Hope In The Face of Cancer

About Hope In The Face of Cancer

Welcome to "Hope in the Face of Cancer; A Survivor By Your Side," where storytelling offers an avenue of hope and connection. In a world where isolation can feel overwhelming, our mission is to remind you that you are never truly alone. Join us for heartfelt personal testimonials of triumph, vulnerability, and strength, practical tips and advice for navigating the cancer journey, and engaging conversations with patients, caregivers, survivors, and healthcare professionals. Find comfort, inspiration, and a sense of belonging as we share relatable stories and insights, helping you navigate your path with confidence and resilience.

Publisher

Darcie Wells, CanCare

Category

business · health & fitness · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Jun 2024

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

64 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 Oct 2026

   She Built What She Couldn't Find

   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 (https://www.cancare.org) and 713-461-0028 (tel:713-461-0028) Sister’s Network - https://www.sistersnetworkinc.org (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.

2. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Blossoming Beyond Breast Cancer

   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 (https://www.cancare.org) Galina’s website - https://www.galinaslavova.com/ (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 (https://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.cancare.org/) https://www.facebook.com/CanCareInc (https://www.facebook.com/CanCareInc) https://www.instagram.com/cancare_inc (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 (https://www.cancare.org/hopebook).

3. 

   22 Sept 2026

   Making Joy the Reflex

   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 (https://www.cancare.org) Jenna’s website - https://www.jennaschutt.com/ (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 (https://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.cancare.org/) https://www.facebook.com/CanCareInc (https://www.facebook.com/CanCareInc) https://www.instagram.com/cancare_inc (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 (https://www.cancare.org/hopebook).

Who has been a guest on Hope In The Face of Cancer

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Shawntell McWilliams
• Dr Keith Saathoff
• Renee Hansen
• Jacqueline Brock
• Lillian Vanvieldt-Grey

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 36 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

59

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Hope In The Face of Cancer

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Hope In The Face of Cancer