Hope In The Face of Cancer

What can happen when one woman refuses to stay silent about breast cancer and turns her own diagnosis into a movement?

Karen Jackson is a four-time breast cancer survivor and founder of Sisters Network, the oldest and largest national Black breast cancer survivorship organization. For more than 30 years, she has worked to improve breast cancer awareness, early detection, advocacy, and support for African American women.

Karen’s journey began when she felt something was wrong, even though her mammogram showed no cause for concern. She kept asking questions and pushed for an ultrasound. That decision led to her breast cancer diagnosis and strengthened a belief she still shares today: knowing your body must be followed by action.

When Karen searched for a national sisterhood for Black breast cancer survivors, she discovered it didn’t exist. So she built one. What began with a borrowed desk and a toll-free number grew into Sisters Network and more than 25 survivor-run chapters across the country.

Karen shares why no woman should face breast cancer alone, the importance of speaking openly about diagnosis, and why early detection and clinical trial access matter. Her story is a reminder to ask questions, seek support, stay the course, and believe that tomorrow can still be beautiful.

Highlights:

• Trust What Your Body Is Telling You
• Learn why speaking up and asking for more answers can matter.
• Turn a Need Into Meaningful Action
• Discover what it takes to start helping when the support you need doesn’t exist.
• Find Strength Through Sisterhood
• Hear why shared experience can change how women face breast cancer.
• Break the Silence Around Breast Cancer
• Explore how open conversations can challenge fear, shame, and stigma.
• Make Room for Tomorrow
• Find encouragement for taking care of yourself and moving forward with hope.

Mentioned Resources:

CanCare- www.cancare.org and 713-461-0028

Sister’s Network - https://www.sistersnetworkinc.org and 866-781-1808

About the Guest:

Karen Jackson is the founder and CEO of Sisters Network Inc., the oldest and largest national African American breast cancer survivorship organization. A 33-year, four-time breast cancer survivor, Karen founded Sisters Network in 1994 to confront the silence, shame, and stigma surrounding breast cancer in the Black community and to help women detect it early and survive it. Under her leadership, the organization has grown to more than 25 survivor-run chapters nationwide, pioneering grassroots programs such as the Gift for Life Block Walk and the Stop the Silence campaign, and advancing awareness, early detection, and equitable access to clinical trials. Karen has carried her message to the White House and shared her own story in her memoir, In the Company of My Sisters. At 83, she remains an active swimmer and advocate, and living proof of the hope Sisters Network was built to offer.

How do you find hope when cancer leaves you feeling completely alone?

Galina Slavova is a former competitive judo champion, actress, model, author, and breast cancer survivor whose life has tested her strength many times. Born in Bulgaria, Galina survived a devastating car accident, left home in search of freedom, and rebuilt her life in the United States. In 2023, breast cancer brought a different kind of fight. Far from her family, she faced treatment and profound isolation without the support system she desperately needed.

Galina shares how cancer changed her body, challenged her identity, and forced her to discover who she was beyond appearance and achievement. Writing became a way to cope, while connecting with other cancer survivors helped her find the community she had been missing. Those experiences inspired her to create peer support for others facing cancer and begin documenting survivor stories.

Her documentary, Still Here: I Am Not Cancer, and memoir, The Wrong Side of Freedom, carry that mission forward. Galina’s story reminds patients, survivors, and caregivers that strength can appear when it feels impossible to find, and no one should have to face cancer alone.

Highlights:

• Finding strength beyond survival
• Discover how resilience can change as life asks different things of you.
• The hidden weight of isolation
• Learn why emotional support can matter deeply during a cancer journey.
• Meeting yourself after cancer
• Explore what it can mean to rebuild identity when your body and life change.
• The power of shared experience
• Hear why peer connection can offer something even loving family members cannot.
• Turning pain into purpose
• Discover how lived experience can become a way to support someone walking behind you.

Mentioned Resources:

CanCare- www.cancare.org

Galina’s website - https://www.galinaslavova.com/

About the Guest:

Galina Slavova is an award-winning author, actress, model, former Bulgarian national judo champion, and breast cancer survivor. After her 2023 diagnosis left her facing treatment largely alone, she founded the Blossoming Beyond Foundation, which offers free therapy and support to patients, survivors, and caregivers. She also began filming survivors' stories for her upcoming documentary, Blossoming Beyond, and built a peer community for survivors and caregivers.

