Hope In The Face of Cancer

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...

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 sha...

What can a cancer researcher teach us when he suddenly finds himself sitting in the patient chair? Larry Coffer spent more than 20 years at MD Anderson Cancer Center supporting ovarian and breast cancer research, helping teams develop treatments and improve outcomes for patients. Long before his own diagnosis, cancer shaped his life through his stepfather’s battle with colon cancer. That experienc...

What happens when one cancer diagnosis is followed by a second life-changing diagnosis before you’ve had time to process the first? Sarah McDonald is a two-time cancer survivor, author, TEDx speaker, executive coach, and advocate for rare cancer research. While building a successful career at eBay and planning for motherhood, Sarah was diagnosed with a rare salivary gland cancer. Just weeks later,...

What does it mean when a stranger who understands your cancer journey becomes family? Stephen, a brain cancer survivor, and his husband and caregiver, Calvin, share a deeply moving story about diagnosis, fear, friendship, and the unexpected gift of human connection. After Stephen experienced a seizure at work, doctors discovered a brain tumor that changed the course of their lives. Through the sup...

What helps someone move from fear to hope after hearing the words “you have cancer”? In this heartfelt episode of Hope in the Face of Cancer, Sandra Beno shares how her breast cancer diagnosis changed the course of her life and deepened her commitment to serving others. Sandra opens up about navigating treatment while raising young children, balancing work as a high-level executive, and learning h...

What if cancer became the moment that finally brought you back to life? In this episode, Thandi Montgomery, coach, speaker, and founder of Thandi Monee, shares how a stage one breast cancer diagnosis at age 38 reshaped everything. A busy advertising executive and mom of two, she moved from constant motion to a life grounded in purpose, self-advocacy, and healing. Her journey began with a simple se...

What does it take to face a cancer diagnosis in your 40s while raising young children? Kristy Bradshaw, MBA graduate from Stanford, former ballerina, and portfolio management professional, shares her stage three colon cancer journey diagnosed at age 43. In this conversation, she opens up about early detection, mental health in cancer, caregiver experiences, and the importance of support systems. K...

What if the key to healing isn’t just treatment, but how you support your body along the way? We are joined by Patrice Surley, oncology nutritionist and functional health expert with over 25 years of experience helping patients strengthen their bodies during cancer care. Patrice blends evidence-based nutrition with whole-person support, working alongside medical teams to improve outcomes and quali...

What happens when you know something is wrong with your body, but no one will listen? In this episode of Hope in the Face of Cancer, Darcie Wells speaks with Jackie Garcia, a young adult cancer survivor whose persistence led to a life-saving diagnosis. For five years Jackie searched for answers while dealing with severe symptoms including rapid weight gain, intense pain, numbness in her legs, and...

What does it look like when a man who is wired to strategize and stay in control faces a diagnosis he never expected? Male breast cancer is rarely discussed, yet it carries the same weight of fear, uncertainty, and identity shift as any cancer journey. In this thoughtful conversation, Rene Valdry shares what it was like to hear the words stage three breast cancer and begin navigating treatment whi...

What does hope look like when a young mother hears the word cancer for the first time? We welcome Marissa Henley, cancer survivor, author, speaker, and mother of three, to share her story of faith, fear, and long-term healing after a rare cancer diagnosis. At age 34, Marissa was diagnosed with angiosarcoma, an aggressive and uncommon cancer, just one day before her birthday. With three small child...

What happens when the person shaping future nurses suddenly becomes the patient? Dr. Lorraine Frazier, Dean of the Columbia University School of Nursing and a nationally respected nursing leader, joins Darcie Wells to share how a 2022 breast cancer diagnosis transformed her life and leadership. With decades of experience in nursing education, research, and evidence-based practice, Dr. Frazier brin...

