What happens when life changes so dramatically that “getting back to normal” is no longer the goal?

In this episode of The Many Faces of Cancer, Melissa sits down with healthcare professional, entrepreneur, advocate, speaker and cancer survivor Sarita Parikh, whose life changed dramatically after a devastating accident left her with a traumatic brain injury—only to be followed months later by a breast cancer diagnosis.

Sarita shares the extraordinary story of navigating brain injury rehabilitation and cancer at the same time, including the cognitive and physical challenges that made even routine appointments difficult. She also talks about the unexpected way cancer forced her to confront something she hadn't yet had the capacity to process: just how much her life had changed.

Their conversation moves beyond diagnosis and treatment into the much bigger question of what recovery is actually for.

Sarita shares the philosophy behind her evolving work with Mind, Body, and Play Therapies and her concept of “life-first care”—an approach that asks not simply how we help someone recover, but how we help them build the capacity to participate in a meaningful life.

Melissa and Sarita also explore the importance of play, joy, awe, rest and connection—and why making room for those things doesn't mean ignoring the grief, anger and loss that can accompany cancer and trauma.

Sarita also shares how attending Epic Experience camp finally allowed her to recognize that she wasn't an “imposter” in the cancer community and begin processing her diagnosis. Even more unexpectedly, the experience of play, nature and connection seemed to help her rediscover something she had struggled to do since her brain injury: simply take a deep breath.

This is a conversation about accepting that life may never look exactly as it once did—and discovering that a different life can still be meaningful, joyful and very much worth living.

In this episode:

• Surviving a traumatic brain injury and cancer in the same year
• Navigating cancer treatment with significant cognitive limitations
• The grief of losing the life you expected
• Why recovery shouldn't only be about “getting better”
• Sarita's concept of life-first care
• Building capacity while also honoring the need for rest
• Why adults need play just as much as children do
• Making room for grief, rage, joy and awe at the same time
• Feeling like an imposter in the cancer community
• The unexpected impact of Epic Experience
• Finding your people—and allowing others to help carry the load

Sarita's message: Feel it all. Feel the fear, rage and grief—but don't try to carry it all alone. Find the people who can walk alongside you.

Resources:

Sarita's website: www.mbptherapies.com

Sarita's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glowandgather/, https://www.instagram.com/mindbodyplaytherapies/

Sarita's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glowandgather, https://www.facebook.com/mindbodyplaytherapies

Sarita's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarita-parikh-glowandgather/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/mind-body-play-therapies/

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Email me: drmelissagrosboll@gmail.com

What happens when cancer enters your life at a time when you're supposed to be focused on growing your family and raising your children?

Nerissa Balland was 38 years old, five months pregnant and already raising a toddler when she was diagnosed with melanoma. Suddenly, an ordinary workday became the beginning of a cancer journey that would challenge not only her health, but her beliefs about cancer, motherhood, identity and what her future might hold.

In this episode of The Many Faces of Cancer, Nerissa shares the experience of being diagnosed while pregnant, why a devastating first oncology appointment led her to seek a second opinion, and how she navigated treatment while caring for two very young children.

When her cancer later returned, Nerissa found herself confronting two deeply held beliefs: that cancer was a death sentence—and that cancer was simply “bad.” A pivotal conversation helped her begin questioning those beliefs and recognizing that while cancer had brought tremendous difficulty and loss, it had also changed the way she approached her marriage, motherhood and life.

That shift eventually led Nerissa to connect with and interview more than 100 young mothers affected by cancer. What surprised her most wasn't how different their stories were, but how much they had in common.

Those conversations became the foundation for her book, Canvas of Courage: The Art of Healing, Hope, and Gratitude for Young Mothers Facing Cancer.

Melissa and Nerissa talk about the emotional themes she discovered again and again—identity, fear, connection, courage, gratitude and the struggle to understand who you are after cancer changes your life. They also explore one particularly powerful shift: moving away from the often-unanswerable question “Why me?” and instead asking “What now?”

