In this episode, I share my conversation with Dawn Pickering. Dawn is the mother of two remarkable kids. Her son Ollie was diagnosed with cancer at the age of seven. He endured many rounds of treatment, one of which caused blindness in both of his eyes. Dawn’s daughter Abby, stepped up to be Ollie's stem cell donor when she was just 11 years old. Dawn tells us the story of her amazing family, how they overcame the unimaginable and how they continue to persevere despite the long-term side effects of everything they’ve been through. Dawn has since become a fierce advocate for childhood cancer, as well as for the CNIB.

Here are the links to the organizations that Dawn mentions in the episode can be found here:

Dawn Pickering:

https://www.instagram.com/pickeringdawn/

Ollie's Hope:

https://www.instagram.com/cnib_ollies_hope/

ACCESS / Acces:

https://www.instagram.com/access_acces/

Golden Moms Ottawa:

https://www.instagram.com/goldenmomsottawa?stkn=a2NoeGcyajhzaWpq

September 21, 2026 - Golden Moms on the Hill

https://www.goldenmoms.ca/event-details/gold-on-the-hill-a-national-strategy-for-kids-with-cancer

And finally, here is where you can find Templates to write your MP to ask for a national pediatric cancer strategy:

https://www.strongerthancancer.ca/access-advocacy/access-action

If you would like to share your story, please reach out at nccpod@gmail.com.

I know you'll enjoy this episode.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Matthew Seftel, Medical Director of the Stem Cell Program at Canadian Blood Services. At this moment, there are patients in need of a stem cell transplant. For many, finding a matching donor is their greatest challenge. The Canadian Blood Services Stem Cell Registry recruits volunteer donors who can provide stem cells to patients in need.

Dr. Seftel explains what stem cell transplants are, why patients may need them, who is eligible to join the registry, and how to register. He also walks us through what the donation process involves if someone on the registry is selected to become an anonymous donor.

It is all very remarkable and this is such an interesting conversation. Please listen, and encourage the 17-35 year olds in your life to visit Blood.ca to join the Stem Cell Registry.

https://www.blood.ca/en/stemcells/donating-stemcells/stem-cells-questionnaire

In this episode, I share my conversation with Ambika. Ambika is the mother of Arya, who was 5 in 2024 when he was diagnosed with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Ambika and her husband Abhinav reached out to me because they hoped to share their family’s story and wanted the opportunity to talk about all the ways theirr child’s cancer impacted their family.

Ambika discusses the unique way her family rallied to support her and her husband while they shared the caregiving responsibilities for their two young children. She also shares some of the challenges they faced along the way, such as the isolation that comes with parental identity loss, how to relate to friends and colleagues when your world is upside-down, and how to handle nutritional challenges when your child simply cannot tolerate most of the foods he used to love. In Ambika's words, "We hope our story can offer comfort and connection to other families and caregivers who may be walking a similar path."

If you would like to share your story, please reach out at nccpod@gmail.com.

I know you'll enjoy this episode.