There are moments in life when everything slows down just enough for you to hear what truly matters. This episode was one of those moments for me. As I sat across from Abri, I wasn’t just interviewing a guest-I was witnessing a living, breathing testimony of what it looks like to hold onto hope when everything else tries to take it away.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” That verse from Romans 12:12 felt like it wrapped itself around this entire conversation. Because if there is anyone who embodies that kind of faith in motion, it’s Abri.

Abri’s first dance recital after amputation.

I first met Abri years ago, just after my own amputation. I was standing in a church parking lot on crutches, when I heard someone call my name. I turned to see a young girl—no older than nine—being carried over to me, full of light, full of joy, completely unshaken by the challenges she had already faced. In that moment, she didn’t just meet me… she steadied me. She spoke life into me without even realizing it. And I remember thinking, “If she can do this… I’m going to be okay.”

Fast forward to today, and that same young girl-now seventeen-is still walking through more than most people will ever understand. But what struck me the most during our conversation wasn’t just her strength. It was her honesty.

A young Abri battling cancer.

Abri didn’t sugarcoat the hard. She didn’t pretend that faith erases fear or pain. She spoke openly about the anger, the confusion, the loneliness. About the moments where her faith was shaken to its core. About isolating herself because fear felt safer than being seen. And yet… she didn’t stay there.

That’s the difference.

She made a choice-again and again-to lean back into God. Not perfectly. Not without questions. But with a willingness to trust, even when nothing made sense.

Laughter and sense of humor is so helpful amidst trials. Never lose your smile!

And what I see in her now is something even more powerful than the fearless little girl I first met. I see depth. I see resilience forged through pressure. I see a young woman who understands that faith isn’t about having all the answers-it’s about knowing where to turn when you don’t.

As we talked about what’s ahead for her-another amputation this summer, stepping into adulthood, reclaiming her voice in her own medical journey-I couldn’t help but feel in awe. Because she’s choosing courage in real time. She’s choosing hope in the middle of uncertainty. She’s choosing to believe that something good can still come from something incredibly hard.

And when I asked her what gets her through it all, her answer was simple, but profound: Jesus.

Not as a distant idea. Not as a checklist. But as a constant presence. A friend. A place to bring her anger, her fear, her questions—everything.

That kind of relationship… that kind of faith… it changes you.

It doesn’t mean the road gets easier. But it means you’re never walking it alone.

What Abri reminded me-and what I hope you take with you—is this: it’s okay to feel the hard things. It’s okay to be angry, to question, to struggle. But don’t stay there. Don’t build a home in that space.

Our reunion after several years of non-stop trials in Abri’s life.

Life is too short to live without hope.

And hope doesn’t come from the world—it comes from something deeper. Something steady. Something unshakable.

So if you’re in a season right now where everything feels heavy… where fear is loud… where you’re not sure how to take the next step… start small.

Find community. Find people who remind you of who you are when you forget. Open the door-even just a crack-to something bigger than yourself.

And maybe, just maybe… like Abri… you’ll begin to see that even in the pressure, even in the pain, something beautiful is being formed.

A warrior.

Be joyful in hope. Be patient in affliction. Be faithful in prayer. -Romans 12:12

Your story isn’t over.

And neither is the strength inside of you.

As always…

Be healthy,

Be happy,

Be YOU!!!

Much love,

What happens when the warrior you planned to interview is not quite ready to speak, but her story still needs to be heard? Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is pivot, honor the moment, and make space for healing.

This week’s episode was deeply special to me because it was a beautiful reminder that not every story unfolds the way we expect it to. I had planned to sit down with Abri, a young woman who has inspired me for years, but life asked us to pivot. Instead, I had the privilege of talking with her mom, Nikkole, and together we shared the story of a young woman whose life has been marked by unimaginable hardship, extraordinary courage, and unwavering faith.

A young Abri, when they discovered Ewing’s Sarcoma.

Even during the early struggles, humor was her super power.

I first met Abri years ago, shortly after my own amputation. I was still on crutches, still trying to process what my future might look like, when this little girl came over to meet me in a church parking lot. She was only around nine years old at the time, and yet she was the one encouraging me. She told me I was going to be okay. I have never forgotten that moment. Even then, I knew there was something incredibly special about her.

Shortly after my amputation, Abri made her post-amputation debut with her dance troupe, I went to be inspired… and I was!

In this conversation, Nikkole opened up about who Abri was before cancer ever entered their lives. She was fearless, fiery, adventurous, and full of life. She was the kind of child who made her mom nervous because she was always climbing, running, exploring, and living boldly. Then came the devastating diagnosis of Ewing’s sarcoma at just seven years old. What followed was every parent’s nightmare: hospital stays, chemotherapy, surgeries, uncertainty, and heartbreak.

What struck me most in talking with Nikkole was not only Abri’s strength, but the strength it took for her family to keep going. As moms, we so often go into survival mode for everyone else. Nikkole shared what it was like trying to hold her family together while watching her daughter suffer. She talked honestly about the crying in private, the fear, the exhaustion, and the isolation that can come when you are trying to be strong for everybody in the room.

A teenager at heart, doing teenager things, despite being more experienced in things no teenager should have to be experienced in.

Abri’s story did not stop with surviving cancer. She endured a failed limb salvage, chose amputation in order to get back to living, and returned to dance with the kind of determination that leaves you speechless. But even after all of that, the battles kept coming. Chronic pain, sepsis, ongoing medical trauma, and the emotional toll of living in a body that has endured so much have all continued to shape her journey.

And yet, through it all, Abri continues to shine. Her faith is powerful. Her spirit is undeniable. She is still in survival mode in many ways, and that deserves our respect. Some stories are not easy to tell while you are still living them. Some wounds are still tender. This episode is a reminder that healing is not linear, strength does not always look loud, and having a voice sometimes means knowing when you are not ready to use it yet.

Sharing her talents with guitar playing and song writing, using worship music to tell her story and to connect with God.

What I hope listeners take from this episode is simple: do not give up. Your story is not over. You are more than what has happened to you. Abri is not just a cancer survivor. She is a warrior, a young woman of deep faith, and a light that is touching lives whether she realizes it or not.

When she is ready, I know she will tell her story in her own words. Until then, this episode is about honoring her journey, her family, and the sacred space healing requires.

Make sure to Like, Share and Subscribe so you have access to all of my episodes and especially so you don’y miss out when Abri is ready to tell her story.

Keep moving forward, Warriors. Your story is not over, it is just beginning!

And as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

Much love,