Nerissa also shares how creativity has become part of her work helping others process difficult experiences—not because everyone needs to be an artist, but because, as she beautifully puts it, “creativity is a human capacity. It’s not an artistic credential.”

In this conversation:

• Being diagnosed with melanoma while five months pregnant
• Why Nerissa sought a second oncology opinion
• Navigating treatment while raising a toddler and newborn
• The limiting beliefs that shaped her early cancer experience
• The unexpected conversation that became a turning point
• Why “What now?” can be more powerful than “Why me?”
• What Nerissa learned from interviewing more than 100 young mothers with cancer
• The importance of connection and asking for help
• How creativity can help us slow down, process and reconnect with ourselves
• Canvas of Courage and her new companion book, The Curious Curator

Today, Nerissa is approaching nine years with no evidence of disease and uses her experiences as an author, artist, speaker and therapeutic arts practitioner to help others find resilience, curiosity and meaning through life's challenges.

And perhaps her simplest advice for someone facing a new diagnosis is also one of the most important:

Be gentle with yourself. Ask for help. And don't try to go through it alone.

Resources:

Nerissa's Website: https://www.nerissaballand.com

Free Creative Guide: https://www.nerissaballand.com/creative-reset-guide

Nerissa's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nerissaballandart/

Nerissa's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nerissaballand

Nerissa's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nerissaballand

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My website: https://melissagrosboll.com

Email me: drmelissagrosboll@gmail.com

When Julie Daubenmire's 10-year-old daughter Hannah began complaining of knee pain during cross-country practice, her family assumed it was a routine sports injury. Instead, it became the beginning of a life-changing journey through osteosarcoma, a rare pediatric bone cancer.

Today, Hannah is thriving, and Julie has transformed her family's experience into a mission. As Director of Marketing and Family Engagement for Cancer Free Kids, she's helping fund the groundbreaking research that could change how childhood cancers are treated for generations to come.

In this inspiring conversation, Julie shares the emotional reality of parenting a child through cancer, the often-overlooked impact on siblings, why pediatric cancer research remains dramatically underfunded, and why she's optimistic that the next decade could revolutionize treatment for children.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Hannah's unexpected osteosarcoma diagnosis after what seemed like a simple running injury
• Why early detection made such a difference
• The realities of pediatric chemotherapy and limb-salvage surgery
• Living with a growing titanium knee implant
• The emotional impact cancer has on siblings and the entire family
• The importance of mental health and wraparound support during treatment
• Why pediatric cancers receive only a small fraction of overall cancer research funding
• How Cancer Free Kids funds innovative early-stage research
• The promise of targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and personalized medicine
• Why today's research could dramatically improve treatment for tomorrow's children
• Finding purpose after cancer

This episode is a powerful reminder that every breakthrough begins with someone willing to invest in hope.

Resources:

Julie's website: https://www.cancerfreekids.org/

Julie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cancerfreekids/

Julie's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cancerfreekids/

Julie's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cancerfreekids

Follow:

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My website: https://melissagrosboll.com

Email me: drmelissagrosboll@gmail.com

A cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming—but what happens when the next words aren't “Here's what we're going to do,” but instead, “Here are your options. You decide”?

In this episode of The Many Faces of Cancer, Melissa talks with Paul Davies, a prostate cancer survivor, television producer, lifelong educator and Chair of Trustees for Tackle Prostate Cancer in the UK.

Because Paul's father died from prostate cancer, Paul began regular PSA testing in his 40s. Years later, despite feeling healthy enough to run the London Marathon, a change in his PSA began a months-long journey through testing, uncertainty and eventually a prostate cancer diagnosis.

But receiving the diagnosis wasn't the end of Paul's uncertainty—it created an entirely new kind.

