Episode 40


Hope for Cancer Caregivers

with ‍Rose Gerber
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Hope for Cancer Caregivers

What helps a caregiver stay steady when cancer changes everything?

Caregivers carry so much of the emotional weight of cancer, yet their needs are often overlooked. In this powerful episode, Darcie Wells joins the Community Oncology Alliance, hosted by Rose Gerber, for a conversation that sheds light on the unseen side of caregiving and the hope that grows when no one has to carry the burden alone.

Rose, a long-term breast cancer survivor, and Darcie talk about why caregivers deserve as much care, compassion, and emotional support as the person going through treatment. They discuss the role of trained peer volunteers and how emotional support changes the caregiving experience for both the patient and the family.

Darcie reflects on caring for her mother, stepfather, and grandmother as each faced cancer, all from a distance. She remembers wanting to help but not knowing where to turn, and later realizing how much a companion with lived experience would have eased the fear and isolation. Her message is clear. Your role matters. Caring for yourself strengthens the care you give. Hope grows when someone walks beside you with understanding.

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Highlights:

-Learn why caregivers often hide their stress and how that impacts the support system.

-Hear how CanCare trains volunteers to provide safe, compassionate emotional space.

-Understand why relationship-based matching helps caregivers feel seen and understood.

-Discover simple communication habits that help caregivers support loved ones.

-Gain insight into long-term caregiving needs and why support must adapt over time.

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Mentioned Resources:

CanCare- www.cancare.org

Book – www.cancare.org/hopebook

COA - communityoncology.org

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About the Guest:

‍Rose Gerber is a long-term breast cancer survivor and host of the Community Oncology Alliance podcast. Diagnosed while raising young children, Rose’s journey through treatment shaped her calling to ensure that others facing cancer are supported, informed, and heard. Today, she leads patient advocacy and education for the Community Oncology Alliance, managing the COA Patient Advocacy Network and working alongside oncologists, nurses, survivors, and policymakers across the country. Her work has taken her to Washington, D.C., national media platforms, and community cancer centers nationwide, empowering patients and protecting access to community-based cancer care.

is a long-term breast cancer survivor and host of the Community Oncology Alliance podcast. Diagnosed while raising young children, Rose’s journey through treatment shaped her calling to ensure that others facing cancer are supported, informed, and heard. Today, she leads patient advocacy and education for the Community Oncology Alliance, managing the COA Patient Advocacy Network and working alongside oncologists, nurses, survivors, and policymakers across the country. Her work has taken her to Washington, D.C., national media platforms, and community cancer centers nationwide, empowering patients and protecting access to community-based cancer care.

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Ep 61

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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.
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.
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