Love the podcast? You’ll be moved by the book. The Hope in the Face of Cancer book shares inspiring, real stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare heroes. Raw, uplifting, and full of heart—for anyone seeking hope and connection. Get your copy: cancare.org/hopebook.

About Our Host:

Darcie Champagne Wells is the President and CEO of CanCare, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing support to the cancer community by pairing cancer patients with survivors. Since joining in November 2020 as the third President & CEO, Darcie has driven significant growth, increasing one-to-one support matches by 45% and healthcare referrals by 66%. In 2022, she initiated the Impact Acceleration Initiative to further expand support for cancer patients and caregivers. Her leadership has earned her recognition as a “Most Admired CEO” and “Woman Who Means Business” by the Houston Business Journal, and national “Fundraiser of the Year” by RAISE. Darcie holds a BS in Business Administration from Louisiana State University and an MBA from the University of Houston.

https://www.cancare.org/

https://www.facebook.com/CanCareInc

https://www.instagram.com/cancare_inc

Thanks for tuning in to Hope in the Face of Cancer!

We’re so glad you’re here. If this episode moved you, inspired you, or brought you a little bit of light, please share it with someone who might need it. Just hit the share button on this page or spread the word on social—your voice helps us reach more hearts.

🎧 Never miss an episode!

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts to get updates as soon as new episodes drop.

⭐ Help us grow with a quick review

If you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts goes a long way. It helps others discover the show and reminds us that these stories matter. Take a moment to leave a review—we read every one!

📖 Enjoy the podcast? You’ll love the book.

Check out our book, Hope in the Face of Cancer—a powerful collection of real stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare heroes. It’s uplifting, raw, and full of heart. Get your copy at cancare.org/hopebook.

How do you hold on to hope when treatment, uncertainty, and fear become part of daily life?

Jenna Schutt’s diagnosis is different, but the terrain will feel familiar to many facing cancer. A cardiac nurse and mother of two, Jenna was diagnosed at 30 with systemic mastocytosis, a rare blood disorder affecting roughly one person in a million. Her medical journey included more than eight rounds of IV chemotherapy, repeated procedures, long periods of isolation, and a stem cell transplant.

Knowing the medical system from the inside didn’t make being a patient easier. Jenna still had to advocate for herself when something felt wrong, ask harder questions, and eventually seek different care when she wasn’t being heard. She also faced treatment during COVID, when the support she needed most often couldn’t be in the room.

Through those years, Jenna learned that hope doesn’t require ignoring what is hard. Her Joy Reflex framework grew from learning to recognize fear, anchor herself in what is true, and take the next faithful step instead of trying to solve everything at once.

Her story offers a reminder for anyone facing illness or uncertainty: fear may come first, but it doesn’t have to decide what comes next.

Highlights:

• Advocate Without Apologizing: Ask questions and speak up when something feels wrong.
• Focus on the Next Step: Keep moving without needing the whole plan.
• Let Fear Be Present, Not in Charge: Choose how you respond to uncertainty.
• Find People Who Understand: Lean on support that doesn’t require explanation.
• Create Meaning from Hard Seasons: Turn what you’ve lived through into hope for others.

Mentioned Resources:

CanCare- www.cancare.org

Jenna’s website - https://www.jennaschutt.com/

About the Guest:

Jenna Schutt is a cardiac nurse, homeschooling mom of two, and creator of The Joy Reflex. At 30, weeks after her second son was born, she was diagnosed with Systemic Mastocytosis — a one-in-a-million blood disorder treated like a blood cancer. After eight rounds of chemo and a stem cell transplant from her brother, she now teaches others to make faith, peace, and joy their reflex instead of fear.

Love the podcast? You’ll be moved by the book. The Hope in the Face of Cancer book shares inspiring, real stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare heroes. Raw, uplifting, and full of heart—for anyone seeking hope and connection. Get your copy: cancare.org/hopebook.

