Still I Rise Podcast

Lisa McKenzie, Founder of You Night Events
  • 5.0 (8)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Real stories. Raw truth. Unshakable hope. Hosted by Lisa McKenzie, founder of You Night Empowering Events, The Still I Rise Podcast is a powerful, heartfelt series that shares the voices of women who have fought — or are still fighting — cancer, and the transformative journeys they’ve taken to reclaim joy, identity, and purpose. Each episode highlights inspiring survivor stories, candid conversations with mental health experts, and uplifting insights for anyone facing life after diagnosis. We dive deep into the emotional, spiritual, and psychological layers of healing — reminding every woman that she’s not alone, and that her story matters. Whether you're navigating cancer, supporting a loved one, or simply seeking inspiration and sisterhood, this podcast is for you. Want to share your story, connect with our community, or support our mission? Visit YouNightEmpoweringEvents.com to learn more about our cancer survivor empowerment programs and how you can get involved. #StillIRisePodcast | #CancerSurvivorStories | #WomenWhoFightCancer | #YouNightSisterhood Support women rising. Align your brand with a mission of hope, courage, and transformation. Let’s talk about creating a sponsorship package that meets your goals. Call us at 877-591-5936 x1 or email lisa@younightevents.com  

  1. Three Months from 10 Years Cancer-Free… Then the Words “You Have Cancer Again” | Jeannie Travalini

    6D AGO

    Three Months from 10 Years Cancer-Free… Then the Words “You Have Cancer Again” | Jeannie Travalini

    Send a text  What happens when you are just three months away from celebrating ten years cancer-free… and you hear the words no survivor ever wants to hear again: “You have cancer.” In this powerful episode of the Still I Rise Podcast, Lisa sits down with cancer survivor Jeannie Travalini, whose life was turned upside down when cancer returned just before her long-awaited 10-year milestone. Jeannie shares her deeply personal story of navigating a second diagnosis, the emotional toll of recurrence, and the unexpected ways faith, nature, and resilience carried her through some of life’s darkest moments. Using the metaphor of weeds in a garden, Jeannie reflects on how life’s toughest challenges—like cancer, loss, and uncertainty—can become the very experiences that shape our strength and growth. In this conversation, you’ll hear about: • The emotional shock of cancer recurrence after nearly a decade • How faith and spirituality helped her through the hardest moments • The lifestyle and holistic changes she embraced after her diagnosis • Finding strength in unexpected places • Why life’s “weeds” sometimes become our greatest teachers Jeannie’s story entitled "Weeds that Grow Us"  is raw, honest, and inspiring—a reminder that resilience doesn’t always look perfect. Sometimes it simply means getting up and trying again. If you or someone you love is navigating breast cancer, cancer survivorship, or recurrence, this episode will remind you that even in life’s hardest seasons, hope can still grow. Listen now to Jeannie’s powerful story of survival, faith, and rising again.   Support the show Still I Rise features stories from You Night's STORY CRAFTING COMMUNITY. To read additional stories, visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YouNightStories. Would you like to participate in a 6-week Story Crafting small group experience so that you can share your story? Write to us at teamyounight@gmail.com

    21 min
  2. The "The Darkness and the Light": Healing Trauma, Breaking Generational Cycles, and Surviving Cancer featuring Alana Acereto

    FEB 27

    The "The Darkness and the Light": Healing Trauma, Breaking Generational Cycles, and Surviving Cancer featuring Alana Acereto

    Send a text In this powerful episode of Still I Rise, Alana Acereto shares her story, “The Darkness and the Light,” a deeply moving reflection on childhood trauma, generational healing, and her journey as a cancer survivor. For years, Alana sought healing through therapy, trying to untangle the chaos left by early trauma. She shares that participating in Story Crafting was the first process that truly allowed her to release the pain she had carried for decades. While some parts of her story remain sacred and were shared privately within her small group, she chose to tell her public story through powerful metaphor — describing darkness, light, and the courage it takes to break cycles. When she became a mother, Alana made a defining decision: the shadows of her past would not shape her daughter’s future. That commitment to bring light into darkness carried her not only through trauma recovery, but also through her own battle with cancer. This episode explores childhood trauma healing, breaking generational cycles, motherhood as protection, cancer survivorship, and the power of storytelling as therapy. It is a testament to the truth that healing does not erase the darkness — it teaches us how to carry light into it. If you are navigating trauma, illness, or the quiet work of rewriting your story, this episode will remind you: your light matters — even when it flickers. Support the show Still I Rise features stories from You Night's STORY CRAFTING COMMUNITY. To read additional stories, visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YouNightStories. Would you like to participate in a 6-week Story Crafting small group experience so that you can share your story? Write to us at teamyounight@gmail.com

    37 min
  3. "Reaching the Peak": Maryann Fonseca’s Breast Cancer Survivor Story of Faith, Running, and Spiritual Awakening

    FEB 20

    "Reaching the Peak": Maryann Fonseca’s Breast Cancer Survivor Story of Faith, Running, and Spiritual Awakening

