At first, Denny “Stretch” Williams chalked up his abdomen pain to a muscle strain. But the pain worsened over the next few months, and in January of 2022, Stretch was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Though difficult, Stretch and his wife were up front with their two teenagers and kept them in the loop each step of the way. After five …
A Hero Emerges from the Shadows
Mike Craycraft is a testicular cancer survivor and founder of the Testicular Cancer Society. In 2006, Mike felt a lump and knew it was cancer. He decided not to go to the doctor or tell anyone about it, and instead opted to live like he was dying. He even went so far as to throw his own “going away” party. …
My Journey as a Caregiver
In 2010, Lee Walinchus took on a new role in addition to husband and father. After his wife, Mary, was diagnosed with cancer and started an intense chemotherapy regimen, Lee became chief caregiver to his wife and their three young daughters. The family was blessed with a helpful community, and Lee also took charge of coordinating the support efforts. To …
Fight for Yourself and What’s Right
On this episode of Campfires of Hope: Living Beyond Cancer, we sit down with Jackie Wesley, the founder and executive director of Fighting Together to Save Lives. Jackie is a uterine and breast cancer survivor who was first diagnosed in 2003. Jackie’s cancer journey inspired her to become a cancer advocate, especially to the African-American community. She discusses the challenges …
Self-Serving Through Cancer
Megan Clifford, a.k.a. Disney, was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma when she was just 11 years old. Being diagnosed at such a young age, she often struggled to relate to her peers, find social support, and develop her own identity and voice. Once she reached her 20s, Disney took it upon herself to seek out support and found Epic Experience. …
Yes I Can
Jessica Stapleton, a.k.a. “Tree Hugger,” is a Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor who attended an Epic Experience weeklong camp this past summer. Before camp, Tree Hugger thought she was doing just fine with her cancer journey. Through her week of trying new activities and connecting with other survivors, however, she realized she hadn’t truly processed her cancer experience. Tree Hugger came home with …
Giving Tuesday Roundtable w/ the Epic Experience Staff
In honor of Giving Tuesday, the Epic Experience staff came together for a live roundtable chat to discuss their experiences working for the organization. Nancy, Mark, Colin, and Chris share their favorite mission moments, what they’re looking forward to in 2023, and how donations support Epic Experience’s mission to empower the cancer community.
How to Cancer: How to Understand Your Legal Rights with Cancer
On this episode of How to Cancer, Joanna Morales discusses how to understand your legal rights when facing cancer. Joanna is a cancer rights attorney and also the CEO of Triage Cancer.
Finding Community
Brad Glassel, a.k.a. B-Rad, is a prostate cancer survivor and Epic Experience camp alumni. On this episode of Campfires of Hope: Living Beyond Cancer, Brad highlights the importance of finding community during the cancer journey. Brad shares his initial challenges with his cancer diagnosis and how reaching out and connecting with other cancer survivors empowered him to thrive in the cancer …
Lemons to Lemonade
Nate Krugman, a.k.a. Lemon, is a testicular cancer survivor who attended a weeklong summer camp with Epic Experience. Ever the optimist, he shares his story about taking life by the horns and finding positives in otherwise negative situations. In his own journey, Nate found healing by fundraising to help cancer survivors with their medical bills and by inspiring others during …