About Our Host:

Darcie Champagne Wells is the President and CEO of CanCare, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing support to the cancer community by pairing cancer patients with survivors. Since joining in November 2020 as the third President & CEO, Darcie has driven significant growth, increasing one-to-one support matches by 45% and healthcare referrals by 66%. In 2022, she initiated the Impact Acceleration Initiative to further expand support for cancer patients and caregivers. Her leadership has earned her recognition as a “Most Admired CEO” and “Woman Who Means Business” by the Houston Business Journal, and national “Fundraiser of the Year” by RAISE. Darcie holds a BS in Business Administration from Louisiana State University and an MBA from the University of Houston.

https://www.cancare.org/

https://www.facebook.com/CanCareInc

https://www.instagram.com/cancare_inc

Thanks for tuning in to Hope in the Face of Cancer!

We’re so glad you’re here. If this episode moved you, inspired you, or brought you a little bit of light, please share it with someone who might need it. Just hit the share button on this page or spread the word on social—your voice helps us reach more hearts.

🎧 Never miss an episode!

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts to get updates as soon as new episodes drop.

⭐ Help us grow with a quick review

If you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts goes a long way. It helps others discover the show and reminds us that these stories matter. Take a moment to leave a review—we read every one!

📖 Enjoy the podcast? You’ll love the book.

Check out our book, Hope in the Face of Cancer—a powerful collection of real stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare heroes. It’s uplifting, raw, and full of heart. Get your copy at cancare.org/hopebook.

Can a stage four cancer diagnosis leave room for a long life filled with purpose and hope?

Tracy Case is a 22-year stage four breast cancer survivor, CanCare volunteer, and author of Spoiler Alert: She Lives. Her cancer journey began while she was raising a three-year-old and caring for a newborn. Faced with a prognosis of 18 months to five years, Tracy leaned on faith, family, friends, and a strong support system while moving through years of cancer treatment.

As the years passed, Tracy began setting small milestones instead of focusing on an uncertain future. She learned to advocate for herself, seek a second opinion, communicate honestly with her children, and accept help when she needed it. Her experience also shaped how she approached marriage, motherhood, survivorship, and the fear that can remain long after treatment begins.

Today, Tracy uses her story to give others the same hope she once needed. Through CanCare and her memoir, she reminds people facing cancer that they don't have to walk alone. Her message is simple: find your people, ask questions, advocate for your care, and keep taking the next step. You may be stronger than you ever imagined.

Highlights:

· Finding ways to live with uncertainty without letting fear lead every decision

· Helping children feel safe through honest, age-appropriate conversations

· Knowing when another medical opinion may help you move forward with confidence

· Protecting relationships through clearer expectations and open communication

· Turning lived experience into meaningful support for someone else

Mentioned Resources:

CanCare- www.cancare.org

Tracy’s Book – https://a.co/d/01rB8MCl

About the Guest:

Tracy Case is a stage IV breast cancer survivor, marathon runner, and author of Spoiler Alert, She Lives, a memoir about the twenty-plus years she was never supposed to get. Diagnosed at 33 when her daughter was just six weeks old, she now volunteers with CanCare, walking alongside other women facing what she once faced.

Love the podcast? You’ll be moved by the book. The Hope in the Face of Cancer book shares inspiring, real stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare heroes. Raw, uplifting, and full of heart—for anyone seeking hope and connection. Get your copy: cancare.org/hopebook.

About Our Host:

Darcie Champagne Wells is the President and CEO of CanCare, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing support to the cancer community by pairing cancer patients with survivors. Since joining in November 2020 as the third President & CEO, Darcie has driven significant growth, increasing one-to-one support matches by 45% and healthcare referrals by 66%. In 2022, she initiated the Impact Acceleration Initiative to further expand support for cancer patients and caregivers. Her leadership has earned her recognition as a “Most Admired CEO” and “Woman Who Means Business” by the Houston Business Journal, and national “Fundraiser of the Year” by RAISE. Darcie holds a BS in Business Administration from Louisiana State University and an MBA from the University of Houston.

https://www.cancare.org/

https://www.facebook.com/CanCareInc

https://www.instagram.com/cancare_inc

Thanks for tuning in to Hope in the Face of Cancer!

We’re so glad you’re here. If this episode moved you, inspired you, or brought you a little bit of light, please share it with someone who might need it. Just hit the share button on this page or spread the word on social—your voice helps us reach more hearts.

🎧 Never miss an episode!

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts to get updates as soon as new episodes drop.

⭐ Help us grow with a quick review

If you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts goes a long way. It helps others discover the show and reminds us that these stories matter. Take a moment to leave a review—we read every one!

📖 Enjoy the podcast? You’ll love the book.

