I recently had the honour of sitting down for a virtual chat with Gabrielle and Alex from Soar Above Cancer; a podcast dedicated to helping cancer survivors – in active treatment or post-treatment – to thrive in their cancer lives. Gabrielle and Alex, cancer thrivers themselves, discuss various topics on the show related to one’s cancer journey. Everything from the physical hardships to the mental health aspects of one’s battle with cancer. More importantly, Gabrielle and Alex believe that one’s cancer story, must be discussed in order to inspire others to thrive. They share their own powerful stories and those of other fighters to give hope to the Soar Above community and cancer thrivers all over the world.
As an AYA – Adolescent & Young Adult (with cancer), it can be really tough to find resources that target our unique challenges. Also, it can be an incredibly lonely journey. As very active participants in the AYA community, the work they do helps bring awareness to those challenges and also a sense of belonging, comradery and support to the community; which is what made sharing my own experience and the (still traumatic) challenges that came with it so comfortable to speak about. I highly encourage anyone interested in finding a support community in the 40 & under category to reach out to Gabrielle and Alex.
In Part 1 of 2, Alex, Gabrielle and I discuss what it was like being a career-focused busy mom whose world came to a crashing halt as a result of a rare acute leukemia diagnosis, coping with the very likely possibility of meeting the big guy in the sky and the gift of clarity and purpose as a result of making it out, on the other side of the storm.
In Part 2 of 2, Alex, Gabrielle and I discuss the birth of http://www.SoYouVeGotCancer.ca, parenting small children while going through cancer treatment and some critical tips that could save your life if you or someone you love ever lands in the Canadian healthcare system.
A big thanks to Gabrielle and Alex from Soar Above Cancer, for giving me the opportunity to share my experience and lessons learned! If you are looking for support, resources or help dealing with the emotional fallout of enduring cancer, visit Gabrielle and Alex at http://www.soarabovecancer, and/or http://www.soarabovecounselling.ca, or visit the Community Support page for their contact information and more resources that can help you in your area.
Until next time, you’ve got this! Take good care.
So You've Got Cancer 