Blood Boogers
Reading Time: 4 minutesBy Lyndsey McCafferty, 32, Caregiver Once upon a time, my life felt like it was finally settling into place. Five months before my husband Wes was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma,
Tag: Healing
A Breath of Fresh Air
Reading Time: 2 minutesBy: Madison Moury, 25, Carcinoid Tumor It all started off when I randomly had a hard time breathing back in August 2024. I went to my primary care doctor and
The Survivor
Reading Time: < 1 minute Jace, 27, Non Hodgkin Lymphoma Jace shared their story at the 2026 AYA Week Storytelling Open Mic Event in NYC. Jace shares the lasting effects cancer has had on his life through his incredibly moving poem titled, “The Survivor”, highlighting the battle of
The Community I Didn’t Know I Needed
Reading Time: < 1 minute Thomas, 38, Caregiver Thomas shared their story at the 2026 AYA Week Storytelling Open Mic Event in NYC. Thomas shares his perspective of having a younger brother with cancer and his initial struggle to process his diagnosis when he was a teenager. While he initially
Reclaiming Life After Disability
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ranjit, 35, Osteosarcoma Ranjit shared their story at the 2026 AYA Week Storytelling Open Mic Event in NYC. Ranjit reflects on growing up while having cancer at 15 years old and the impact it had on his identity as both an athlete and
The Before and After
Reading Time: < 1 minute Phoebe, 23, Hodgkin Lymphoma Phoebe shared their story at the 2026 AYA Week Storytelling Open Mic Event in NYC. Phoebe reflects on her cancer journey through an impactful poem, highlighting the challenges she experienced while trying to process her diagnosis and the lingering impact it has
Cancer at 31
Reading Time: 3 minutesBy: Desiree Burgos, 32, Endometrial Cancer At 31 years old, I was diagnosed with stage 3 endometrial cancer that had spread to my ovaries and lungs. Hearing those words changed
The Day Stage 4 Triple-Negative Stole my Shine
Reading Time: 4 minutesBy: Michelle Kolb, 36, Triple Negative Breast Cancer I was 35 when stage 4 triple negative stole my shine. Not breast cancer. Triple negative breast cancer. The one with no
Overcoming the Roadblock
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alexa, 27, Thyroid Cancer Alexa shared their story at CancerCon 2026’s Storytelling Open Mic in Seattle. The stand-up comedian, Alexa, shares her cancer story through a comedic lens while
Reflecting on Paper
Reading Time: < 1 minute Lexi, 31, Breast Cancer Lexi shared their story at CancerCon 2026’s Storytelling Open Mic in Seattle. As a stage four metastatic breast cancer survivor, Army Reserves member, and researcher,