Episode 37

The Caregiver Who Sparked a Movement

with Andrea Wilson Woods
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The Caregiver Who Sparked a Movement

How do you turn unbearable loss into lasting impact?

Andrea Wilson Woods, patient advocate, speaker, and founder of Blue Fairy: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association, shares the powerful legacy of her sister Adrienne’s book, I’d Rather Be Dead Than Deaf: A Young Woman’s Journey with Liver Cancer. What began as one young woman’s journal became a voice for thousands facing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)—one of the world’s deadliest yet most preventable cancers.

As Adrienne’s guardian and caregiver, Andrea faced a system unprepared to support young adults with cancer. Out of that heartbreak came Blue Fairy, now a national nonprofit providing education, advocacy, and emotional support for HCC patients and their families. Andrea explains how today’s targeted and immunotherapies are changing outcomes, why patient stories matter, and how caregivers can stay organized and hopeful through chaos.

This episode is a tribute to Adrienne’s courage and to every family walking the same path. It’s a reminder that even in the hardest moments, advocacy, love, and education can create real change—and that hope always has another chapter.

Highlights:

00:42 – The story behind I’d Rather Be Dead Than Deaf
Hear how Adrienne Wilson’s journals became a powerful book that gives a voice to young adults facing liver cancer.

02:15 – Why Andrea founded Blue Fairy
Learn how one sister’s loss inspired a national nonprofit that now educates, advocates, and supports HCC patients and families.

04:12 – Understanding hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
Discover what makes HCC one of the deadliest cancers—and why prevention and early screening are key.

06:45 – Today’s breakthroughs in liver cancer treatment
Andrea explains how targeted therapies and immunotherapies are improving both survival and quality of life.

09:03 – A caregiver’s turning point
Find out how Andrea went from feeling powerless to becoming her sister’s strongest advocate and a voice for others.

11:20 – The Blue Fairy approach to advocacy
See how education, storytelling, and community support drive real change in awareness and policy.

13:47 – Caregiver tools that make a difference
Learn Andrea’s practical “binder system” for keeping records, test results, and notes organized through treatment.

16:02 – Palliative care vs. hospice—knowing the difference
Hear Andrea’s clear explanation of these two terms and how each can improve quality of life at different stages.

18:25 – Why stories save lives
Understand how personal stories like Adrienne’s can move doctors, influence research, and inspire others to seek help sooner.

21:05 – Finding hope after loss
Andrea shares what healing looks like after grief—and how Blue Fairy continues Adrienne’s legacy through education and compassion.

Mentioned Resources:

CanCare- www.cancare.org

Book – www.cancare.org/hopebook

Blue Farey - https://www.bluefaery.org/

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About the Guest:

Andrea Wilson Woods is the founder and president of Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association, a nonprofit she created in memory of her sister Adrienne. A cancer caregiver, patient advocate, speaker, podcaster, and award-winning author, Andrea has turned personal loss into a mission of hope, empowering families facing liver cancer through awareness, education, and support.

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Ep 60

Spoiler Alert: She Lives

with Tracy Case
Can a stage four cancer diagnosis leave room for a long life filled with purpose and hope? Tracy Case is a 22-year stage IV breast cancer survivor, CanCare volunteer, and author of Spoiler Alert: She Lives. Her cancer journey began while she was raising a three-year-old and caring for a newborn. Faced with a prognosis of 18 months to five years, Tracy leaned on faith, family, friends, and a strong support system while moving through years of cancer treatment. As the years passed, Tracy began setting small milestones instead of focusing on an uncertain future. She learned to advocate for herself, seek a second opinion, communicate honestly with her children, and accept help when she needed it. Her experience also shaped how she approached marriage, motherhood, survivorship, and the fear that can remain long after treatment begins. Today, Tracy uses her story to give others the same hope she once needed. Through CanCare and her memoir, she reminds people facing cancer that they don't have to walk alone. Her message is simple: find your people, ask questions, advocate for your care, and keep taking the next step. You may be stronger than you ever imagined. Highlights:  Finding ways to live with uncertainty without letting fear lead every decision  Helping children feel safe through honest, age-appropriate conversations  Knowing when another medical opinion may help you move forward with confidence  Protecting relationships through clearer expectations and open communication  Turning lived experience into meaningful support for someone else Mentioned Resources: CanCare- www.cancare.org Tracy’s Book – https://a.co/d/01rB8MCl About the Guest: Tracy Case is a stage IV breast cancer survivor, marathon runner, and author of Spoiler Alert, She Lives, a memoir about the twenty-plus years she was never supposed to get. Diagnosed at 33 when her daughter was just six weeks old, she now volunteers with CanCare, walking alongside other women facing what she once faced.
Ep 59

Talking to Your Kids About Cancer

with Becca Schuetz
Becca Schuetz is a certified child life specialist and founder of Coping Solutions. With more than a decade of experience in pediatric and adult oncology, she helps families talk about cancer, treatment, grief, and change in ways children can understand. Her work is rooted in child development, honest communication, emotional safety, and family support. Becca’s path began with her own childhood health issues. She remembers wishing her family had someone to explain what was happening and help them cope. Later, an internship with Camp Sunshine showed her how much support families facing childhood cancer need. That experience shaped her focus on oncology and child life care. Becca explains why children often cope better when parents use clear, age-appropriate language. She shares how conversations should change for toddlers, school-age children, and teens. Parents will also hear practical ways to prepare kids for treatment, respond when they shut down, maintain helpful routines, and make space for grief. Her message for parents is simple. You don’t need perfect words. Keep showing up, keep communication open, and start where you are. Children need honesty, consistency, connection, and the reassurance that they will be cared for. Highlights:  How children process cancer at different ages Age-appropriate ways to explain cancer.  What children may be saying without words How behavior can reveal what they’re feeling.  How to create emotional safety at home Why naming feelings helps kids cope.  Ways to preserve stability during treatment How routines and connection build security.  Why parents need support too How child life and peer support can help. Mentioned Resources: CanCare- www.cancare.org Becca’s website – https://www.copingsolutionsllc.com About the Guest: Becca Schuetz is a Certified Child Life Specialist, a guide for grieving kids, and a believer in families' capacity to endure. For more than a decade, she worked inside two of the country's leading hospital systems, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory Healthcare, walking beside families in pediatric and adult oncology through diagnosis, treatment, and everything in between. She brings that experience to her private practice, Coping Solutions, where she helps children of all ages face loss, fear, and change in ways that are developmentally honest and emotionally safe. Becca shares what children actually understand about illness and death, how adults get it wrong with the best intentions, and why the hardest seasons are meant to be walked together.
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