Faced with several possible treatment options, Paul found himself overwhelmed by research, potential side effects and the enormous responsibility of choosing the treatment that was right for him. Then, during an interfaith meeting, a rabbi friend offered a sentence that changed everything: prostate cancer might not kill him, but indecision might.

Paul shares how he finally made peace with his treatment decision, why avoiding “treatment regret” matters, and the remarkable full-circle moment when that same rabbi later called Paul after receiving his own prostate cancer diagnosis.

Today, Paul uses his experience to help others through Tackle Prostate Cancer, an organization supporting thousands of people through more than 160 support groups across the UK. He also discusses Make Sense of It, an initiative designed to help people navigate the difficult period between diagnosis and treatment.

In this conversation, Melissa and Paul discuss:

• The importance of knowing your PSA history and recognizing changes over time
• The emotional toll of waiting for a cancer diagnosis
• Why having multiple treatment options can sometimes increase anxiety
• How personal circumstances influence cancer treatment decisions
• Making a decision you can live with without future treatment regret
• The unique emotional challenge of active surveillance
• The power of cancer support groups and peer connection
• Turning your own cancer experience into support for someone else
• Paul's simple strategy for managing worry during cancer treatment

Paul's story is an important reminder that there may not always be one “right” cancer treatment decision. Sometimes the goal is to gather the information, understand what matters most to you, make the best decision you can—and allow yourself to move forward with it.

Resources:

Tackle Prostate Cancer Website: https://tackleprostate.org/

Paul's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pauldavs/

Follow:

Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/melissagrosboll/

My website: https://melissagrosboll.com

Email me: drmelissagrosboll@gmail.com

When Ali Stripling left her corporate career to pursue her passion for women's health, cancer was the last thing she expected. Just one month later, she was diagnosed with Stage III HPV-related anal cancer.

In this heartfelt conversation, Ali shares the symptoms she ignored, the shock of hearing the words "it's cancer," and the difficult reality of chemoradiation treatment. She also opens up about something many survivors experience but few people talk about—the challenges of life after treatment.

Melissa and Ali discuss:

• The symptoms that led to Ali's diagnosis
• The connection between HPV and six different cancers
• Why there should be no shame around anal cancer
• The physical and emotional reality of chemoradiation
• Scanxiety and the unexpected challenges of remission
• Learning to reduce stress and redefine priorities
• The importance of finding community after cancer
• The creation of The Brave Behinds, a support community for women with anal cancer
• Why breathing techniques became one of Ali's most valuable coping tools

Whether you're a survivor, caregiver, or simply want to better understand the cancer experience, this conversation is full of compassion, wisdom, and hope.

Resources:

Ali's Website: www.alistripling.com

Ali's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistripling/

Ali's Instragam: https://www.instagram.com/thequeenagersquad/ and https://www.instagram.com/thebravebehinds/

Other Resources:
www.mission-remmission.org

https://www.analcancerfoundation.org/

Follow:

Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/melissagrosboll/

My website: https://melissagrosboll.com

Email me: drmelissagrosboll@gmail.com

When JJ Singleton was just 27 years old, he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer—a disease he believed only affected older adults. After surgery and chemotherapy, he thought cancer was behind him. Just weeks later, it returned.

Today, more than a decade later, JJ is living with stable but incurable cancer after a clinical trial became the treatment that changed—and ultimately saved—his life.

In this inspiring conversation, JJ shares what it's like to live with cancer long-term, the emotional toll of isolation, why patients must become their own advocates, and how breakthroughs in biomarkers, immunotherapy, and clinical trials are changing the future of cancer care.

In this episode, we discuss:

• JJ's colorectal cancer diagnosis at age 27
• Ignoring symptoms because "I'm too young for cancer"
• Losing 80% of his colon
• When cancer returned only weeks after chemotherapy
• Living with stable but incurable cancer for over ten years
• The clinical trial that became his lifesaving treatment
• Why biomarkers and personalized medicine matter
• How AI is beginning to improve cancer care
• The unique challenges of rural cancer patients
• The importance of finding community after diagnosis
• Why patients should ask more questions and advocate for themselves
• Finding balance instead of trying to do everything "perfectly"
• The future of clinical trials and targeted therapies

Whether you're a patient, survivor, caregiver, or simply someone wanting to better understand today's cancer landscape, this episode is filled with hope, honesty, and practical wisdom.

