The Burn

Gretchen Stelter is a freelance book editor & writer from Madison, Wisconsin.  She was diagnosed with breast cancer at 39.  She has volunteered with Girls, Inc. for nine years and co-chaired the Safety & Security Committee for ThrillerFest, which is a conference for thriller writers.  In this episode, Gretchen reads her piece “Let Me Hear Your Body Talk” from the Wildfire bo...

This week in honor of Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Awareness Month, we have selected this episode from February 2022 to re-share.  It features Whitney O’Connor who discovered her link to Li-Fraumeni Syndrome when diagnosed with breast cancer.   Li-Fraumeni Syndrome is just one of the many genetic mutations that can lead to a breast cancer diagnosis.   Whitney was diagnosed with a rare...

April Renn is a student, and an eccentric mother of one.  She was diagnosed at 36 with Stage II breast cancer and carries the PALB2 gene.  April is a long-term survivor being 5+ years out from diagnosis.  In this episode she reads her piece “From Mom I Got Strength, Led Zeppelin and PALB2” from Wildfire Magazine’s 2019 “Genetics” issue.  April’s essay is about being sandwiched...

Jamil Rivers is a powerhouse.  Diagnosed at 39 with Stage IV de novo metastatic breast cancer (MBC), she is a CEO, devoted mama, wife and passionate advocate.  Since diagnosis, Jamil has become an advocate using her cancer experiences to advance legislative policy, medical research and customize support to better meet the needs of individuals impacted by breast cancer, particularly metas...

Stephanie is a retired hair stylist, writer, and advocate for AdvancedBreastCancer.net. Stephanie was diagnosed stage IIIa at 25, and then stage IV at 31. In this episode Stephanie reads their essay “My Life and Being Wrong” from Wildfire Magazine’s 2022 “Legacy Stories” issue.  Stephanie’s unusual cancer story is about a very unexpected pregnancy.  Stephanie and April will discuss the i...

We are delighted to welcome Ann Camden back for another episode of The Burn. Ann was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer at 38. She then had a Stage IV recurrence at 45. More recently, she was diagnosed with leptomeningeal disease - fluid of the brain, spine and many other organs. Ann is a mother of twin teenage girls and married to her college sweetheart, Jeff. In this episode Ann reads her pi...

Holly Taylor was a sergeant in the US Army National Guard, and then became a kindergarten teacher.  She was diagnosed at 37 with stage IV breast cancer after earlier breast health concerns were dismissed.  She is now a stay-at-home mom. In this episode Holly reads her stirring piece “I Want” for Wildfire Magazine’s 2022 “Legacy Stories” issue where she expresses all her wants that she de...

Ashely Blair Doyle is a retired newspaper worker, graphic designer, artist, and advocate.  She was initially diagnosed at 28 with early stage breast cancer, and then at 34 with stage IV MBC.  She carries the PALB2, exon 9 & 10 deletion gene mutation.  In this episode Ashley’s mom Victoria reads Ashley’s poem “You and I” from Wildfire Magazine’s 2022 “Legacy Stories” issue. ...

Kim Harms is an author and librarian who was diagnosed at 40 with breast cancer.  In this episode Kim reads her piece “When the Return on Your Dollar is Intangible” from Wildfire Magazine’s 2022 “Money & Cancer” issue.  She shares the value of choosing to spend money on making memories with her family.  April and Kim will discuss the complexities of financial decisions in light...

Advocate Ricki Fairley was diagnosed at 55 with Stage IIIa, Triple Negative breast cancer.  She is the CEO and co-founder of TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance.  She is a marketing veteran, and serves on the board of the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation and the Center for Healthcare Innovation. In this episode Ricki reads her essay “When We Tri(al): A Movement to Advance Bre...

Western Pennsylvania resident Pye Pajewski is a hesitant writer serving the public as a library staffer. Pye is thriving after two breast cancer diagnoses at ages 37 and 59.  In this episode Pye reads her poem “Ink” from Wildfire Magazine's 2022 “Body” issue.  Her poem shares scenes throughout her life told through ink on skin and paper.  April and Pye will discuss the experience of...

This week we are sharing a favorite episode from the archives as we take a break from our regular podcast schedule to enjoy the winter holidays with our loved ones.  Today April has selected this episode from September 2021 to re-share.  April chose this episode because it was one of her favorites to record because of the story behind the story.  April shares what happened behind th...