Check out our book, Hope in the Face of Cancer—a powerful collection of real stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare heroes. It’s uplifting, raw, and full of heart. Get your copy at cancare.org/hopebook.

How do you talk to your children about cancer without overwhelming them or leaving them to fill in the blanks?

Becca Schuetz is a certified child life specialist and founder of Coping Solutions. With more than a decade of experience in pediatric and adult oncology, she helps families talk about cancer, treatment, grief, and change in ways children can understand. Her work is rooted in child development, honest communication, emotional safety, and family support.

Becca’s path began with her own childhood health issues. She remembers wishing her family had someone to explain what was happening and help them cope. Later, an internship with Camp Sunshine showed her how much support families facing childhood cancer need. That experience shaped her focus on oncology and child life care.

Becca explains why children often cope better when parents use clear, age-appropriate language. She shares how conversations should change for toddlers, school-age children, and teens. Parents will also hear practical ways to prepare kids for treatment, respond when they shut down, maintain helpful routines, and make space for grief.

Her message for parents is simple. You don’t need perfect words. Keep showing up, keep communication open, and start where you are. Children need honesty, consistency, connection, and the reassurance that they will be cared for.

Highlights:

· How children process cancer at different ages

Age-appropriate ways to explain cancer.

· What children may be saying without words

How behavior can reveal what they’re feeling.

· How to create emotional safety at home

Why naming feelings helps kids cope.

· Ways to preserve stability during treatment

How routines and connection build security.

· Why parents need support too

How child life and peer support can help.

Mentioned Resources:

CanCare- www.cancare.org

Becca’s website – https://www.copingsolutionsllc.com

About the Guest:

Becca Schuetz is a Certified Child Life Specialist, a guide for grieving kids, and a believer in families' capacity to endure. For more than a decade, she worked inside two of the country's leading hospital systems, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory Healthcare, walking beside families in pediatric and adult oncology through diagnosis, treatment, and everything in between. She brings that experience to her private practice, Coping Solutions, where she helps children of all ages face loss, fear, and change in ways that are developmentally honest and emotionally safe. Becca shares what children actually understand about illness and death, how adults get it wrong with the best intentions, and why the hardest seasons are meant to be walked together.

Love the podcast? You’ll be moved by the book. The Hope in the Face of Cancer book shares inspiring, real stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare heroes. Raw, uplifting, and full of heart—for anyone seeking hope and connection. Get your copy: cancare.org/hopebook.

About Our Host:

Darcie Champagne Wells is the President and CEO of CanCare, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing support to the cancer community by pairing cancer patients with survivors. Since joining in November 2020 as the third President & CEO, Darcie has driven significant growth, increasing one-to-one support matches by 45% and healthcare referrals by 66%. In 2022, she initiated the Impact Acceleration Initiative to further expand support for cancer patients and caregivers. Her leadership has earned her recognition as a “Most Admired CEO” and “Woman Who Means Business” by the Houston Business Journal, and national “Fundraiser of the Year” by RAISE. Darcie holds a BS in Business Administration from Louisiana State University and an MBA from the University of Houston.

https://www.cancare.org/

https://www.facebook.com/CanCareInc

https://www.instagram.com/cancare_inc

Thanks for tuning in to Hope in the Face of Cancer!

We’re so glad you’re here. If this episode moved you, inspired you, or brought you a little bit of light, please share it with someone who might need it. Just hit the share button on this page or spread the word on social—your voice helps us reach more hearts.

🎧 Never miss an episode!

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts to get updates as soon as new episodes drop.

⭐ Help us grow with a quick review

If you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts goes a long way. It helps others discover the show and reminds us that these stories matter. Take a moment to leave a review—we read every one!

📖 Enjoy the podcast? You’ll love the book.

Check out our book, Hope in the Face of Cancer—a powerful collection of real stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare heroes. It’s uplifting, raw, and full of heart. Get your copy at cancare.org/hopebook.

How can community, creativity, and support help someone keep moving forward after cancer treatment ends?

Loki Villaseñor is a father of eight, health and safety professional, writer, and head and neck cancer survivor. After finding a lump on his neck in early 2025, Loki was diagnosed with HPV-positive head and neck cancer and faced seven weeks of chemotherapy and radiation.

