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Bad Headaches= Brain Tumor
Reading Time: 3 minutesBy: Kyler Noah, 22, Brain tumor, Non-Hodgkin My story starts in July of 2025. It was a regular summer for me. I had just finished my third year of my undergraduate, on to my last
After the Second Time
Reading Time: 3 minutesBy: Tracy Steffek, 41, Breast cancer, Tongue cancer Cancer didn’t make me brave. It made me tired of pretending. The second time I had cancer, something broke. It wasn’t fear for myself as much as
It’s My Birthday, I Can Cry If I Want To
Reading Time: 2 minutesBy: Angela Campos, 37, Hodgkin Lymphoma Getting chemo on your birthday sucks. I mean, cancer in general sucks, but having a birthday during that time and then it being a treatment day on top of
The Importance of Advocating For Yourself
Reading Time: 6 minutesBy: Eugenia Mancini, 53, Lung Cancer On the day of my appointment, I put on a long skirt, long-sleeve shirt, and jacket in the August heat to cover my frail frame and cancer accessories. We
A Daughter and Father Melanoma Story
Reading Time: 5 minutesBy: Leah Adams, 32, Melanoma I used to be the person who showed up to the Christmas party every year bronzed and glowing with a fresh tan. A tan was part of my regular beauty
The Day I Wore My Chemo Hat Again
Reading Time: 3 minutesBy: Octavio Pasini Bonfanti, 33, Testicular Cancer I didn’t plan to wear that hat again. It wasn’t a symbolic decision or a brave one. It was just cold. I opened a drawer without thinking, reached
My Journey With Chordoma
Reading Time: 2 minutesBy: Ross Binder, 30, Chordoma My journey with chordoma started in 2014 when I was a senior in high school. One day after tennis practice, my back felt like it was spasming and that I
A Covid Cancer Journey
Reading Time: 2 minutesBy: Alexander Haber, 34, Non Hodgkin Lymphoma The year was 2020. I was getting ready to take time off of work to just relax and go to places I hadn’t ventured to in over a
Cervical Cancer Free Now!
Reading Time: 2 minutesBy: Mary Potter, 37, Cervical Cancer Hi, my name is Mary. I was 36 when I was diagnosed with stage 1B1 cervical cancer in 2024. For years before my diagnosis, I was incredibly sick, exhausted,
The Day Everything Had a Name
Reading Time: 4 minutesBy: Emily Sloan, 31, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma November 19, 2022, is a date I’ll never forget. I call it my cancerversary, though that word feels too casual for what it represents. That was the day everything
Gender Affirming Care saved my Life
Reading Time: 2 minutesBy: Jennifer Trefzger, Colorectal Cancer I had colon cancer at a young age, it likely started when I was 16. It was brutal. Being autistic and trans made it harder; too often doctors dismissed my
The Day the Bottom Fell Out From Under Us
Reading Time: 2 minutesBy: Abbie Sheffield, Breast Cancer It started on my 31st birthday, January 8th. I was eight weeks pregnant and overflowing with hope — imagining tiny clothes, a growing belly, a new chapter finally beginning. But
10 Years Apart
Reading Time: 2 minutesBy: Brian Carlson, Testicular Cancer In June, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer for the second time. Hearing those words again felt surreal — like a nightmare I thought I’d already woken up from. The
Love in the Time of Cancer
Reading Time: 3 minutesBy: Megan Nicklay, Sarcoma It’s May in Santiago, Chile and the crisp autumn air ushers in an atmosphere of romance and serendipity, a welcome contrast to the frantic uncertainty that came with my cancer diagnosis
Alaina’s Brain Cancer Journey
Reading Time: 3 minutesBy: Alaina Wetzel, Brain Cancer The beginning of 2020 started off as the best of my life. While on a weekend trip to Vermont with friends and family, my now husband proposed after a day
Surviving the Spot
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAylat Lifshitz shared their story at the CancerCon 2025’s Storytelling Open Mic. In this raw talk, Aylat retells her journey that began with a mysterious spot and a rare cancer diagnosis. This powerful narrative is
Blind, But Seeing Clearly
Reading Time: < 1 minuteGladys Morales shared their story at the CancerCon 2025’s Storytelling Open Mic. Navigating blindness and a life-altering illness, Gladys shares how she chooses to focus on joy, connection, and living fully, turning what could be
From Diagnosis to Donor
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBrianne Dollar shared their story at the CancerCon 2025’s Storytelling Open Mic. Brianne tells the story of how she found unexpected purpose in matching over 1000 bone marrow donors and climbing mountains of resilience. Through
Gaming Through Cancer
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTara Williams shared their story at the CancerCon 2025’s Storytelling Open Mic. What began as a routine visit to Planned Parenthood turned into a life-changing thyroid cancer diagnosis for Tara. She navigated her journey with
Tongue, Trials, and Triumph
Reading Time: < 1 minuteLauren Tomlinson shared their story at the CancerCon 2025’s Storytelling Open Mic. In a decade marked by devastating losses Lauren emerges as an unexpected warrior against her own tongue cancer diagnosis. At 29, she shared
Living, Not Just Surviving
Reading Time: < 1 minuteElissa Kalver shared her story at the CancerCon 2025’s Storytelling Open Mic. When cancer strikes, survival isn’t just about medical treatments: it’s about truly living. Alyssa, founder of We Got This.org, reveals the critical difference
From Cybersecurity to Cancer
Reading Time: < 1 minuteLiz Jaluague shared their story at the CancerCon 2025’s Storytelling Open Mic. At 34, cybersecurity architect and military officer Liz Halwagay’s life takes an unexpected turn when a routine medical check reveals rare appendix cancer.
The In Between
Reading Time: < 1 minuteLauren Morales shared their story at the CancerCon 2025’s Storytelling Open Mic. In “The In Between,” Lauren Morales transforms her cancer journey into a raw, poetic testament of survival. With unflinching vulnerability, she navigates the
Surviving in Pieces: A Letter to My Younger Self
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMonica Henderson shared their story at the CancerCon 2025’s Storytelling Open Mic. In this raw talk, Monica delivers a heart-wrenching letter to her younger self, exploring the complex, often unspoken emotional landscape of cancer survivorship.
My Son, My Strength
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMckenzie Baxter shared their story at the CancerCon 2025’s Storytelling Open Mic. Mckenzie shares her cancer journey: from being misdiagnosed to being in remission, her life after cancer has inspired her to become a foster