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"Other People Are Here Because My Brother No Longer Is": Toby Freeman, Founder & CEO of The Robin Cancer Trust, on Grief, Purpose, and Honoring Those We’ve Lost
⚠️ Content warning: In this episode, we talk openly about cancer, illness, and death.
In this episode, I speak with the inspiring Toby Freeman, founder and CEO of The Robin Cancer Trust. Toby set up the charity, alongside his family, in 2012 after losing his brother, Robin, to a rare germ cell cancer at just 24. What began as a tribute has since grown into the UK’s leading germ cell cancer awareness charity, reaching millions with life-saving education and support.
We speak about happy memories of his brother, the final year of Rob’s life, and how Toby coped with the devastating loss of his older brother. We also discuss the grief that sparked Toby’s mission, his bold, attention-grabbing campaigns, including runs in a ballbag costume, and how he uses humour to break stigma around young people’s cancers.
Toby shares candidly about the challenges of building a charity from scratch, the lessons he’s learned about resilience and community, and the responsibility of turning personal loss into a platform that saves lives.
This conversation is a moving reminder of how love, loss, and laughter can fuel change, and how one person’s determination can transform tragedy into hope for countless others. As Toby reflects, “other people are here because my brother no longer is,” a truth made real every time he hears from someone who found cancer early, received treatment, and is now living a healthy, happy life.
Find Toby
The Robin Cancer Trust
Thrive Against Cancer Podcast
TobyTalksBollocks on Instagram
❤️ Subscribe to my channel for more
YouTube
📲 Find Seasoned Professional on social media!
TikTok
Interested in being a guest on the podcast?
Click to apply!
See you next Sunday!
xx Hannah Octavia
(Theme music curtesy of Fran Lusty's song, "Functioning Adult")
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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By Hannah Octavia⚠️ Content warning: In this episode, we talk openly about cancer, illness, and death.
In this episode, I speak with the inspiring Toby Freeman, founder and CEO of The Robin Cancer Trust. Toby set up the charity, alongside his family, in 2012 after losing his brother, Robin, to a rare germ cell cancer at just 24. What began as a tribute has since grown into the UK’s leading germ cell cancer awareness charity, reaching millions with life-saving education and support.
We speak about happy memories of his brother, the final year of Rob’s life, and how Toby coped with the devastating loss of his older brother. We also discuss the grief that sparked Toby’s mission, his bold, attention-grabbing campaigns, including runs in a ballbag costume, and how he uses humour to break stigma around young people’s cancers.
Toby shares candidly about the challenges of building a charity from scratch, the lessons he’s learned about resilience and community, and the responsibility of turning personal loss into a platform that saves lives.
This conversation is a moving reminder of how love, loss, and laughter can fuel change, and how one person’s determination can transform tragedy into hope for countless others. As Toby reflects, “other people are here because my brother no longer is,” a truth made real every time he hears from someone who found cancer early, received treatment, and is now living a healthy, happy life.
Find Toby
The Robin Cancer Trust
Thrive Against Cancer Podcast
TobyTalksBollocks on Instagram
❤️ Subscribe to my channel for more
YouTube
📲 Find Seasoned Professional on social media!
TikTok
Interested in being a guest on the podcast?
Click to apply!
See you next Sunday!
xx Hannah Octavia
(Theme music curtesy of Fran Lusty's song, "Functioning Adult")
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.