    Send a text Some journeys aren’t flat roads — they’re mountains. Mountains with loose rocks beneath your feet.  Mountains that make your heart race.  Mountains that force you to stop, breathe, and pray before taking the next step. Today’s guest, Maryann Fonseca, describes her life as climbing toward the highest peak — even though she’s afraid of heights. Along the way, she’s heard the echo of her sister’s encouragement, felt the steady love of family, endured abuse, navigated motherhood at nineteen, and leaned on the unwavering support of her husband of 37 years. Then, in April of 2014, she received the words no woman is ever prepared to hear: breast cancer. Thirty rounds of radiation. Five years of Tamoxifen. Physical pain. Emotional exhaustion. And yet — that was not the summit. In 2016, at a retreat in Sedona, something shifted. On a run through the mountains, Maryann experienced a spiritual awakening — a moment she describes as entering a vortex of healing. The woman she had been no longer existed. A new version was born. Since then, she has run marathons. Founded her wellness company, Colorfull Aura. And committed her life to becoming a light for others — especially women and minority women navigating breast cancer and beyond. She is no longer climbing in fear.  She is climbing with purpose. This is Maryann Fonseca’s story. Reaching the Peak. Support the show Still I Rise features stories from You Night's STORY CRAFTING COMMUNITY. To read additional stories, visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YouNightStories. Would you like to participate in a 6-week Story Crafting small group experience so that you can share your story? Write to us at teamyounight@gmail.com

    18 min
  4. "My Journey Through Darkness and Light": Surviving Childhood Leukemia Twice - by Maureen Fedge

    FEB 13

    "My Journey Through Darkness and Light": Surviving Childhood Leukemia Twice - by Maureen Fedge

    Send a text In this powerful episode of Still I Rise, Maureen Fedge shares her remarkable story of surviving acute myeloid leukemia (AML) as a child — not once, but twice. Diagnosed at just twelve years old with an aggressive form of leukemia typically seen in adults, Maureen’s carefree childhood quickly shifted from Saturday mornings at City Park to hospital rooms, chemotherapy, and a life-saving cord blood transplant at Duke Hospital. After months in isolation and years of treatment, she was declared cancer-free — only to face recurrence again during her teenage years. Through faith, resilience, and an unwavering will to live, Maureen fought back. Her journey through childhood cancer shaped her into a woman who now sees her scars — physical and emotional — as proof of strength. Using the powerful metaphor of a caterpillar entering a cocoon, Maureen reflects on how darkness does not mean defeat. Sometimes it means transformation. Sometimes it means wings are forming. This episode explores childhood leukemia survival, AML treatment, cord blood transplant recovery, faith during illness, and life after cancer. It is a moving reminder that even in the darkest seasons, hope can rise — and miracles are possible. If you or someone you love has faced childhood cancer, this story will inspire courage, faith, and the belief that your time to fly may still be ahead. Support the show Still I Rise features stories from You Night's STORY CRAFTING COMMUNITY. To read additional stories, visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YouNightStories. Would you like to participate in a 6-week Story Crafting small group experience so that you can share your story? Write to us at teamyounight@gmail.com

    33 min
  5. "One Ticket. All the Rides. All the Feels": Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer - by Lauren Micciantuono

    FEB 6

    "One Ticket. All the Rides. All the Feels": Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer - by Lauren Micciantuono

    Send a text Life doesn’t come with a single ride. It comes with twists, drops, music, stillness — and sometimes, pure fear. When we meet Lauren Micciantuono, she describes her life like an amusement park. Some days are gentle and steady. Some days spin too fast to breathe. And some days feel like walking through a House of Horrors — dark, unpredictable, and heavy with the fear of what might come next. Lauren is a wife, a mother of two, and a woman who once believed she could manage the ride if she just held on tightly enough. But cancer changed that. It stripped away control and replaced it with uncertainty — forcing her to confront fear, faith, and the courage it takes to keep choosing joy when joy feels risky. In One Ticket. All the Rides. All the Feels, Lauren shares what it means to live with breast cancer — and now metastatic disease — while learning not to brace for the next drop, but to stay present anyway. Guided by faith, grounded in family, and honest about the tension between hope and fear, her story reminds us that life will always be a mix of rides. The question isn’t whether the ride will be scary.  It’s whether we’re brave enough to stay on…  and sing anyway. This is Lauren’s rise. Support the show Still I Rise features stories from You Night's STORY CRAFTING COMMUNITY. To read additional stories, visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YouNightStories. Would you like to participate in a 6-week Story Crafting small group experience so that you can share your story? Write to us at teamyounight@gmail.com

    22 min
  6. "Warrior Carrying a Boulder" by Crystal Walcott: Choosing Strength After Breast Cancer

    JAN 30

    "Warrior Carrying a Boulder" by Crystal Walcott: Choosing Strength After Breast Cancer

