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,