What happens when caregiving, grief, and love all collide at once? Christina Napoleon is a number one bestselling author, certified grief educator, keynote speaker, and the world’s leading positive widow coach. After caring for her husband through a five-year terminal cancer journey while raising their young daughter, Christina faced widowhood, solo parenting, and profound loss with little support...

What happens when the holidays arrive while you’re still healing from cancer? In this solo reflection, host Darcie Wells, President and CEO of CanCare, speaks directly to cancer survivors and caregivers who feel out of sync with the “most wonderful time of the year.” She names the quiet realities of this season after cancer, including gratitude pressure, FOMO around old traditions, scanxiety befor...

What helps a caregiver stay steady when cancer changes everything? Caregivers carry so much of the emotional weight of cancer, yet their needs are often overlooked. In this powerful episode, Darcie Wells joins the Community Oncology Alliance with host Rose Gerber for a conversation that shines a light on the unseen side of caregiving and the hope that grows when no one has to carry the burden alon...

How do you hold on to hope when cancer returns years later? Meet Don, a two-time thyroid cancer survivor, CanCare volunteer, and ministry leader whose journey runs on faith, family, and service. His first diagnosis came at 22 after a biopsy led him from strep throat checks to major surgery in New England; years later, as a husband and father, he faced cancer again in Houston. Through both chapters...

What happens when medical care meets human connection? Darcie Wells, President & CEO of CanCare, joins Health Uncensored with Dr. Drew Pinsky, along with Susan Sabo Wagner, VP of Clinical Innovation at American Oncology Network (and a leukemia survivor), to show why emotional support isn’t extra—it's essential to cancer care. Listeners hear how CanCare’s survivor-to-patient matching, now power...

How do you turn unbearable loss into lasting impact? Andrea Wilson Woods, patient advocate, speaker, and founder of Blue Fairy: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association , shares the powerful legacy of her sister Adrienne’s book, I’d Rather Be Dead Than Deaf: A Young Woman’s Journey with Liver Cancer. What began as one young woman’s journal became a voice for thousands facing hepatocellular car...

How do you choose hope when your diagnosis says stage four? Kristina Keller is a single mother, speaker, and author of Touch Your Ta-Tas!: My Story of Faith, Hope, and Healing Through Stage 4 Breast Cancer. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2024, and within weeks, scans revealed spots on her liver. She pressed pause on a planned double mastectomy, sought further opinions, and chose...

What helps when treatment ends but the feelings don’t? Shayla Martin is a breast cancer survivor, Chief Wellness Officer, certified meditation practitioner, and co-founder of a startup. She brings both lived experience and professional insight into what healing looks like beyond the medical treatments. In this episode, Shayla shares the moment that changed everything—a strange “beach fly” bite tha...

What do you do when cancer treatment ends but the fear, uncertainty, and questions remain?  Licensed therapist Dr. Bonnie Hubert from the Memorial Hermann Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center joins host Darcie Wells to explore why emotional support is essential for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. She shares how counseling, peer mentors, and creative outlets can ease fear of recurrenc...

At just 19 years old, while a sophomore in college, Adam VanDeventer heard the words no teenager expects to face: Stage 3 non-Hodgkin’s large B-cell lymphoma. What followed was a season of uncertainty and courage, where the normal rhythms of college life gave way to treatments, questions, and the fight for a future. In this conversation, Adam opens up about how he processed cancer as a young adult...

We sit down with Dr. Katy Rezvani, world-renowned physician-scientist, leader, and innovator in cancer immunotherapy. She’s pioneering groundbreaking research at MD Anderson Cancer Center in cell therapy that is transforming how we approach cancer and offering new hope to patients who have exhausted all conventional options. With warmth, compassion, and clarity, Dr. Rezvani shares her journey from...

Award-winning artist and Stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor Sandy Duarte opens up about how cancer disrupted every part of her life but ultimately became a profound teacher. She shares the raw, yet beautiful truth of her experience, from the shock of diagnosis to the transformation that followed. Through deep reflection, Sandy shares how cancer became an awakening and reshaped what it truly m...