My Cancer Story Jess Thomas Nelson

Continuing on with our 3rd season's theme, we are featuring a very impressive young lady who created the non profit Strong Little Souls at the age of 13 years old. Madison Quinn at a young age made a connection with a young child battling cancer and Strong Little Souls was born! Strong Little Souls has been going strong for the past 7 years helping brighten the lives for children battling cancer. Since its inception, they have sent out over 1,000 Care Packages and offer amazing programs. Madison is 20 years young and is currently in nursing school and making the world a better place, one package at a time.
To learn more about Strong Little Souls:
IG @stronglittlesouls
https://www.stronglittlesouls.org/
https://www.facebook.com/stronglittlesouls/

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Update for what’s coming for My Cancer Story Podcast!

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This months Cancer Story is from Amy Steeves.  She is the founder of  the nonprofit Amys Rays of Sunshine in which they brighten the lives of cancer patients one box at a time.  Amy is a survivor of a very rare type of lymphoma called AILT Lymphoma which is typically diagnosed in men aged 70 and older.  She tells her story of misdiagnosis during and after pregnancy and ultimately how doctors found her cancer.  She also tells the hurdles she endured along the way to find a donor and is now celebrating her 3rd Re-Birthday!
"Keep your face towards the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you"
To learn more about what Amys Rays of Sunshine does or how you can help out:
https://m.facebook.com/amysraysofsunshine/?ref=py_c
https://www.amysraysofsunshine.org/
https://www.amysraysofsunshine.org/get_involved

More info on Amy's Rays of Sunshine:
Amy's Rays of Sunshine seeks to provide encouragement, positivity, and hope to patients during stem cell transplants by giving them a box of handwritten cards, notes, and other items during this physically and emotionally challenging time.
Amy's Rays of Sunshine was founded by Amy Steeves, who received a bone marrow transplant in 2019 for angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma. She is in remission and currently lives in Apex, North Carolina, with her husband Cody and her two wonderful boys

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I apologize for the few interruptions that we have in the episode today, I attempted to edit but my software would not cooperate with me.  Hang in there, it is WORTH IT!
Today's Cancer Story has a little twist.  You will be meeting and learning about Jacob Beckley.  He is the founder (2016) of the non-profit called The Beckley Foundation and later CURE Token.  The Beckley foundation helps families effected by pediatric cancer by giving grants directly to families.  This especially includes types of cancer with underfunded research.  Not only are they dedicated to making a difference, Jacob also created CURE pay, a way for people to buy and hold the token with a credit card without having to sign up far a 'wallet'. This is a fact filled episode where you will learn about Pediatric Cancer, Cryptocurrency, NFT's and Block Chain Tech.  Jacob has wonderful stories and talks about how he took lockdown and quarantine and made something truly amazing with it!
Listen and Learn! 
To learn about Jacob:
https://www.thebeckleyfoundation.org/
https://www.curetoken.net/
https://www.race4acure.com/


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Celebrating My Cancer Story Podcasts 2nd Anniversary with the perfect guest!  You will be hearing from Dana who is a Papillary Thyroid Cancer Survivor.  
Dana was diagnosed at age 24 and after being urged by her dentist to get the lump in her throat checked out.  
Going through her thyroidectomy surgery and multiple rounds of RAI treatment was in a survival mode blur. It wasn’t until after all of that, when was released back into the 'wild' with a gigantic scar across her neck, that she started to  struggle with her reality.  For the longest time, she kept her journey private, not really talking about her experience with family, friends or coworkers.  
It wasn't until I Dana met other women who had gone through the same cancer she had  noticed that we all had a similar question we would ask each-other: "What does your scar look like?" She realized that she wasn't alone and that she had this built in and awesome cancer community that she was a part of.  Fast forward to Dana creating The Butterfly Scar Project.

Dana mentions on her website
"My mission with The Butterfly Scar Project is to help empower women AFTER their cancer to help them feel comfortable in their scars. The thyroid is shaped like a butterfly and a butterfly has it's own meaning: A symbol of powerful transformation...so Butterfly Scar Project was born! Life after cancer is hard enough and there is no guide book. Cancer DOES SUCK but YOU DON'T. I hope these necklaces help women to feel powerful, strong and beautiful when they wear them and I hope they can feel empowered by their scars. Wherever you are on your journey know you are not alone."

To learn more about Dana and The Butterfly Scar Project
IG: @butterflyscarproject
www.butterflyscarproject.com

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This is such a very special episode!  Today you are going to hear Tess' Cancer Story and her work as an OT, Sexuality and Cancer Specialist and how she created ConnectAble Therapies.  To me, this is such an important episode for you to listen to as well as the topic of connection and intimacy.  Tess is the founder of ConnectAble Therapies which is a Melbourne-based occupational therapy consulting service focusing on sexuality, intimacy, arousal, communication and partner dynamics.  She work with patients to help patients (individuals and couples) to help get their libido back, help with body image, fatigue and so much more.  This episode you will learn SOOOOO much, I know I did.  A lot of the subject matter can be uncomfortable to talk about or even think about and I feel that this episode and Tess helps make it a safe space to start to explore connection and intimacy.  Take home message for this episode, there is nothing broken about you....you are normal!

Resources we talked about in this episode:

ConnectAble Therapies Website
Tess' Book-  A Better Normal: Your Guide to Rediscovering Intimacy After Cancer
Tess Devèze YouTube - Intimacy and Cancer
A Touchy Subject YouTube - Sexual Recovery Post Prostate Cancer
Olive and Bee Lubricant
https://thepelvichealthpodcast.podbean.com/e/olive-bee-intimate-cream-with-physio-claire-osterstock/
MoveU Pelvic Floor Program

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