Episode 53

Cancer Researcher Becomes Survivor

with Larry Coffer

Cancer Researcher Becomes Survivor

What can a cancer researcher teach us when he suddenly finds himself sitting in the patient chair?

Larry Coffer spent more than 20 years at MD Anderson Cancer Center supporting ovarian and breast cancer research, helping teams develop treatments and improve patient outcomes. Long before his own diagnosis, cancer shaped his life through his stepfather’s battle with colon cancer. That experience inspired a career dedicated to helping others. Then, while training for a marathon, a routine physical revealed a rare cancer called extramedullary plasmacytoma. What began as a standard checkup quickly became a life-changing journey.

Larry shares what it was like to move from researcher to patient, receive treatment at the institution where he built his career, and navigate the uncertainty that comes with a rare diagnosis. He opens up about the emotional toll of cancer, the importance of leaning on friends, family, faith, and community, and how running helped him process the experience. He also discusses his work as a stem cell donor and advocate, helping others understand the life-saving impact of bone marrow and stem cell donation.

Larry’s story is a reminder that a diagnosis does not define who you are. With support, purpose, and hope, it is possible to keep moving forward one step at a time.

Highlights:

1. How a routine health screening uncovered a rare cancer with no warning signs

2. What changes when a cancer researcher becomes a cancer patient

3. Why support systems matter even for the people who seem strongest

4. How running, faith, and community can help during treatment and recovery

5. What stem cell donation really involves and why more donors are urgently needed

Mentioned Resources:

CanCare- www.cancare.org

Larry’s Marathon Fundraiser for CanCare - https://fundraisers.hakuapp.com/larry-coffer

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About the Guest:

Larry Coffer is a plasma cell cancer survivor, cancer researcher, stem cell donor, and marathon runner. For more than 20 years, he has led groundbreaking research at MD Anderson Cancer Center focused on ovarian and breast cancer. Then a routine physical before a marathon changed everything. Larry completed 20 rounds of radiation and rang the bell in January 2026. His running community has a special connection to CanCare, a full-circle moment. Larry shares what happens when the science becomes personal, and what he found on the other side.

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Blossoming Beyond Breast Cancer"

with Galina Slavova

How do you find hope when cancer leaves you feeling completely alone? Galina Slavova is a former competitive judo champion, actress, model, author, and breast cancer survivor whose life has tested her strength many times. Born in Bulgaria, Galina survived a devastating car accident, left home in search of freedom, and rebuilt her life in the United States. In 2023, breast cancer brought a different kind of fight. Far from her family, she faced treatment and profound isolation without the support system she desperately needed. Galina shares how cancer changed her body, challenged her identity, and forced her to discover who she was beyond appearance and achievement. Writing became a way to cope, while connecting with other cancer survivors helped her find the community she had been missing. Those experiences inspired her to create peer support for others facing cancer and begin documenting survivor stories. Her documentary, Still Here: I Am Not Cancer, and memoir, The Wrong Side of Freedom, carry that mission forward. Galina’s story reminds patients, survivors, and caregivers that strength can appear when it feels impossible to find, and no one should have to face cancer alone. Highlights: Finding strength beyond survival Discover how resilience can change as life asks different things of you. The hidden weight of isolation Learn why emotional support can matter deeply during a cancer journey. Meeting yourself after cancer Explore what it can mean to rebuild identity when your body and life change. The power of shared experience Hear why peer connection can offer something even loving family members cannot. Turning pain into purpose Discover how lived experience can become a way to support someone walking behind you. Mentioned Resources: CanCare- www.cancare.org Galina’s website - https://www.galinaslavova.com/ About the Guest: Galina Slavova is an award-winning author, actress, model, former Bulgarian national judo champion, and breast cancer survivor. After her 2023 diagnosis left her facing treatment largely alone, she founded the Blossoming Beyond Foundation, which offers free therapy and support to patients, survivors, and caregivers. She also began filming survivors' stories for her upcoming documentary, Blossoming Beyond, and built a peer community for survivors and caregivers.

Making Joy the Reflex

with Jenna Schutt

How do you hold on to hope when treatment, uncertainty, and fear become part of daily life? Jenna Schutt’s diagnosis is different, but the terrain will feel familiar to many facing cancer. A cardiac nurse and mother of two, Jenna was diagnosed at 30 with systemic mastocytosis, a rare blood disorder affecting roughly one person in a million. Her medical journey is similar to many cancer journeys included more than eight rounds of IV chemotherapy, repeated procedures, long periods of isolation, and a stem cell transplant. Knowing the medical system from the inside didn’t make being a patient easier. Jenna still had to advocate for herself when something felt wrong, ask harder questions, and eventually seek different care when she wasn’t being heard. She also faced treatment during COVID, when the support she needed most often couldn’t be in the room. Through those years, Jenna learned that hope doesn’t require ignoring what is hard. Her Joy Reflex framework grew from learning to recognize fear, anchor herself in what is true, and take the next faithful step instead of trying to solve everything at once. Her story offers a reminder for anyone facing illness or uncertainty: fear may come first, but it doesn’t have to decide what comes next. Highlights: Advocate Without Apologizing: Ask questions and speak up when something feels wrong. Focus on the Next Step: Keep moving without needing the whole plan. Let Fear Be Present, Not in Charge: Choose how you respond to uncertainty. Find People Who Understand: Lean on support that doesn’t require explanation. Create Meaning from Hard Seasons: Turn what you’ve lived through into hope for others. Mentioned Resources: CanCare- www.cancare.org Jenna’s website - https://www.jennaschutt.com/ About the Guest: Jenna Schutt is a cardiac nurse, homeschooling mom of two, and creator of The Joy Reflex. At 30, weeks after her second son was born, she was diagnosed with Systemic Mastocytosis — a one-in-a-million blood disorder treated like a blood cancer. After eight rounds of chemo and a stem cell transplant from her brother, she now teaches others to make faith, peace, and joy their reflex instead of fear.

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