Patient Stories

Joyce Beecher vividly recounts her cancer journey as a caregiver to her husband, Rich Beecher, who was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 2003. Listen to Joyce’s story as she describes their determination to find the best care and treatment for Rich, and encourages patients and caregivers to never give up.

Diagnosed in 2003, Rich Beecher has been living with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) for 15 years. Rich describes his cancer journey – from “Why me?” to focusing on the positive things in his life, including immersing himself more in photography.

When Melissa Marshall went in for a hip surgery, which she attributed to her being a performer and her age, she discovered she had rectal cancer. Currently in remission and cancer-free, Melissa has launched the No You Cant’cer Foundation and written a song with the same title about her cancer journey.

Cindy Lovelace shares her extraordinary cancer journey, being a survivor of not one, but two different types of cancer – breast cancer and neuroendocrine tumor (NET) cancer. Listen to Cindy’s story as she talks about her diagnoses and courses of treatment, and delves deeper into going through a clinical trial, which dictated her treatment path for NET.

Yelak Biru recalls being initially diagnosed with stage 3 multiple myeloma at age 25, and his subsequent relapse. Working with oncology teams, educating himself through support groups, and getting involved in associations as a speaker, Yelak has integrated myeloma into his life by becoming a patient advocate.

Hildy Grossman describes her struggle with the stigma linked to a lung cancer diagnosis and her work, through Upstage Lung Cancer and music, to educate the public about lung cancer.

Cathy Sherman Freeman’s father, who was Head of Publications at Walt Disney Studios, passed away of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), the same rare cancer she was diagnosed with several years ago.