Treatment brought pain, exhaustion, feeding challenges, and emotional strain. It also changed the way Loki saw support. Through the Memorial Hermann Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center in The Woodlands, Texas, he found free programs for survivors and families, including men’s lunches, a working professional’s support group, counseling resources for his children, and virtual classes. What began as something he thought might help his family became a source of community and healing for him too.

Loki also turned to writing, creativity, gratitude, faith, and service as tools for processing life after treatment. His experience taught him that progress is not always uphill and that healing can continue long after treatment is complete.

His message is simple: you do not have to climb alone. Support, connection, and hope can help you take the next step. Even small steps can carry you forward each day.

Highlights:

· Why emotional recovery may continue long after cancer treatment officially ends.

·The value of finding people who understand cancer without needing every feeling explained.

· Ways creativity and writing can help give grief, gratitude, and change a place to go.

· How survivorship programs can support not only the person with cancer, but their family too.

· Why accepting help and helping others can become part of moving forward.

A key part of Loki’s story is the support he found through Memorial Hermann Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center in The Woodlands, Texas. Loki first thought its services would be most helpful for his wife and children. He later found a community that supported his own life after treatment.

He participated in men’s lunches, a working professionals cancer support group, Voices of Hope, and an online Spanish class. His children also received access to counseling support. Loki describes Canopy as a place where he could be heard without feeling like a burden or having to explain every part of his cancer experience.

The episode also highlights that Memorial Hermann Canopy offers free in-person and virtual programs, giving cancer survivors and families more ways to find support and connection.

Mentioned Resources:

CanCare- www.cancare.org

About the Guest:

Loki Villaseñor is a head and neck cancer survivor, father of eight, health and safety professional and a writer. In January 2025, he found a lump on his neck. Along the way, he found support through programs at Memorial Hermann's Canopy Survivorship Center and turned to writing and drawing as a creative outlet for healing. Today he is cancer-free and often connects with other survivors to help them through their own journeys.

Love the podcast? You’ll be moved by the book. The Hope in the Face of Cancer book shares inspiring, real stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare heroes. Raw, uplifting, and full of heart—for anyone seeking hope and connection. Get your copy: cancare.org/hopebook.

About Our Host:

Darcie Champagne Wells is the President and CEO of CanCare, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing support to the cancer community by pairing cancer patients with survivors. Since joining in November 2020 as the third President & CEO, Darcie has driven significant growth, increasing one-to-one support matches by 45% and healthcare referrals by 66%. In 2022, she initiated the Impact Acceleration Initiative to further expand support for cancer patients and caregivers. Her leadership has earned her recognition as a “Most Admired CEO” and “Woman Who Means Business” by the Houston Business Journal, and national “Fundraiser of the Year” by RAISE. Darcie holds a BS in Business Administration from Louisiana State University and an MBA from the University of Houston.

https://www.cancare.org/

https://www.facebook.com/CanCareInc

https://www.instagram.com/cancare_inc

Thanks for tuning in to Hope in the Face of Cancer!

We’re so glad you’re here. If this episode moved you, inspired you, or brought you a little bit of light, please share it with someone who might need it. Just hit the share button on this page or spread the word on social—your voice helps us reach more hearts.

🎧 Never miss an episode!

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts to get updates as soon as new episodes drop.

⭐ Help us grow with a quick review

If you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts goes a long way. It helps others discover the show and reminds us that these stories matter. Take a moment to leave a review—we read every one!

📖 Enjoy the podcast? You’ll love the book.

Check out our book, Hope in the Face of Cancer—a powerful collection of real stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare heroes. It’s uplifting, raw, and full of heart. Get your copy at cancare.org/hopebook.

Can a second cancer diagnosis become the moment that finally leads you back to yourself?

Dee Manuel is an 18-year breast cancer survivor, coach, author, speaker, CanCare volunteer, and member of the Greater Houston Sisters Network. Diagnosed with stage two breast cancer at 35, Dee faced chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and a recurrence three years later. Her story explores breast cancer recovery, caregiver support, emotional stress, authentic living, and turning pain into purpose.

After her second diagnosis, a compassionate nurse urged Dee to reduce the stress in her life. Those words became a turning point. Dee began to face the emotions, fear, and people-pleasing patterns she had buried for years. She made hard choices, learned to care for herself without guilt, and found the courage to live honestly.

