Survival Story - Krannert alumna shares her inspirational journey

Terran Lamp (MBA ’02) is much more than one of top sales specialists at a leading pharmaceutical company. She is also a public speaker, author, advocate, personal trainer, and, most of all, a survivor.

Lamb’s story begins at the age of only 3 weeks, when the University of Virginia admitted her to its Newborn Special Care Unit. She was released 3 months later with a final diagnosis of congestive heart failure, congenital heart disease and a host of other serious conditions.

By age 4, she had survived two open heart surgeries, gone into complete heart block, been diagnosed with two holes in her heart, received an implanted pacemaker and learned she only had one kidney.

Following numerous surgeries and years of monitoring, Lamp was once again fighting for her life with a brain tumor diagnosis at age 10. Another devastating blow took her by surprise in 2016 when she underwent a double mastectomy to beat breast cancer.

Through it all, Lamp has faced her medical conditions and challenges with confidence and as a way to motivate others. “I’m always open to sharing my story because it’s all I’ve ever known,” she says. “I want to help people who are struggling realize they can survive and thrive, too.”

Lamp’s social media feeds are a way for her to connect with others, including @iamterranlamp on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. She was also a speaker at the TEDx Mental Health Salon in 2020 and currently hosts a series of talks called “Just Like You! Everyday People, Amazing Stories! on her YouTube channel. Her writing credits include “101 Fun Ways to Be Heart Healthy” and “101 Fun Ways to Build Self Confidence.”

Her career path began taking shape as an undergraduate in what is now Purdue’s College of Health and Human Sciences, which landed her a job as the health and wellness director at General Motors’ Indianapolis operations. After three years at GM, Lamp returned to Purdue for graduate school.

“I’ve always had an interest in how things work, from the body to business,” she says. “The Krannert MBA program gave me a 100,000-feet view of the corporate world and helped align my passions with my career.”

The degree brought her back to GM to serve as the internal communications manager and spokesperson for the automaker’s North American region. After about a year in her new role, Lamp and a friend decided to move to Los Angeles and seek new paths of discovery.

“I took a job in sales at Enterprise Rent-A-Car,” she says. “It turned out to be career-changing when I drove home a customer who told me I’d be great at pharmaceutical sales. I hadn’t thought about it before, but it seemed like a natural progression because I have always been a patient. In pharmaceutical sales, I could help others, so I applied for a job in the industry and have been at it ever since.”

Now in her seventh year with her current employer, Lamp has won wide recognition for her sales and sales training skills. “I know that I'm very lucky to be able to pursue my passion both personally and professionally,” she says. “I love what I do for my company and I love what I do as a public speaker and personal trainer.”

Written by Eric Nelson