Life on Pause

Tony Campisi, a two-time cancer survivor, shares a story about hockey, resilience, and discovering that heaven doesn't have to look the same to still be heaven.

Diagnosed with an astrocytoma tumor on his spinal cord at age four, Tony lost the use of his left side and had to learn to walk — and skate — all over again. Through what he thought was "just playing games" in physical therapy, Tony fought his way back to the ice. With the support of a coach who believed in him when others doubted, telling parents "Tony's the toughest kid out there," he returned to competitive hockey.

For seven years, Tony played. Then came senior year, 2021. As an eighteen-year-old high school senior, Tony started losing grip strength in his left hand. His coach began taping his hockey stick into his hand just so he could play — not too tight, not too loose, just enough to keep him in the game. A routine MRI revealed the devastating news: cancer had returned, with fluid compressing his cervical spine.

In this episode of Life on Pause, Tony reflects on facing treatment the second time with full awareness, using humor to get through six weeks of proton radiation at CHOP, and playing his final game of hockey with his stick literally taped to his hand. Four years cancer-free, Tony shares how he's finding new ways to stay close to his heaven — whether skating, driving the Zamboni, or dreaming of coaching the next kid who needs someone to believe in them.

From the profound wisdom of his Make-A-Wish revelation — that he would choose his cancer journey again because of who it made him — to the powerful metaphor of "the tape job," Tony's story reminds us that adaptation isn't defeat. It's strength.

Thank you, Tony, for sharing your story and your voice.

Topics Covered:

• Tony's diagnosis with spinal cord astrocytoma at age four
• Learning to walk and skate again through physical therapy
• The power of mentorship and believing in young cancer survivors
• Cancer recurrence during senior year of high school
• The literal "tape job" that kept him playing
• Treatment with humor: Austin Powers and laser beams
• Playing his final hockey game
• Finding new ways to stay connected to the game
• The Make-A-Wish revelation: "I would still have it happen to me"
• Redefining heaven when everything changes

About Life on Pause: Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health's AYA Oncology Program, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Our content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts to ensure accuracy and care.

Join Our Community: 💻 Website: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com/ 🎧 Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

At twelve years old, Ariana was living for sports — two softball teams, church basketball, and constant motion. Then her knees started hurting. What seemed like a sports injury turned into an osteosarcoma diagnosis that would change everything: her body, her childhood, and her understanding of what it means to advocate for yourself.

In this powerful episode of Life on Pause, Ariana shares what no one tells you about being diagnosed with cancer as a preteen. From losing her leg to amputation, to learning to walk again with a prosthetic, to navigating nine chest tubes and countless chemotherapy regimens — her story reveals the hidden costs of childhood cancer that go far beyond treatment.

Ariana speaks candidly about the things that disappeared: school days, sports, the simple freedom of going to the mall. She describes what she calls "taking the long way around" — renting out entire movie theaters, waiting four months for a prosthetic leg, canceling Make-A-Wish trips twice. But through it all, she discovered something powerful: her own voice.

Now living with ongoing tumors and daily pain, Ariana shares hard-won wisdom about speaking up for yourself in the medical system, the importance of support systems, and why she tells herself "I'm not sick" to keep going. Her story isn't about beating cancer — it's about living with it, honestly and bravely, one day at a time.

Thank you, Ariana, for sharing your story and your strength.

Topics Covered:

• Being diagnosed with osteosarcoma at age 12
• The immediate impact on school, sports, and childhood
• Amputation and learning to walk with a prosthetic leg
• Navigating multiple surgeries and chemotherapy regimens
• Finding your voice and advocating for yourself as a young patient
• Living with metastatic disease and chronic pain
• The unpredictability of cancer treatment and planning for the future
• Coping strategies and maintaining hope
• What "taking the long way around" really means

About Life on Pause: Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health's AYA Oncology Program, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Our content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts to ensure accuracy and care.

Join Our Community: 💻 Website: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com/ 🎧 Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of surgery, amputation, cancer treatment, and chronic pain.

Karen Powell, a nurse practitioner at Memorial Sloan Kettering who specializes in breast cancer care, returns for Part 2 to share the night everything changed: her own diagnosis at age 39. A lifelong runner, healthy eater, and non-smoker with negative genetic testing, Karen was months away from her first routine mammogram when a quiet July evening—and a simple itch—led to a life-altering discovery.

In this episode of Life on Pause, Karen reflects on what it meant to go from provider to patient overnight, how she navigated treatment decisions with insider knowledge, and the choices that led her to a double mastectomy. She also explains the surprise of finding additional invasive lobular carcinoma on final pathology, why early detection matters, and how financial and systemic barriers make diagnostic care harder for many women. Finally, she shares how her diagnosis deepens her work with patients, her approach to reconstruction and nipple tattooing access, and her message about self-advocacy: listen to your body, and keep asking until you’re heard.

