Childhood cancer is the number one disease killer of children in the U.S. Even so, only four percent of that National Cancer Institute’s budget focuses on childhood cancers. These are more than abstract statistics for this episode’s guests Angela Dina and Michelle Payne. Angela and Michelle are founders of Turn it Gold, a non-profit that elevates awareness about childhood cancer and survivorship. Angela and Michelle join co-host Dr. Lynn Harter to reflect on the origin of the organization, the role of faith in their healing journeys, and the importance of athletic activism in shifting the landscape of childhood cancer care.

You can read an article about Turn it Gold in the journal Health Communication at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10410236.2019.1651624

Dr. Ally Hughes, Assistant Professor of Primary Care at Ohio University, joins co-host Dr. Joe Bianco to recount her journey from being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age seven to a career as a diabetes and disabilities researcher, educator, and advocate. The conversation reveals that there is more to diabetes than shame, stigma, and medical trauma. Ally sheds light on innovative medical advances and finds hope in social and online networks dedicated to improving the lives of persons with diabetes.

You can read Ally’s article in Health Communication here: https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2024.2375145

Elena Semino, Distinguished Professor of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University, joins host Dr. Joe Bianco to discuss the subtle and surprising ways that language and humor shape health experiences. Dr. Semino uses large, naturally occurring language datasets to identify imaginative alternatives to overused battle analogies in cancer and other chronic illnesses. The conversation reveals that the key to reframing our most challenging problems may be just a metaphor away.

You can read Elena’s articles published in Health Communication at: https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2020.1844989 and https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2023.2257428. Her metaphor menu for people with cancer is here: https://wp.lancs.ac.uk/melc/the-metaphor-menu

Over 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease and other associated dementias amid a shortage of health professionals trained to care for aging adults. Drs. Anne Kerber and Kristi Oeding of Minnesota State University Mankato join co-host Dr. Lynn Harter and introduce artful place-making as an innovative approach to organizing and teaching care for people with dementias. They explore the multi-sensory and therapeutic potentials of gardening and how artful place-making can unsettle dominant narratives of aging and disability that over-emphasize deficits.

You can read an article about this project in the journal Health Communication at: https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2024.2433288

Dr. Jay Baglia, Professor of Health Communication at DePaul University, joins co-host Dr. Joe Bianco to recount his journey toward cancer survivorship. Reflecting on the implanted port that delivered life-saving toxins to his body, Jay exposes the complexities and contradictions of navigating cancer care. The conversation offers a hopeful perspective on preserving and redefining our humanity amid technologically driven medical care.

Dr. Olivia McAnirlin, Co-Director of the Virtual Reality and Nature Lab at Clemson University, joins co-host Dr. Lynn Harter to reflect on her use of 360-degree virtual reality storytelling in working with patients and families who cannot revisit memorable places in nature.  Olivia developed the concept of TandemVRTM to regift nature and recreation experiences for people facing precarious circumstances including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Immersive storytelling is uniquely equipped to transport participants to cherished outdoor places, a process with therapeutic potential for both patients and loved ones.

You can read an article about Defining Moments Podcast in the journal Health Communication at: https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2024.2326266

Each year, thousands of premature and vulnerable infants receive the life-sustaining gift of donor breast milk. On this episode of Defining Moments, Dr. Sarah Jones shares how her discovery of human milk banks catalyzed a surprising personal and scholarly journey that continues to this day. Dr. Jones is an Assistant Professor of Organizational Communication in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University.

You can read Dr. Jones’ article published in Health Communication at https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2021.1941644

When patient safety scholar Dr. Annegret Hannawa suffers a massive stroke at age 39, her life becomes a case study from her own books. Her journey toward recovery is as surprising as the stroke itself, taking her from the despair of hospital rehabilitation units to joining helicopter rescue missions in the Swiss Alps. On this episode of Defining Moments podcast, Hannawa reflects on stroke recovery and the profound healing capacity of simple acts of communication. Dr. Hannawa is an Associate Professor of Communication Sciences at the University of Lugano. She is also the Founding Director of the Center for the Advancement of Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety.

You can read Dr. Hannawa’s Defining Moments article in Health Communication at: https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2021.1994254

Patty Mitchell, Susan Dlouhy, and Tad Semsel of Passion Works Studio join co-host Dr. Lynn Harter to explore the healing potentials of collaborative art and cottage industry employment. The mission of the studio is to inspire and liberate the human spirit through the arts. In living out this mission, the studio has revolutionized societal perceptions of developmental differences, fostered more inclusive communities, and created employment opportunities through a cottage industry model.

You can read their article in Health Communication here: https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2022.2037863