Help and Hope Happen Here

Barbara Rios has lived in Puerto Rico for her entire life. On today's podcast Barbara will talk about the nearly 20 years that she has been involved with the American Cancer Society and her work in developing and running many programs for Pediatric Cancer patients and their families in Puerto Rico.  Barbara will discuss the difficulties that these patients and families can face because of being far away location wise from the 4 Pediatric Cancer Care hospitals on the Island, but will also discuss some of her successful programs as well as the great individual care that these patients receive. 

In July of 2022 Hayley and Justin Dickens came on to my podcast just two months after their daughter Kallie passed away from the Pediatric Brain Cancer Diffuse Midline Glioma. It is now 14 months since they both talked so beautifully about Kallie and on today's podcast Hayley and Justin will speak beautifully once again, detailing how they have been able to handle Kallie's passing and what they have accomplished in keeping her legacy more than alive and  at the forefront of their thoughts. 

Dr. Cristina Pozo -Kaderman  is the Director of the  Young Adult Program at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  This program is focused on finding many different Psychosocial ways to help the "forgotten" cancer victims that are between the ages of 19-40, and make up 80,000 young adults who are diagnosed with some form of cancer each year in the United States.

In January of 2022 14 year old high school freshman Mayah White was diagnosed with Stage 3 Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma after feeling exhausted since the previous October, and having lymph nodes pop up in her groin area. Mayah's mother Cailin will talk about the 134 day treatment that Mayah went through before she was told the great news that there was No Evidence Of Disease on June 22nd of last year. Thankfully that is still the case although Mayah still deals with side effects and after effects from her treatment. Cailin will also talk about their 501 C 3 Non Profit- Mayah's Militia which is hosting a Pickleball Tournament this Sunday September 17, as its first fundraiser as an official Non-Profit.

On today's podcast Stacy Sands will talk about her son Hudson, who was 5 years old in October of 2019  when he was diagnosed with DIPG. Despite his diagnosis, Hudson was able to travel to such places as Galveston  Texas, San Diego California, and the Missouri Ozark Mountains with his family, before he passed away on December 18th of 2020. Stacey will also discuss the 4 different hospitals that Hudson went to as she and her husband Todd did everything possible to help their beloved son.

Camille Wahl was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma when she was 10 years old in January of 2013. On today's podcast Camille will talk about her amazing journey in which she has relapsed a total of 8 times and is once again doing everything possible to recover from her latest relapse which occurred earlier this year. Through it all, Camille, now a student at Boston University majoring in psychology, has been able to live a most meaningful life . Her life includes cohosting her own podcast with fellow Osteosarcoma survivor Mia Sandino, owning an Etsy Shop, performing in musicals, taking voice lessons, and being a Junior Ambassador for the Non-Profit MIB Agents, which focuses on the very difficult form of bone caner in which Camille and too many others have to deal with. 

While looking at colleges with her family at the beginning of her senior year in high school, Dr. Sharon Hammond's daughter Summer noticed a small cyst between her left thumb and finger. Two and a half months later she told her mother that she needed to see a hand specialist as the cyst continued to grow.. The end result  became a diagnosis of Rhabdomayosarcoma. Summer was able to attend her first two years of study at Dartmouth College and was even able to go to Buenos Aries to study for 3 months from January to April of 2015. Unfortunately shortly after returning to Dartmouth, Summer found out that her cancer had spread and she passed away on July 20th of that year.

Dr. Hammond will talk about Summer and about the Summer's Way Foundation, the non -profit that she  started which is totally involved in trying to fund research and find a cure for this very difficult form of Pediatric Cancer. 

After having difficulty controlling the ball during soccer practice and having her leg give out after that, Mina Carrol's 7 year old daughter Philomena  was diagnosed with the most dreaded DIPG.  During the so called "Honeymoon" period when Philomena was initially feeling well enough after radiation treatment, she and her family were able to travel to Rome to meet the Pope. Unfortunately Philomena's condition worsened after that and she passed away just 10 months after her diagnosis. Mina will also discuss her STORM THE HEAVENS FUND which is doing everything possible to support others in this DIPG fight. 

While on a Ski Trip during her junior year in High School, Amanda Paul began to develop symptoms which eventually led to her diagnosis of Stage 4 Multicellular Hodgkins Lymphoma. Amanda will talk about the journey that she had to go through just to receive this diagnosis and the treatment protocol that she endured. Amanda will also discuss her involvement with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and how she initiated fundraisers that raised $64,000 over a 5 month period for this Global Leader in fighting blood cancers. Amanda is now a student at Baylor University and majoring in journalism, with a goal of working for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society after she graduates. 

Don Armstrong worked up to 20 hours each day as he focused his life almost totally on business success. Then in 2005, Don was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. On today's podcast Don will talk about the year of treatment that he went through and how his value system took a 180 degree turn. Since his recovery in 2007, Don has been a strong advocate in the World of Public Speaking and in writing as his book FINISH YOUR RACE that  was published in 2017 teaches many important values of what makes a truly successful person. Values such as Relationships, Handling Adversity, Finding Balance, Having the Right Attitude, Setting Goals, and Taking Action on these goals have become Don's message over the past 17 years. Don's journey has been fascinating and it really is a journey of two different lives led by the same person.