Topics Covered:

• The July 29th discovery and immediate clinical next steps
• Hearing “you have breast cancer” while in clinic
• When and why she shares her story with patients
• Choosing surgery: lumpectomy vs mastectomy vs bilateral mastectomy
• Final pathology: invasive ductal + invasive lobular carcinoma
• Support systems that actually help (and how friends can show up)
• Boundaries at work: being a patient vs being a provider
• Early detection, fear, and cost barriers (screening vs diagnostic)
• Reconstruction and expanding access to nipple tattooing in-house
• “Still the same mom”: confronting stigma and redefining survivorship

About Life on Pause:

Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health’s AYA Oncology Program, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts for accuracy and care.

Join Our Community:

💻 Website: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com/

🎧 Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Karen Powell, a Penn State graduate and nurse practitioner at Memorial Sloan Kettering, shares a deeply personal story that spans three generations of women affected by breast cancer. Diagnosed herself at age 39, Karen’s path toward oncology began long before her own diagnosis — in the living rooms and hospital rooms of her childhood.

In this episode of Life on Pause, Karen reflects on how her grandmothers’ experiences with breast cancer shaped her sense of purpose, empathy, and resilience. One grandmother faced her diagnosis in the 1960s — a time when women couldn’t even sign their own surgical consent. The other delayed treatment to care for her husband, a choice that ended her life too soon but left Karen with a lifelong commitment to caring for others.

From growing up in a close-knit Philadelphia family to finding her calling in oncology nursing, Karen’s story reminds us that strength can be inherited — not just through DNA, but through love, courage, and compassion.

Thank you, Karen, for sharing your story and your voice.

Topics Covered:

• Karen’s upbringing and education at Penn State
• The legacy of her two grandmothers’ breast cancer experiences
• How witnessing hospice care at age four inspired her calling
• The emotional impact of caregiving and generational strength
• Learning that cancer is a chapter — not the whole story

About Life on Pause:

Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health’s AYA Oncology Program, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Our content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts to ensure accuracy and care.

Join Our Community:

💻 Website: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com/

🎧 Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Ariana McDonell and Tony Campisi share how they turned their childhood cancer journeys into powerful designs for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

At just 12 years old, Ariana entered a t-shirt design contest that became much more than an art project. Her design, chosen two years in a row, carries deep meaning: symbols of art and music therapy, friendships made in the hospital, and memories of Riley and Josh—friends she lost along the way.

Tony, diagnosed at age 4 and relapsing as a teenager, found his creative outlet in a sticker. Inspired by the gold ribbon and the phrase “Fight Like a Kid,” his design included a heart to symbolize the weight childhood cancer leaves on survivors and their families. Handing out his stickers at the clinic, Tony discovered how a small design could start meaningful conversations about awareness and survivorship.

Together, Ariana and Tony show us that Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is about more than ribbons—it’s about resilience, creativity, and carrying stories forward.

Topics Covered:

• Ariana’s diagnosis and first design contest experience
• The meaning behind Ariana’s ribbon symbols and honoring lost friends
• Tony’s survivorship story and inspiration for his sticker design
• How simple designs spark conversations and spread awareness
• The reality of life after childhood cancer
• Creativity as a form of healing and resilience

About Life on Pause:

Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health’s AYA Oncology Program, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Our content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts to ensure accuracy and care.

Join Our Community:

💻 Website: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com/

🎧 Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Taylor, Eliot, Shelly, and Tony share how something as simple as a cooking class can spark confidence, connection, and independence after cancer. Hosted at Zest! Cooking School in Lititz, Pennsylvania, this Life on Pause event brought young adult cancer survivors together to learn new skills, share a meal, and reflect on how small steps can lead to big empowerment.

For Taylor, cooking became a pathway to independence, showing how even intimidating tasks like making pasta from scratch can be broken down into manageable steps. Eliot discovered the comfort of connecting with peers who truly understand the cancer journey. Shelly shared how food was a lifeline during hospital stays, and how tonight’s class brought her full circle into healing and joy. And for Tony, it was about fun, friendship, and the satisfaction of creating something rewarding with his own hands.

This is a story of resilience, self-discovery, and the simple yet powerful ways young adults living with cancer reclaim their independence.

Topics Covered:

• Taylor on finding confidence through cooking and independence
• Eliot on the comfort of sharing experiences with peers
• Shelly on food as both a hospital lifeline and a healing joy
• Tony on fun, empowerment, and new friendships
• How small skills can build independence after cancer
• The role of community in young adult survivorship

About Life on Pause:

Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health’s AYA Oncology Program, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Our content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts to ensure accuracy and care.

Join Our Community:

💻 Website: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com/

🎧 Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

💙 Learn more about Four Diamonds: https://www.fourdiamonds.org

Robyn, a 21-year-old from Lancaster County, was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia during her second year of college. What started as what she thought were boils and cold symptoms quickly turned into a life-changing diagnosis—and a moment of decision.

In this episode of Life on Pause, Robyn reflects on her experience as a young adult caught between pediatric and adult care systems. After choosing to be treated in the pediatric oncology unit—supported by the Four Diamonds program—she found more than medical treatment. She found spiritual resilience, emotional healing, and a deeper trust in her faith.