Dee shares her “E plus R equals O” tool, which shows how our response to an event can shape its outcome. She also explains why movement, nourishing foods, emotional care, and community support became part of her healing. Now, she supports survivors and caregivers with the wisdom she gained.

Her message is simple: look for the gift, even when it comes wrapped in barbed wire. Pain can reveal your strength, purpose, and hope.

Highlights:

· How to recognize when stress, fear, or hidden emotions may be calling for deeper care.

· Why putting yourself first can help you become more present for the people you love.

· A simple way to separate difficult events from the meaning you give them.

· How sharing your experience can support others while continuing your own healing.

· Why courage often means taking action while fear is still present.

Mentioned Resources:

CanCare- www.cancare.org

Book – www.cancare.org/hopebook

About the Guest:

Dee Manuel is a two-time breast cancer survivor, coach, author, and speaker who helps others turn pain into purpose. After being diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer at 35, and facing a recurrence three years later, Dee discovered the connection between stress, suppressed emotion, and disease, and used that insight to rebuild her life around authenticity and self-worth. She now works with clients through her signature trifecta philosophy, guiding them from survival to purpose. Dee is deeply involved with the Greater Houston Sister Network and serves as a CanCare volunteer, walking alongside others the way someone once walked alongside her.

How do you find yourself again after caregiving becomes your entire identity?

When Jill Kelly, a retired physical therapist, became her husband Ron's caregiver after his esophageal cancer diagnosis, she spent more than six years balancing medical care, emotional support, and the uncertainty that comes with living through cancer. After Ron's death, grief coach and life coach Diane Ralston helped Jill navigate the painful journey of rebuilding her identity while honoring the life and love they shared.

Jill shares the realities of caregiving, the emotional weight that often goes unseen, and the challenge of learning who you are when the role of caregiver ends. Diane introduces practical frameworks that help caregivers understand why they often lose themselves and offers simple tools to begin healing without guilt or pressure. Together, they explore the importance of feeling grief instead of avoiding it, discovering personal values, setting healthy boundaries, and choosing purpose one step at a time.

Whether you're caring for someone with cancer, grieving the loss of a loved one, or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers reassurance that healing doesn't mean leaving someone behind. It means carrying their love forward while giving yourself permission to live fully again. Hope often returns through small moments, steady support, and the courage to take the next step.

Highlights:

· Learn why caregivers often lose their sense of identity and how to recognize it before burnout takes over.

· Discover practical frameworks for moving through grief without rushing the healing process.

· Hear why giving yourself permission to feel emotions is an essential part of recovery.

· Understand how values, boundaries, and self-care help rebuild a meaningful life after loss.

· Find encouragement that healing isn't about moving on. It's about carrying love forward while choosing life again.

Mentioned Resources:

CanCare- www.cancare.org

Diane’s website - https://www.dianerolston.com/

About the Guest:

Jill Kelly spent years as a physical therapist, helping others heal and rebuild their strength. Then her husband Ron was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, and the healer became the caregiver. Jill walked beside him through every stage, and after his passing, she faced the work of rebuilding her own identity from the ground up.

Diane Rolston is a life and business coach on a mission to help women find balance and reach their goals, even when life feels overwhelming. Her coaching programs have guided women around the world in honoring their ambitions while carrying the real weight of everyday life. Diane helps people rebuild new futures through seasons of change.

Love the podcast? You’ll be moved by the book. The Hope in the Face of Cancer book shares inspiring, real stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare heroes. Raw, uplifting, and full of heart—for anyone seeking hope and connection. Get your copy: cancare.org/hopebook.

About Our Host:

Darcie Champagne Wells is the President and CEO of CanCare, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing support to the cancer community by pairing cancer patients with survivors. Since joining in November 2020 as the third President & CEO, Darcie has driven significant growth, increasing one-to-one support matches by 45% and healthcare referrals by 66%. In 2022, she initiated the Impact Acceleration Initiative to further expand support for cancer patients and caregivers. Her leadership has earned her recognition as a “Most Admired CEO” and “Woman Who Means Business” by the Houston Business Journal, and national “Fundraiser of the Year” by RAISE. Darcie holds a BS in Business Administration from Louisiana State University and an MBA from the University of Houston.

https://www.cancare.org/

https://www.facebook.com/CanCareInc

https://www.instagram.com/cancare_inc

Thanks for tuning in to Hope in the Face of Cancer!

We’re so glad you’re here. If this episode moved you, inspired you, or brought you a little bit of light, please share it with someone who might need it. Just hit the share button on this page or spread the word on social—your voice helps us reach more hearts.

🎧 Never miss an episode!

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts to get updates as soon as new episodes drop.

⭐ Help us grow with a quick review

If you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts goes a long way. It helps others discover the show and reminds us that these stories matter. Take a moment to leave a review—we read every one!

📖 Enjoy the podcast? You’ll love the book.

Check out our book, Hope in the Face of Cancer—a powerful collection of real stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare heroes. It’s uplifting, raw, and full of heart. Get your copy at cancare.org/hopebook.

How do you turn a life-changing cancer diagnosis into a mission that helps thousands of others?

At 37 years old, Lyndsay Levingston was building a successful career in television news in New York City when she discovered a lump that would change the course of her life. The diagnosis was stage 2B triple-negative breast cancer. What followed was a journey through treatment, difficult decisions, and unexpected challenges that ultimately led her to a greater sense of purpose. Today, Lyndsay is a breast cancer survivor, advocate, speaker, and founder of Survive Her, a nonprofit dedicated to education, support, and empowerment for women affected by breast cancer.

As Lyndsay reflects on her diagnosis, she shares how faith, family, and community became her foundation. What began as a desire to tell her story during the pandemic grew into SurviveHer, a nonprofit dedicated to breast health education, support, screening awareness, and survivorship. She discusses the growing number of young women facing breast cancer, the importance of knowing your family history, and why every survivor's story matters.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that hope is medicine, support changes lives, and purpose can emerge from places we never expected. Lyndsay's story offers encouragement for anyone facing cancer and a call to use your voice, your experience, and your compassion to help others along the way.

Highlights:

· Learn why knowing your family history can be a critical part of early cancer detection.

· Discover how support systems can impact both treatment and recovery.

· Understand the unique challenges younger adults face after a cancer diagnosis.

· Hear how faith and mindset can help people navigate uncertainty and fear.

· Learn how personal adversity can become the foundation for meaningful service and advocacy.

Mentioned Resources:

CanCare- www.cancare.org

SurviveHER – https://www.imasurviveher.org/

About the Guest:

Lyndsay Levingston is a breast cancer survivor, nonprofit founder, and tireless advocate for women navigating their breast health journey. After her own diagnosis, Lyndsay turned lived experience into lasting impact, building SurviveHER into a vibrant sisterhood offering education, financial assistance, wellness resources, and access to life-saving screenings for uninsured and underinsured women. Since 2020, SurviveHER has supported more than 3,000 women and received national recognition, including acknowledgments from the United States Congress. Her work has been featured in ESSENCE, Oprah Daily, NBC News, and Yahoo!.

Love the podcast? You’ll be moved by the book. The Hope in the Face of Cancer book shares inspiring, real stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare heroes. Raw, uplifting, and full of heart—for anyone seeking hope and connection. Get your copy: cancare.org/hopebook.

About Our Host:

Darcie Champagne Wells is the President and CEO of CanCare, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing support to the cancer community by pairing cancer patients with survivors. Since joining in November 2020 as the third President & CEO, Darcie has driven significant growth, increasing one-to-one support matches by 45% and healthcare referrals by 66%. In 2022, she initiated the Impact Acceleration Initiative to further expand support for cancer patients and caregivers. Her leadership has earned her recognition as a “Most Admired CEO” and “Woman Who Means Business” by the Houston Business Journal, and national “Fundraiser of the Year” by RAISE. Darcie holds a BS in Business Administration from Louisiana State University and an MBA from the University of Houston.

https://www.cancare.org/

https://www.facebook.com/CanCareInc

https://www.instagram.com/cancare_inc

Thanks for tuning in to Hope in the Face of Cancer!

We’re so glad you’re here. If this episode moved you, inspired you, or brought you a little bit of light, please share it with someone who might need it. Just hit the share button on this page or spread the word on social—your voice helps us reach more hearts.

🎧 Never miss an episode!

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts to get updates as soon as new episodes drop.

⭐ Help us grow with a quick review

If you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts goes a long way. It helps others discover the show and reminds us that these stories matter. Take a moment to leave a review—we read every one!

📖 Enjoy the podcast? You’ll love the book.

