Welcome to Black Cancer, a podcast about the nuances of our lives as people of color told through our cancer journeys. I'm your host, Jodi-Ann Burey. Our guest on today’s episode is Kandis Draw, a cancer advocate, pianist and writer.

I think many, not all, but many adult children know they’ll have to take care of their parents at some point in their lives. At some point your parents will get sick. At some point your parents will need help. At some point, we - the adult children, enter into what they call the “sandwich generation” - middle aged adults who are simultaneously taking care of aging parents and their own children.

But we all don’t get sandwiched in that way. Sometimes this thing that might happen to our parents at some point in the future, is happening now.

A few years ago, Kandis Draw, when she was just 30 years old, found herself in between jobs with a full-time job of taking care of her mother, who received an unexpected diagnosis of Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer, and taking care her younger siblings. Like many caregivers, it’s easy to lose yourself in the shuffle. In this episode, we talk about the work - THE WORK of caregiving and how Kandis turned that work into a mission - serving now as a national advocate for the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance. We also discuss genetic testing, support groups for caregivers and much more.

Here’s my conversation with Kandis.

Our guest on today’s episode is Lauren Tarpley. At the time of this recording, Lauren was about a third of the way through her chemotherapy treatment. For the breasties out there, Lauren is BRCA-, HER2+ and hormone receport negative. She’s a wife with a toddler and because of her cancer diagnosis, she also has “three little boys in the freezer” - her description not mine. Lauren and I talk about her diagnosis path and what it means (for both of us) to be in a statistically unlikely situation. You’ll hear us talk a lot about AYA cancers - an acronym for adolescent and young adult, which is a cancer experience Lauren elevates on her platform. We also talk about decision-making for her family planning - specifically navigating this as a young adult.

Just a heads up - we have a mic switch just a few minutes in. We are trying to make this podcast during a pandemic, so thanks so much for understanding!

Here’s my conversation with Lauren.

Find more about Lauren on Instagram:

• https://www.instagram.com/typeaguidetocancer/
• https://www.instagram.com/lifewithlittleones.podcast/

Our guest on today’s episode is Tamika Felder. Tamika is a successful nonprofit founder, a cancer advocate, an award-winning director, an inspiration leader, and so much more. Her organization is called Cervivor and it’s a movement to end cervical cancer. You can learn more at cervivor.org.

Tamika was diagnosed with cervical cancer over 20 years ago - and has been unstoppable building her dreams. Her courage, wisdom, and spark are absolutely contagious. The author of "Seriously, What Are You Waiting For? 13 Actions To Ignite Your Life & Achieve The Ultimate Comeback," Tamika empowers everyday people to bounce back by equipping them with tools to find perspective after tragedy and loss. You will absolutely want to take notes and set aside some time for reflection after this. I am still beaming with everything she shared!