Robyn shares how she wrestled with anger, questioned God’s role in her suffering, and eventually came to see her diagnosis as preparation—not punishment. Her story is honest, hopeful, and rooted in her belief that even the darkest moments can be used for something greater.

Topics Covered:

• Robyn’s diagnosis with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
• Choosing between pediatric and adult cancer care
• The emotional impact of a sudden life interruption in college
• How Four Diamonds support influenced her decision
• Processing anger, control, and spiritual doubt
• The power of prayer and divine timing in her treatment journey
• Navigating fertility conversations at age 20
• Robyn’s return to ministry, family, and planning for the future
• Sharing her story to help others find purpose in pain

About Life on Pause:

Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health’s AYA Oncology Program, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Our content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts to ensure accuracy and care.

Join Our Community:

💻 Website: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com/

🎧 Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

💙 Learn more about Hoofbeat Haven: https://www.fourdiamonds.org

Paige, a 15-year-old from Pennsylvania, was diagnosed with Burkitt’s leukemia at stage 3. After spending seven months in the hospital undergoing intensive treatment, she found herself withdrawn and unsure—until she met a horse named Tank.

In this episode of Life on Pause, we follow Paige’s six-week journey through Hoofbeat Haven, a therapeutic horsemanship program at Bridlepath Equine Center created in partnership with Four Diamonds. Designed specifically for childhood cancer survivors, the program offers more than just riding—it’s a full-body and emotional healing experience rooted in teamwork, trust, and the powerful connection between horse and human.

With the support of her peers, volunteers, and the Bridlepath team, Paige transitions from participant to leader, and eventually, to volunteer. Her story is one of rebuilding—confidence, connection, and joy—in the most unexpected place: a barn.

Topics Covered:

• Paige’s diagnosis of stage 3 Burkitt’s leukemia
• Emotional recovery after a seven-month hospital stay
• The healing power of therapeutic horsemanship
• Bridlepath Equine Center and the Hoofbeat Haven program
• Reconnecting with animals, peers, and purpose
• Paige’s transformation from quiet participant to confident leader
• How equine care and riding build emotional and physical strength
• The impact of support from Four Diamonds and Danielle’s team

About Life on Pause:

Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health’s AYA Oncology Program, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Our content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts to ensure accuracy and care.

Join Our Community:

💻 Website: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com/

🎧 Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

💙 Learn more about Hoofbeat Haven: https://www.fourdiamonds.org

🌐 Visit Bridlepath Equine Center: https://www.bridlepathequinecenter.org/

Emma, Lucas, Ariana, and Casey open up about what it’s really like to attend a cancer camp as a young adult. From fears about fitting in to late-night laughs and life-changing conversations, they share the moments that made them feel seen, safe, and supported.

In this episode of Life on Pause, our guests reflect on their camp experiences—from nervous airport goodbyes to karaoke nights that ran long into the evening. These oncology camps, designed specifically for adolescents and young adults, offer more than just fun—they provide a rare space for healing, connection, and joy after cancer.

For anyone wondering if camp is worth it, this episode says: absolutely. Because sometimes the most meaningful healing happens outside the hospital, around a campfire.

Topics Covered:

• First impressions: fear, nerves, and leaving home
• How camps break the ice and build instant bonds
• Transformative moments like skits, boat rides, and fireside chats
• Deep conversations and emotional breakthroughs
• Lasting friendships and group chats that live on
• Advice for anyone nervous about going
• Why camp felt like getting “life back” after treatment

About Life on Pause:

Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health’s AYA Oncology Program, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Our content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts to ensure accuracy and care.

Join Our Community:

💻 Website: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com/

🎧 Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Mason, a 21-year-old from Iran, shares his remarkable story of fighting neuroblastoma for more than a decade. Diagnosed at age 7, Mason has faced multiple relapses, treatment resistance, and devastating setbacks—including the moment his doctors told him they could do no more.

In this episode of Life on Pause, Mason reflects on his decision to take his story global, sending his case to over 100 cancer centers in search of a second chance. That chance came through Dr. Giselle Sholler and a new treatment called DFMO. Mason traveled alone to the U.S. for care, where he found not only hope, but a home at the Ronald McDonald House in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

This is a story of persistence, global courage, and doing everything you can—especially when the odds are stacked against you. Thank you, Mason, for sharing your voice and your strength.

Topics Covered:

• Diagnosis at age 7 and multiple relapses
• The emotional weight of being told "there’s nothing more we can do"
• How he sent his story to over 100 cancer centers
• Discovering DFMO and connecting with Dr. Giselle Sholler
• Receiving treatment far from home, alone
• Life at Ronald McDonald House and finding a support system
• What it means to “do your best” when facing uncertainty

About Life on Pause:

Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health’s AYA Oncology Program, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Our content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts to ensure accuracy and care.

Join Our Community:

💻 Website: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com/

🎧 Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts