The Deep C

Snack Labs
  • 5.0 (4)
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  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Deep C Podcast is for families, caregivers, friends and community who are supporting a child through a cancer diagnosis. While every ounce of your being is used to carry your child, this podcast is here to carry you.When you're bedside at the hospital, sitting in a waiting room for the millionth appointment, or just need to feel like you're not alone in this dark place - come find us. Our conversations will match the ones you're already having in your head. No topic is off limits, no fear is kept hidden. We speak to parents and caregivers at every stage of a diagnosis - families who are NED and families who are bereaved - diving deep into their reflections and personal accounts of how they walked (sometimes crawled) through their child's cancer diagnosis. This is not a medical podcast, we don't discuss chemo cocktails or treatment plans. You already talk about that enough. This podcast is where you come for conversations between people JUST like you: scared, tired, determined, and fierce as hell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1D AGO

    Starting a Non-Profit After Loss - How Kerri Steele Used Her Lived Experience to Fill a Gap in Cancer Support

    When Kerri Steele’s husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she was at home with three young children—just two, four, and six—trying to navigate his care, her own grief, and the impossible task of helping her kids understand what was happening. What she quickly realized was that their words and their behaviour didn’t always line up. They couldn’t fully express what they were feeling, but they were absorbing everything—the fear, the tension, the shift in their world. And it highlighted something we don’t talk about enough: young kids don’t always have the language to tell us when something feels scary or unsafe, but they feel it deeply. On this episode, Kerri shares how that experience led her to create Little Hearts of Hope—a Christian nonprofit supporting children in homes impacted by cancer. With no background in social work, she followed a clear pull to build what didn’t exist: free, home-delivered “hope packages” centered around emotions like anger, sadness, loneliness, and embarrassment, giving kids a way to play through and process what they’re living in real time. We talk about parenting through crisis, communicating hard realities to young children, and what it looks like to build something meaningful out of loss—especially when you’ve lived the gap you’re trying to fill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min

  2. MAR 25

    When They’re Ready to Move On and You’re Not - Parenting a Teen Through Cancer with Psychologist and Mom Kelly Stein-Marcus

    When your child is diagnosed with cancer, everything changes — instantly. And when your teen wants to move on while you’re still trying to process it, the experience can feel isolating, overwhelming, and surreal. In this episode, I sit down with my friend Kelly Stein-Marcus, an extraordinary mom and clinical health psychologist, to talk about her family’s journey through her teenage son Dylan’s Ewing sarcoma diagnosis. Kelly’s husband, a pediatric radiologist, delivered the scan that changed everything — and together, they found themselves navigating the impossible space between professional expertise and parental helplessness. We explore: The surreal shock of the days immediately after diagnosis, when there’s no plan and it feels like life has paused.What it’s like to parent a teenager through cancer, when many teens just want to “move on” and leave the experience behind.The tension between what parents need to process and celebrate, and what a teen is ready to share.How Kelly’s background in psychosocial oncology shaped her perspective, but didn’t protect her from the raw, emotional reality of living it. This episode is intimate and honest — two moms sharing their experiences, unfiltered, and reflecting on what it really means to hold your child through trauma while trying to stay afloat yourself. Whether you’re a parent, a professional in the cancer world, or someone who wants to better understand the emotional journey families face, this conversation is a reminder that you’re not alone — and that even in the darkest, most disorienting moments, there is strength, resilience, and love. Key Topics: Teen Cancer, Pediatric Oncology, Ewing Sarcoma, Parenting Through Trauma, Parental Helplessness, Psychosocial Oncology, Family Resilience, Adolescent Experience Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min

  3. FEB 27

    "Big A" and "Little a" Advocating for Cancer Parents with Lead OPACC Parent Liaison, Susan Kuczynski

    Today I speak with Susan, founder of OPAAC (Ontario Parents Advocating for Childhood Cancer), about the development of parent-led advocacy in pediatric oncology. Susan shares how her daughter’s diagnosis in 1995 led to her becoming a parent liaison at SickKids Hospital and eventually establishing OPAAC in 1997. Today, it remains the only parent-led childhood cancer advocacy organization of its kind in Ontario. Our conversation explores how advocacy often begins with lived experience and evolves into structured, system-level engagement. Susan explains the difference between “Big A” advocacy — policy work, formal partnerships, and participation in hospital decision-making — and “Little a” advocacy, which includes peer support, attending appointments with parents, and staying connected to families during and after treatment. We talk about why parents can feel overlooked within the healthcare system, how support needs change significantly once treatment ends, and why relationship-building with healthcare teams is essential for sustainable change. The episode offers a practical look at how parents can move from emotional response to effective advocacy, and how organizations like OPAAC create meaningful support for families across the treatment continuum. You can find out more about Susan and OPACC here: https://www.opacc.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min

  4. FEB 3

    How To Talk To Your Child About Their Cancer with Rec Therapist Danielle Scarlett

    Today I'm privileged to chat with Recreational Therapist and owner of Flow Recreation Therapy and Consulting, Danielle Scarlett, about the hard conversations no parent wants to have with their children. We work through every topic from how to tell our kids they have cancer, what to say when something is going to hurt, how to approach end of life conversations, and what to do when there are simply no words. Danielle shares practical guidance for starting these conversations in age-appropriate ways, inviting children into an open dialogue, and allowing space for uncertainty and emotion—both the child’s and the parent’s. From the power of saying “I don’t know” to the important distinction between "protecting" versus "supporting", this episode offers reassurance that there is no perfect script—only presence, honesty, and the willingness to keep the conversation going as children and parents process their cancer diagnosis together. You can find Danielle here https://flowrecreationtherapy.ca/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    50 min

  5. JAN 25

    Paving Your Own Way in Survivorship with 3x Childhood and AYA Cancer Survivor Kirsten

    I absolutely adore my guest today, Kirsten — and I know you’re going to feel the same way. Kirsten is a three-time childhood and young adult cancer survivor with so much honesty and insight to share about what survivorship really feels like. Kirsten was first diagnosed with ALL at age 10, spending more than six years in treatment after a relapse — during the years when kids are learning how to make friends, belong, and be themselves. Finishing treatment didn’t mean life snapped back into place. Survivorship brought its own challenges, especially around reintegration, social development, and finding her footing after missing so much of childhood. Later, in her 20s, Kirsten faced cancer again — this time during young adulthood, another critical stage of identity and growth. In this conversation, we talk openly about fear, uncertainty, stigma, bullying, and the long emotional tail of childhood cancer. What makes Kirsten so special is how real she is about all of it — and how she’s used her experience to pave the way not just for herself, but for the survivors coming behind her. For parents, this episode offers a powerful glimpse into what survivorship can look like long after treatment ends. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 min

  6. JAN 6

    Support for Bereaved Parents - The Importance of Peer Connection, How Partners Grieve Differently & How Community Can Help Carry the Weight with Zach’s Bridge Founders Jenn and Jon Wall

    Recent research published in a pediatric journal confirms what cancer parents already know: the psychological impact of childhood cancer often lives longer and deeper in parents than in the children themselves. Anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and grief don’t end when treatment ends—they shape how parents live, who we become, and how we move through the world. While we don’t need academic validation—because cancer parents already witness and confirm this truth for one another—it matters to see caregivers finally centered in research. That essential peer recognition is what led me to today’s guests. Jon and Jenn Wall are the founders of Zach’s Bridge, a 1:1 virtual peer support program for advanced and bereaved pediatric cancer parents and caregivers. When their 16-year-old son Zach was in palliative care for osteosarcoma—a phase they call pre-bereavement—they longed to speak with other parents who had already been there. Not professionals, but peers. Parents who had planned funerals. Parents who had come home to empty bedrooms. Those sacred conversations became the foundation of Zach’s Bridge—a place where families navigating pre-bereavement and bereavement can speak freely, honestly, and without translation. In this episode, Jon and Jenn share how partners grieve differently and extend grace to one another, how community can help carry the weight of loss, and a powerful coping framework Jon calls Both/And—the ability to hold grief and joy at the same time. As you listen, carry this quote with you: “We don’t need translators for our pain—we need people who speak the same language.” Parents who have lost a child deserve support from others fluent in the deeply specialized language of loss. Jon and Jenn have built something profoundly necessary for families walking this path, and I am deeply inspired by what they continue to offer those coming up behind them. To learn more about Zach's Bridge, please visit zachsbridge.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    51 min

  7. 12/16/2025

    Mark Levine, Host of Help & Hope Happen Here Podcast on What He's Learned From Cancer Parents After Almost 500 Episodes

    When we were in treatment, I was one of those parents who wanted to hear everything about every single paediatric cancer family I could. Not only because I was looking for support, but because these were my new people. This was my new community and I wanted to fully immerse myself into this world because I simply didn’t fit in my old one anymore. One of the ways I was able to dive in was listening to the podcast Help and Hope Happen Here hosted by the most lovely and biggest hearted human, Mark Levine. Mark has immersed himself in the paediatric cancer world for different reasons than most of us have - he is not a cancer parent, but instead a true, full fledged ally to oncology parents and children who is dedicated to raising awareness and sharing our stories. Mark is close to 500 episodes of Help and Hope Happen Here - FIVE HUNDRED! He speaks to families, survivors, organizations, and clinicians connected to paediatric cancer, and he does it with so much care and attention to his guests. I really wanted to speak to Mark to ask him about what HE thinks when he talks to cancer parents, what he takes away, and what he sees and hears after spending hundreds and hundreds of hours in deep and meaningful connection with us. So, let’s dive deep with Mark. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    29 min

  8. 11/29/2025

    Singer, Songwriter & Cancer Mom Anna Palfreeman On Her Deeply Resonant & Essential Album, "Frontline"

    The whole intention of this podcast is to give cancer parents a feeling of recognition - of knowing we’re not alone, and we do this by sharing our stories. Storytelling is how we connect at our most fundamental, primal selves - it’s the most ancient thread humans use to tie ourselves together and make sense of the world around us. Now, when you add music to those stories - when you communicate through song - well, that’s when things get even more profound, more connected. Music transcends language, music cuts through all the logic and meaning and connects us on a cellular level. And that’s what my guest today has done for the entire paediatric cancer community. Anna Palfreeman, a singer & songwriter from Seattle, wrote the album Frontline when her almost 5 yr old son Emerson was diagnosed with B cell ALL in December of 2023. In a desperate state to process her shock and absorb her son's diagnosis, she found the piano in the chapel at Seattle Children’s hospital and started to pour her feelings out in the way she knew how - through song, and music. This turned into Anna writing an entire album that starts with Emerson’s first chemo and follows his frontline treatment. Songs like, Too Much, He’ll Be Ok, Breathe and The Tunnel are all songs that will SPEAK TO YOUR SOUL. I can’t emphasize this enough. That recognition we talk about when we hear each other's stories - well, the recognition you’ll feel when you hear Anna’s songs - it will go straight to your core. My advice is to listen to her album from start to finish as a catharsis, as a healing journey, and as confirmation that sharing our experiences is how we bear witness to each other - it’s how we feel seen, and how we see the people around us. You can stream Frontline wherever you listen to music, or support Anna through her website annapalfreeman.com and her Bandcamp https://annapalfreeman.bandcamp.com/album/frontline Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    51 min
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Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The Deep C Podcast is for families, caregivers, friends and community who are supporting a child through a cancer diagnosis. While every ounce of your being is used to carry your child, this podcast is here to carry you.When you're bedside at the hospital, sitting in a waiting room for the millionth appointment, or just need to feel like you're not alone in this dark place - come find us. Our conversations will match the ones you're already having in your head. No topic is off limits, no fear is kept hidden. We speak to parents and caregivers at every stage of a diagnosis - families who are NED and families who are bereaved - diving deep into their reflections and personal accounts of how they walked (sometimes crawled) through their child's cancer diagnosis. This is not a medical podcast, we don't discuss chemo cocktails or treatment plans. You already talk about that enough. This podcast is where you come for conversations between people JUST like you: scared, tired, determined, and fierce as hell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Channel
    Snack Labs
  • Creator
    Snack Labs
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    64
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Sam Taylor
  • Show Website
    The Deep C

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