it was a lot easier than using platforms like MYChart. It meant the world to her to have a platform like that, and, based on her experience. She can actually see people using it. It was helpful to her, so it'll be helpful to others. And that, like, cancer doesn't have borders. Sickness is everywhere, and that, like, we're just trying to help as many people as possible.
WSHU: Wonderful. All right, that brings me to the final final of the five questions. Why do you think we're here on Earth, Teddy Aaron?
TA: Why do you think we're here on Earth? I think we're here on Earth to find meaning in unfortunate events or to do good for others. It's why I think that we are here, and that like the moment you leave your own worries and focus on others and helping others is the moment you feel free.
WSHU: That's beautiful. I'm going to add another impromptu question here because you're entering your senior year. What are your plans for your life? Do you have hopes and dreams for yourself, career, anything? Where do you think you're headed? And I'm not going to hold you to it. Plans change, but what are your dreams for your career in your life?
TA: Well, I hope to continue to expand sooth now, but as like a side gig, obviously. But I want to continue to be an entrepreneur and just keep doing what I'm doing and make a path for myself that no one's written yet, and just like learn from others who are brilliant.
WSHU: I think you are the third high school student we've spoken to on Good at Heart, and it always gives me so much hope for the future. So if the world is in the hands of you guys, we're going to do just fine. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for joining us today.
TA: Of course.