    Send a text In this empowering episode of Still I Rise, Crystal Walcott shares her journey through breast cancer, resilience, and the deliberate choice to reclaim joy. Diagnosed after her first mammogram, Crystal’s life shifted in an instant — from a celebration of family, faith, and milestones to navigating surgery, recovery, and life-altering change. Using the metaphor of a warrior carrying a boulder, Crystal reflects on the emotional weight cancer brings — the fear, grief, and anger — and the strength required to keep moving forward. Through the love of her husband, the humor and wisdom of her children, and a mindset rooted in faith and gratitude, she learned that happiness is not something we wait for — it’s something we choose. This episode explores life after breast cancer, body image, resilience, motherhood, and what it means to carry your scars with grace. It’s a reminder that while the boulder may never disappear completely, it can grow lighter — and even beautiful — over time. If you’re walking through cancer, recovery, or a season that feels impossibly heavy, this story will remind you that you are stronger than the weight you carry. Support the show Still I Rise features stories from You Night's STORY CRAFTING COMMUNITY. To read additional stories, visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YouNightStories. Would you like to participate in a 6-week Story Crafting small group experience so that you can share your story? Write to us at teamyounight@gmail.com

    28 min
  7. "The Weight I Carried, The Strength I Found: Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer" featuring Allison Spampinato

    JAN 23

    "The Weight I Carried, The Strength I Found: Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer" featuring Allison Spampinato

    Send a text In this deeply moving episode of Still I Rise, Allison Spampinato shares her story of living with metastatic breast cancer while carrying unimaginable grief, fear, and responsibility. Diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, Allison fought through chemotherapy, immunotherapy, surgery, and radiation — only to face a devastating turn when the cancer spread to her brain shortly after losing her father to metastatic pancreatic cancer. As a mother of three, a wife, and a lifelong caregiver, Allison carried far more than illness. She carried grief, expectation, and the unspoken role of being “the strong one” for everyone around her — even after brain surgery and during ongoing chemotherapy. Using the powerful metaphor of a shield and a trembling sword, Allison reflects on fear, resilience, and the slow, sacred process of learning that strength doesn’t mean doing everything alone. This episode explores stage 4 breast cancer, caregiver burnout, anticipatory grief, and the courage it takes to ask for help. If you are navigating metastatic cancer, caring for others while silently breaking, or learning how to live alongside fear without letting it consume you, this story will remind you: you are not alone — and strength can be found even when the weight feels unbearable. Support the show Still I Rise features stories from You Night's STORY CRAFTING COMMUNITY. To read additional stories, visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YouNightStories. Would you like to participate in a 6-week Story Crafting small group experience so that you can share your story? Write to us at teamyounight@gmail.com

    26 min
  8. Scars Into Strength: A Breast Cancer Survivor’s Story of Resilience and Healing by Idun-Cara Byers

    JAN 16

    Scars Into Strength: A Breast Cancer Survivor’s Story of Resilience and Healing by Idun-Cara Byers

    Send a text In this powerful episode of Still I Rise, Idun-Cara Byers shares a deeply moving story of resilience, caregiving, and healing after breast cancer. Diagnosed with Stage One Estrogen-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma, Idun-Cara faced years of surgeries, body betrayal, and identity shifts — all while continuing to care for family, build a career, and live fully. From a childhood shaped by love and resilience, to years of caregiving through ALS and stroke, to reclaiming her body through a transformative DIEP flap reconstruction, this episode explores how scars become symbols of survival rather than loss. Through the powerful metaphor of an hourglass, Idun-Cara reflects on time, gratitude, and choosing joy over regret. Her story is a reminder that breast cancer does not define us — and that healing is not about erasing scars, but honoring what they represent. If you’re navigating life after cancer, caregiving burnout, or the quiet work of rebuilding yourself, this episode offers hope, wisdom, and permission to live fully — right now. Support the show Still I Rise features stories from You Night's STORY CRAFTING COMMUNITY. To read additional stories, visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YouNightStories. Would you like to participate in a 6-week Story Crafting small group experience so that you can share your story? Write to us at teamyounight@gmail.com

    23 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Real stories. Raw truth. Unshakable hope. Hosted by Lisa McKenzie, founder of You Night Empowering Events, The Still I Rise Podcast is a powerful, heartfelt series that shares the voices of women who have fought — or are still fighting — cancer, and the transformative journeys they’ve taken to reclaim joy, identity, and purpose. Each episode highlights inspiring survivor stories, candid conversations with mental health experts, and uplifting insights for anyone facing life after diagnosis. We dive deep into the emotional, spiritual, and psychological layers of healing — reminding every woman that she’s not alone, and that her story matters. Whether you're navigating cancer, supporting a loved one, or simply seeking inspiration and sisterhood, this podcast is for you. Want to share your story, connect with our community, or support our mission? Visit YouNightEmpoweringEvents.com to learn more about our cancer survivor empowerment programs and how you can get involved. #StillIRisePodcast | #CancerSurvivorStories | #WomenWhoFightCancer | #YouNightSisterhood Support women rising. Align your brand with a mission of hope, courage, and transformation. Let’s talk about creating a sponsorship package that meets your goals. Call us at 877-591-5936 x1 or email lisa@younightevents.com  

Information

  • Creator
    Lisa McKenzie, Founder of You Night Events
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    93
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Still I Rise Podcast
  • Show Website
    Still I Rise Podcast