Adventures with Scars

On this episode of Adventures with Scars Lauren welcomes Lori Ponce! Lori is a wife and mother of three girls. She homeschools her daughters and teaches adults with disabilities. She is passionate about exercise and has a personal training certification. In 2021, her life was significantly changed when her youngest was diagnosed at age four with Stage 4 Rhabdomyosarcoma. Then, on her daughter's one-year remission anniversary, Lori received a breast cancer diagnosis. Lori then went through her own treatment for stage 0 breast cancer. She said, "I am thankful for every day God blesses me with." 

On this episode of Adventures with Scars, Lauren welcomes guest Melanie Anderson. Melanie has supported and led organizations serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities for over 30 years.  As a driven human service professional and active single parent to two amazing young adults (ages 19 and 22), she knows how to help and support others.  At age 50, after being diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, she had to work on the concept of letting go of fear and control and lean into the concept of interdependence.

On this episode of Adventures with Scars Lauren welcomes guest Kandy Salby! Kandy is a retired high school English teacher, mother of 2 college kids and stepmom to 2 younger kids, living with stage 4 colon cancer for the last 3 and a half years. Cancer has motivated her to explore and experience the amazing power of healing through mind, body & soul. Her approach to healing has been “no stone left unturned,” including finding laughter every day. 

Join us for this inspiring conversation!

Lauren's guest today is Mandy and we are going to let her introduce herself.
"My name is Mandy Johnson Bryant and I have a fabulous husband Daniel and two wonderful boys, Jonah, age 13, and Jesse, age 10.  Most days I appreciate how blessed I am but other days are hard.  God gave me two godly, faithful men to share my life with.  My first husband, James, passed away from a brain tumor called a glioblastoma multiforme in 2020.  He was the father of my children who were 7 and 10 at the time.  I was diagnosed 9 months later with de novo metastatic breast cancer.  Both were a complete shock to all of us and have tested our faith and turned our lives upside down. Since that time, my husband. Daniel, proposed and married me and took on my 2 boys as his own.  We live day to day, treatment to treatment, scan to scan, by our faith and by the grace of God.  My sons pray for me multiple times a day and my husband lives in a constant state of hope.  My cancer initially was metastatic to bone only but now has spread to other areas so I’m on a new regimen again.  I have met so many woman younger than myself finding themselves on this scary journey of battling breast cancer along with their families and it both saddens me and empowers me.  It saddens me when they lose their fight with cancer and suffer side effects of treatment; it empowers me to fight my own battle and to eventually, God willing, find a cure!!!"

Tune is as Lauren has a heart to heart with another mom fighting breast cancer, it's inspiring!

In this episode Lauren welcomes guest Josh Tidwell, a cancer co-survivor who lost his wife Cassie Tidwell to cancer. Cassie and Josh were one of the first families Adventure Therapy was able to help send on a retreat to the Tiny Home in Tennessee. She was so impacted by the time of rest and retreat that she expressed a desire to start an organization who would help send families impacted by cancer on retreats.

Unfortunately, she was unable to see that dream come to fruition, but her friends and husband have taken her dream and made it a reality. Cassie's Cause Foundation now helps families impacted by cancer to spend quality time with loved ones on a retreat. To find out more about Cassie's Cause Foundation go to their website at www.cassiescausefoundation.com

In this episode Lauren welcomes guest Krista Kusuma, Krista is President at Experience First Consulting, which she founded to divine and nurture the potential of leaders of all levels within museums and cultural organizations, creating purposeful transformation. She has helped hundreds of people multiply their talent, work smarter not harder, and lead more intentional and fulfilling lives. She is also a Metastatic Breast Cancer THRIVER. 

Krista's Coaching Website-  http://www.experiencefirst.us/

Lauren's guest for this episode is her husband Dr. Clifton Huffmaster! They discuss all the things that are involved with being a family that has been impacted by cancer and specifically being a co-survivor. This discussion is a glimpse into the life of our founder and will be an encouragement to anyone who has been touched by cancer.

Some organizations mentioned in this podcast-
https://www.kesem.org
For many of the children and our volunteers, Kesem is a life-changing experience that spans far beyond a week at summer camp. It fosters bonds and understanding that builds resilience, confidence, and lasting feelings of hope and joy. 

https://www.lesliesweek.org
LESLIE’S WEEK provides A Week Away from Cancer for Stage 4  Breast Cancer women and their families.

In this episode, Lauren welcomes Shana, mother of four, who is also living with breast cancer.  Shana shares her cancer story and how she parents while cancering. Lots of inspiring stories and funny moments in this episode, Shana even shares her secret to a good life. Spend some time with these two women as they connect and chat about their lives with cancer, you won't regret it.

Author, Speaker, and Life Coach Robert Parti joins Lauren  on the podcast to talk about his wife, Desiree, who passed away from metastatic breast cancer and the life lessons he learned from her and from being a caregiver. He is inspirational! 

In this episode Lauren welcomes Louise Marvulli.
Louise candidly shares about her "cancering" journey for the past 11 years. She shares about what she has learned, how she has grown and all the in-betweens. It is a conversation full of encouragement and hope, we think you will really enjoy it.