Check out our book, Hope in the Face of Cancer—a powerful collection of real stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare heroes. It’s uplifting, raw, and full of heart. Get your copy at cancare.org/hopebook.

What if one of the most powerful forms of cancer support comes from someone who has already walked the path before you?

Darcie Wells sits down with Susan Sabo-Wagner, Vice President of Clinical Innovation at the American Oncology Network (AON) , and Isabel Verastegui, Manager of Care Coordination at AON, to explore how personal cancer experiences can shape the way patients are supported. Susan shares how a leukemia diagnosis at age 17 influenced her lifelong career in oncology nursing, while Isabel reflects on being diagnosed with triple-positive breast cancer at 41 while working in the oncology field herself. Both women open up about fear, uncertainty, treatment, and the support systems that helped them move forward.

Their conversation highlights the importance of community oncology, the value of receiving care close to home, and the life-changing impact of peer support. Isabel explains how finding CanCare during treatment helped ease her anxiety and inspired her to become a volunteer for others facing cancer. Susan shares why emotional support is just as important as clinical care and how hope can help people navigate even the most difficult moments.

This episode is a reminder that no one should face cancer alone. Whether you're in treatment, supporting a loved one, or navigating survivorship, there is strength in connection, comfort in shared experience, and always hope ahead.

Highlights:

· Why peer support often provides reassurance that even the best medical team cannot offer.

· How community oncology is helping more people access high-quality cancer care closer to home.

· Practical ways to manage fear, uncertainty, and anxiety after a cancer diagnosis.

· What survivors learn about gratitude, perspective, and living one day at a time.

· How healthcare organizations are expanding support beyond treatment to address emotional well-being.

Mentioned Resources:

CanCare- www.cancare.org

AON - https://www.aoncology.com/

About the Guest:

Susan Sabo-Wagner is an oncology certified nurse executive, Vice President of Clinical Innovation at the American Oncology Network, and a living testament to the resilience that defines the cancer journey. Diagnosed with leukemia as a teenager, Susan faced the fear and uncertainty that comes with a diagnosis that changes everything and came out the other side with a calling. She has spent her career transforming how cancer patients experience care across the country, bringing to that work something no credential can teach: the knowledge of what it truly means to sit in that chair.

Isabel Verastegui is a Care Coordination Manager at the American Oncology Network, where she has spent 12 years working with cancer patients. In January 2022, at just 41 years old, Isabel was diagnosed with triple positive breast cancer. Cancer did not stop her. It deepened her. Today she shows up not only for her patients at AON but as a CanCare volunteer for other women who find themselves navigating their own cancer journeys.

Love the podcast? You’ll be moved by the book. The Hope in the Face of Cancer book shares inspiring, real stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare heroes. Raw, uplifting, and full of heart—for anyone seeking hope and connection. Get your copy: cancare.org/hopebook.

About Our Host:

Darcie Champagne Wells is the President and CEO of CanCare, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing support to the cancer community by pairing cancer patients with survivors. Since joining in November 2020 as the third President & CEO, Darcie has driven significant growth, increasing one-to-one support matches by 45% and healthcare referrals by 66%. In 2022, she initiated the Impact Acceleration Initiative to further expand support for cancer patients and caregivers. Her leadership has earned her recognition as a “Most Admired CEO” and “Woman Who Means Business” by the Houston Business Journal, and national “Fundraiser of the Year” by RAISE. Darcie holds a BS in Business Administration from Louisiana State University and an MBA from the University of Houston.

https://www.cancare.org/

https://www.facebook.com/CanCareInc

https://www.instagram.com/cancare_inc

Thanks for tuning in to Hope in the Face of Cancer!

We’re so glad you’re here. If this episode moved you, inspired you, or brought you a little bit of light, please share it with someone who might need it. Just hit the share button on this page or spread the word on social—your voice helps us reach more hearts.

🎧 Never miss an episode!

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts to get updates as soon as new episodes drop.

⭐ Help us grow with a quick review

If you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts goes a long way. It helps others discover the show and reminds us that these stories matter. Take a moment to leave a review—we read every one!

📖 Enjoy the podcast? You’ll love the book.

Check out our book, Hope in the Face of Cancer—a powerful collection of real stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare heroes. It’s uplifting, raw, and full of heart. Get your copy at cancare.org/hopebook.