Episodes

🎥 VIDEO EPISODE NOTE: This story was created for video and includes incredible visual moments from THON Weekend — from walking through Penn State's player cheer tunnel to experiencing the energy of 16,500 students in the Bryc...

What happens when treatment ends but the journey continues? For young adult cancer survivors, the ringing of the bell marks not an ending, but the beginning of something more complex — survivorship. In this powerful episode o...

What does health maintenance really mean when you're a young adult cancer survivor? Eliot and Hailey—both acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors—share the reality of life after treatment: checkups every six months, scho...

When a Life Lion flight nurse saves a teenager's life, he never expects to meet him again. Ten years later, that young man returns—not as a patient, but as a father—to say thank you. Ten-year-old William, a leukemia survivor,...

Tony Campisi, a two-time cancer survivor, shares a story about hockey, resilience, and discovering that heaven doesn't have to look the same to still be heaven. Diagnosed with an astrocytoma tumor on his spinal cord at age fo...

At twelve years old, Ariana was living for sports — two softball teams, church basketball, and constant motion. Then her knees started hurting. What seemed like a sports injury turned into an osteosarcoma diagnosis that would...

Karen Powell, a nurse practitioner at Memorial Sloan Kettering who specializes in breast cancer care, returns for Part 2 to share the night everything changed: her own diagnosis at age 39. A lifelong runner, healthy eater, an...

Karen Powell, a Penn State graduate and nurse practitioner at Memorial Sloan Kettering, shares a deeply personal story that spans three generations of women affected by breast cancer. Diagnosed herself at age 39, Karen’s path...

Ariana McDonell and Tony Campisi share how they turned their childhood cancer journeys into powerful designs for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. At just 12 years old, Ariana entered a t-shirt design contest that became much...

Taylor, Eliot, Shelly, and Tony share how something as simple as a cooking class can spark confidence, connection, and independence after cancer. Hosted at Zest! Cooking School in Lititz, Pennsylvania, this Life on Pause even...

Robyn, a 21-year-old from Lancaster County, was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia during her second year of college. What started as what she thought were boils and cold symptoms quickly turned into a life-ch...

Paige, a 15-year-old from Pennsylvania, was diagnosed with Burkitt’s leukemia at stage 3. After spending seven months in the hospital undergoing intensive treatment, she found herself withdrawn and unsure—until she met a hors...

Emma, Lucas, Ariana, and Casey open up about what it’s really like to attend a cancer camp as a young adult. From fears about fitting in to late-night laughs and life-changing conversations, they share the moments that made t...

Mason, a 21-year-old from Iran, shares his remarkable story of fighting neuroblastoma for more than a decade. Diagnosed at age 7, Mason has faced multiple relapses, treatment resistance, and devastating setbacks—including the...

Maya , a young cancer patient and gifted artist, shares how drawing became her outlet during treatment for acute myeloid leukemia. Inspired by animator Vivienne Medrano, Maya dove into digital art to escape the fear and isola...

Maya, a 15-year-old high school student, shares the deeply personal story of how her childhood fear of getting cancer became real. Diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), she takes us through the moment she first felt sy...

In this episode of Life on Pause , we explore a critical—but often overlooked—aspect of cancer care: fertility preservation. Joined by Dr. Mindy Christianson, a national expert in reproductive endocrinology from the Cleveland...

In this episode of Life on Pause , young adult cancer survivors open up about the incredible power of support systems. From family and friends to classmates, coworkers, and even strangers, our guests share how they leaned on ...

How does a cancer diagnosis impact education and career aspirations? In this episode of Life on Pause , seven young adult cancer survivors share their personal experiences of having their lives disrupted by cancer during pivo...

In this candid bonus episode of Life on Pause , young adults share their personal experiences with body image during and after cancer treatment. Through heartfelt stories, they explore the challenges of rapid weight changes, ...

In this bonus episode of Life on Pause , young adult cancer survivors open up about the powerful sensory triggers that bring back memories of their cancer treatment. From the sharp scent of hand sanitizer to the saline flushe...

In this heartfelt episode of Life on Pause , Corene Parrish and a group of young adult cancer survivors gather to explore the complex relationship between food and cancer. Reflecting on life before, during, and after treatmen...

Surviving cancer is only the beginning of the journey. In this episode of Life on Pause, Nathan Smelser, Corene Parrish, and Sammy Szurkowski dive into the emotional and practical challenges of navigating life after cancer. F...

Navigating a cancer diagnosis as a teenager is challenging, but the support of friends can make a world of difference. In this episode of Life on Pause, we hear personal stories from Corene Parrish, Nathan Smelsar, and Sammy ...