Paul Kalanithi
Paul Kalanithi is the main protagonist and narrator of the autobiography. He was in residency in neurological surgery, before he himself is diagnosed with lung cancer. Paul is married to Lucy, whom he met during his time studying medicine in Yale. He grew up in New York but moved to Arizona when Paul was ten.
Lucy
Lucy is Paul’s wife, and she has her own epilogue in the book, as she is a widow during the time the book was published, as it was published 10 months after Paul's death. Lucy and Paul met at Yale in a medical school. Lucy falls pregnant and Elizabeth Acadia "Cady" is born.
Emma Hayward
Emma Hayward is the doctor that initially starts the treatment on Paul. He works together with Emma on his own case, as he has a background in the field of medicine. They decide to find the root of his cancer before starting and deciding a treatment.
