Jess will tell you she draws all her strength from her daughter Addy. In our conversation, Jess shares how Addy's force and unstoppable energy impacted everyone in her life, and continues to be shared today.

When Addy was 13 she was diagnosed with angiosarcoma, a very rare cancer, especially in children. Addy went through nine months of treatment and passed two days after her 14th birthday. During her treatment, Addy centred her focus on helping other kids, asking Jess to start raising funds and awareness for kids just like her.

Jess committed to following through on Addy’s wishes, starting Team Addy that, since March 2022, has raised $387,000 for sarcoma research. They’ve held 2 annual Family Fun Day events, as well as a “Concert with Addy-tude” and many, many community and 3rd party events and initiatives from their “army”.

A beautiful documentary called Team Addy was produced by the Ontario Basketball Association where you will meet Addy’s family and coaches and start to get what I’m talking about when I say there is FORCE and energy and love that surrounds Jess and everyone in Addy’s world.

And if you know Sick Kids Hospital, you likely know of their most recent initiative Precision Child Health that is changing the game in paediatric care - and this massive new campaign was launched with a crystal ball that is inspired by Addy and a conversation she had with her brilliant oncologist Dr Malkin that you’ll hear Jess share in our chat.

Jess has found a way to channel her love for Addy into a strength and purpose, and with that kind of love behind her, she’s unstoppable.

https://www.teamaddy.ca/

https://www.teamaddy.ca/events/family-fun-day

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Rachelle’s daughter was originally diagnosed with Wilms at 16 months old, and then relapsed at 3 years old in a new city without the family and support system they’d had for her daughter’s initial treatment.

Rachelle candidly and honestly talks about the need to “claw” together a community of cancer parents to help them survive her daughter’s treatment. We talk about connections, finding comfort in other oncology parents, and how it feels when a bereaved parent supports families of NED kids, and the complicated emotions that come up of comparative suffering and survivors guilt.

This conversation spans different topics that will all sound familiar to oncology parents, not necessarily because you’ve had them out loud before, but because you’ve thought and felt every single word - and that’s what makes Rachelle and her deep insights and take away’s so valuable and important to hear.

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When Taryn's daughter June was 8 months old, she was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma. After an aggressive treatment of chemo, surgery, tandem stem cell transplants and radiation, June passed at 18 months old. Just over two years later, Taryn shares all the ways June cracked her open and how being June's mom helped her discover her purpose, and reconnect with her identity through poetry and writing.

Taryn shares her magnificent poem A Good Mother from her blog Carrying June where you'll also find brilliant and beautiful reflections on life after loss, childhood cancer, and motherhood.

https://carryingjune.com/

https://carryingjune.com/blog-1-2/z7o08aqqcsyltbyrin5xqcsakboprg

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