Resources:

JJ's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jj5145?igsh=cTA4YnhsajI2NTU=

JJ's Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jjsingleton32?_r=1&_t=ZP-97ST10psUxS

JJ's X: https://x.com/JJSingleton1

JJ's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jj-singleton-a275ab2a4/

OncoDaily 2026 100 Most Influential Cancer Survivors

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Email me: drmelissagrosboll@gmail.com

When Kevin Griffiths was diagnosed with bowel cancer at just 44 years old, his world changed overnight. Since then, he's endured multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and an incurable stage IV diagnosis. Yet six years later, Kevin continues to prove that a terminal diagnosis doesn't have to mean the end of living.

In this inspiring conversation, Kevin shares how cancer transformed his priorities, deepened his appreciation for everyday moments, and inspired him to create Cancer My Arse, a fundraising movement that's helping support cancer charities while encouraging others to keep living life to the fullest.

Together, Melissa and Kevin discuss the importance of hope, why positivity isn't the same as toxic positivity, and how advances in treatment are changing what it means to live with stage IV cancer. Kevin also opens up about protecting his mental health, setting boundaries, and finding purpose through helping others.

In this episode:

• Kevin's unexpected bowel cancer diagnosis at age 44
• The symptom that led him to seek medical attention
• What it's really like living with stage IV cancer
• Why "terminal" doesn't mean life stops
• Finding the balance between realism and hope
• The difference between positivity and toxic positivity
• Navigating chemotherapy and difficult treatment decisions
• Learning to appreciate the ordinary moments in life
• Why setting emotional boundaries matters during cancer
• How Cancer My Arse is helping fund cancer research and patient support
• Why none of us are guaranteed tomorrow—and why that's a reason to fully embrace today

Resources:

Kevin's Website: https://cancermyarse.co.uk

Kevin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cancermyarse/

Kevin's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566560542684

Kevin's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kpgriffiths/

Follow:

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My website: https://melissagrosboll.com

Email me: drmelissagrosboll@gmail.com

Cancer treatment often focuses on surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, and medications—but what about the emotional side of healing?

This week, Melissa sits down with cancer thriver, speaker, coach, and bestselling author Edna Castillo to explore how calming the nervous system, listening to your intuition, and processing emotions can profoundly change the cancer experience.

After being diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer during the height of COVID, Edna underwent sixteen rounds of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation while intentionally practicing techniques that helped her move from fear toward peace. Today she teaches those same tools through her Calm the Chaos of Cancer method.

Together, Melissa and Edna discuss:

• Why healing is different from curing
• The impact of living in "fight mode" during treatment
• Trusting your intuition when making medical decisions
• Learning to advocate for yourself with your healthcare team
• How breathing can calm the nervous system in moments of fear
• Finding gratitude without pretending everything is okay
• Why community is one of the most powerful forms of healing
• Seeing cancer as one chapter of your life—not your entire story

Whether you're newly diagnosed, years beyond treatment, or supporting someone you love, this conversation offers practical tools and gentle encouragement for navigating cancer with greater peace and resilience.

Resources:

Free Monthly Workshop: CALM The Chaos of Cancer™
https://livingrealitydreams.com/calm-the-chaos-of-cancer
Edna's Website: https://livingrealitydreams.com/cancer-thriver/
Edna's Book on Amazon: Living Your Intuitive Genius
Edna's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edna.arevalo.castillo925
Edna's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingrealitydreams/
Edna's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ednacastillo/

Follow:

Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/melissagrosboll/

My website: https://melissagrosboll.com

Email me: drmelissagrosboll@gmail.com