This week we are sharing a favorite episode from the archives as we take a break from our regular podcast schedule to enjoy the winter holidays with our loved ones.  Today, Wildfire team member Angela Firman selected this episode from December 2021 to re-share.  Angela just wanted to hear the voice of her dearly missed friend Lisa Laudico who the cancer community lost this year, and what...

This week we are sharing a favorite episode from the archives as we take a break from our regular podcast schedule to enjoy the winter holidays with our loved ones.  Today, Wildfire team member Monica Haro selected this episode from November 2021 to re-share.  Monica loves Nikki’s reading voice, what Nikki had to say about holistic well-being, and navigating cancer with her caretaker-hus...

This is our first episode focused on poetry featuring two poems written by academic librarian Amy Austin of Florida.  Amy was diagnosed with Stage IV de novo breast cancer at 34 after initially being misdiagnosed with a complex benign cyst. She is the third in a direct family line to be diagnosed with breast cancer without a known genetic link. Today Amy reads two poems.  First is “Lost”...

Jessica Fox returns to The Burn for another episode. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at 43. Jessica reads her piece “Paying Tolls” from Wildfire Magazine’s 2022 “Cancer Culture” issue.  Jessica shares her story of driving by a terrible breast cancer awareness billboard daily with her young but old enough to read children in the back seat.  April and Jessica will talk about how writi...

Kelley Franks is a school social worker from Ohio.  She was diagnosed at 36 with Stage IIb breast cancer, then again at 41 with Stage IV MBC. Kelley has a deep wanderlust and loves going on adventures.  In this episode Kelley reads her piece “Slideshow” from Wildfire Magazine’s 2022 “Body” issue.  Kelley writes beautifully about snapshots of her cancer experience that flip through h...

This week as we kick back and enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday vibes here in the US, we are taking a little break from our regular podcast schedule to re-share with you a favorite episode from the archives.  Today, Wildfire team member Emily Piercell shares that she selected this episode about finally learning how to live in the present because it truly resonated with her. This episode we...

Southern California resident Stori Nagel was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer a decade ago at age 38.  She is president and founder of her non-profit, Haus of Volta, which uses classic pin-up photography to promote a healthy body image and self-acceptance.  In this episode, Stori reads her piece “Molting” from Wildfire Magazine’s 2017 “Body” issue.  April and Stori will talk a...

Elizabeth Reed has faced cancer three times, initially being diagnosed with breast cancer at 48.  She is a writer, musician, activist, wife, mom, and traveler. In this episode Elizabeth reads her piece “Breast Cancer Babby” from Wildfire Magazine’s 2022 “Body” issue. Elizabeth writes a cancer story with a “slant.” Her slant is that of using an unconventional lens of writing an advertisement t...

Borah Lee is a wife, mom, former journalist and attorney; a recovering perfectionist and a sinner saved by grace. She was diagnosed at 37 and has had multiple recurrences.  In this episode Borah reads her piece “A Beggar in a Red Beret” from Wildfire Magazine’s 2022 “Money” issue.  Borah shares the story of her journey to give herself permission in spite of cancer to enjoy a life-changin...

Joining us for this episode is Jenny Collins - our first guest that has chosen to use a pen name to tell her story.  Jenny was diagnosed Stage II at 37, and then Stage IV MBC at 46.  Today she reads her piece “Cold War” from Wildfire Magazine’s 2021 “Family” issue. Jenny takes us deep into the layers of what she experienced when cancer entered her marriage.  April and Jenny will dis...

Miami Beach residents LaTonya Davis and her nephson Jayden Holmes share their collaborative piece “Together We Are Thriving, Celebrating, and Reflecting” from Wildfire Magazine’s 2022 “Cancer Culture” issue.  It is a reflection about the loved ones they have lost to metastatic breast cancer. LaTonya was diagnosed at 47 with triple negative breast cancer after already losing her mother and sis...

Nonprofit Executive Director & Marketing Strategist Kate Crawford was diagnosed at 28 with breast cancer.  She is living with terminal Stage IV MBC, and also has Li-Fraumeni Syndrome which leaves her susceptible to numerous cancers. She has been in active treatment for 8 years and has had over 120 cycles of therapies. As a result of her outlier status, she suffers from chemo induced cardi...

Jean Criss is an author, digital media entrepreneur, festival and multimedia producer, tech innovator, post-surgical fashion designer, and a certified bra fitter. She was diagnosed with both Stage 0 and Stage 1 ductal breast cancer in her mid-40s. Since treatment, 15 years ago, Jean has had no evidence of disease. Today she reads her piece “My Million Dollar Boobs Led to a Million Words” from Wild...