Campfires of Hope: Stories of Cancer

Denny hails from Louisville, KY, and was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in January 2022. Following treatment and surgery, he is now living life beyond cancer. Denny attended Epic Experience in March 2023, and it became a turning point — inspiring him to pay it forward by becoming a camp volunteer and supporting fellow survivors on their own journeys. A p...

Mark Hanson is a multiple myeloma survivor whose journey is one of resilience, struggle, and ultimately, renewal. While he was deeply grateful for the unwavering support of his family and medical team during treatment, the true challenge came afterward—adjusting back to “real life.” Like many men, Mark suffered in silence, feeling like "damaged goods" unti...

Despite experiencing trauma as a teenager and young adult, and being diagnosed with ovarian and uterine cancer in 2016—followed by breast cancer seven years later—Christen Clifford found her path to self-love and acceptance. During a time when she felt she had lost so much, she later realized that cancer had given her the gift of finding herself. She share...

At just 11 years old, Eric Goss was diagnosed with stage 3A Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a battle that shaped his life for decades. Unable to cope effectively with the long-term psychological effects of survivorship, Eric proactively sought out answers until he discovered a unique study in 2021 that finally brought him clarity and healing. In this compelling episod...

Just 35 years old, Lauren Huffmaster was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, which subsequently progressed to stage 4. After what she describes as a period of despair, Lauren realized that she needed to do something to address the emotional and mental side effects that cancer had caused her. 

“I will not live to die. I’...

When Jordan Vanzandt was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroendocrine cancer, life changed for her and her husband, Mike. Despite the innumerable challenges and obstacles they faced, they focused on the silver linings that surviving cancer provided for their family. In addition to learning to slow down, go with the flow, and enjoy the little things, they discover...

Bill Wardwell was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 1998. Over the next decade, he endured chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant, multiple recurrences, and several personal setbacks. In this piece, Bill shares the most difficult part of his journey: the feeling of facing cancer alone. He opens up about his darkest, most challenging mome...

When Scott Riebel was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2021, he and his wife Vickie had no idea how much closer the cancer journey would bring them. As Scott states, “You get a full grasp for how much you love and are loved by someone when you experience something like cancer.” In this episode, Scott and Vickie share the experiences they endured both to...

Caroline Thomas is a bladder cancer survivor and a mother of two adult sons. She shares the importance of being honest and transparent with her children about her cancer and how she kept the lines of communication open. Caroline says telling her sons was very difficult because “my role as a parent is to protect my kids and there was nothing I could do to p...

Kerry Glass is the founder of Memories Live, a nonprofit that creates legacy movies for individuals with life-limiting illnesses. In this episode, Kerry discusses the process and benefits of building a 45-minute video so children, grandchildren, and others have something to remember their loved one by. From her experiences working with the cancer community...

Ted Roggenkamp is a throat cancer survivor who embodies the meaning of thriving. After going through surgery, chemotherapy, and 33 rounds of radiation, Ted could have let cancer take the joy out of life. Instead, he made the decision to show up with others by being ultra-positive, energetic, social, and present in the moment. Despite the darkness of cancer...

Cindy “Smokey” Polinsky and Leonard “Fox” Geraci share a unique bond as lymphoma survivors who have gone through the same cancer treatment. In the world of cancer, “fear of the unknown and what’s to come’ can significantly impact survivors in their daily lives. In this episode of Keepin’ It Real, Smokey and Fox open up about fear and how past traumas can play a role.

Janna Jones was diagnosed with IIB melanoma in 2022. She completed immunotherapy and surgery but still found herself struggling in some aspects of her daily life. She battled fatigue, photosensitivity to the sun, and constant stomach aches. Despite having a great support system, Janna found it tough to connect on a cancer level because these individuals we...

Lisa Isom was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2010 and had her first recurrence a year later. After eight years with no evidence of disease, her cancer returned again in 2019. On this episode of Campfires of Hope, Lisa shares a heartfelt, personal letter that she wrote titled, Dear Cancer, wherein she describes her cancer journey and the effects it’s ha...

Cam Kiosoglous, a four-time U.S. Olympic rowing coach, is no stranger to embracing challenges. However, when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2010, followed by two thyroid cancer diagnoses the year after, his resolve was truly tested. After making it through and having no evidence of disease for nearly a decade, Cam faced his toughest challenge –...

When Sara Marian Lucking was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer in 2022, she was on maternity leave from her career as a dermatologist. She shares that being a healthcare professional going through cancer had its pros and cons. While her background knowledge helped her get to a diagnosis faster, it was scary to know so much about the uphill battle s...

Brad Glassel, a stage three prostate cancer survivor, returns to the Campfires of Hope podcast for an episode of Keepin’ It Real. He discusses life following completion of cancer treatment and the difficulty of figuring out how to move on. After attending supportive communities like Epic Experience and local story slams, he discovered the importance of mov...

In the inaugural Keepin’ It Real episode on the Campfires of Hope podcast, we dig deeper into the mental and emotional side of a cancer diagnosis with Dana Shelton Lee, who is living with stage 4 colon cancer.

Dana discusses the impact that multiple recurrences, surgeries, and over 40 rounds of chemotherapy has had on her...