Authors

Charles Walker is a lifelong athlete, father of three, and a liver cancer survivor.

Joe McDonough, president of The Andrew McDonough B+ (Be Positive) Foundation, has dedicated nearly two decades to supporting children with cancer and their families. The foundation, which he co-founded following the loss of his son Andrew, has grown into one of the largest providers of financial assistance for families of children facing cancer in the United States.

Dave Davison is a prostate cancer survivor who found strength and resilience through humor during his radiation and hormone therapy journey.

Staci Kirk is a six-time cancer survivor and founder of the Stiletto Boss Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting women of color beyond cancer treatment.

cartoon drawing of non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor and blogger, John Smelcer

John Smelcer is the author of 60 books, including a dozen books of poetry. His most recent collection is "Raven." For a quarter century, he was Poetry Editor at "Rosebud Magazine," where he currently serves as senior editor emeritus. From 2016-2020, he was the Inaugural Writer-in-Residence for the Charter for Compassion, the world’s largest compassion movement with over five million members in 45 countries.


After being diagnosed with cancer, Clara spent five days in the hospital and received two blood transfusions. In just six months, she has undergone brain radiation, multiple rounds of chemotherapy, immunotherapy (Keytruda), Avastin, biopsies, and several hospital stays, with more treatment ahead. Now post-chemotherapy, Clara continues immunotherapy and shares her journey on TikTok and Instagram @C_Cirks, where she fosters honest dialogue about life with cancer.

Morgan Newman

Morgan Newman, MSW, is a resilient Young Adult cancer survivor, social worker and dedicated patient advocate who has transformed her experience into a powerful force for change.

Michelle Lawrence was diagnosed with large granular lymphocytic leukemia at 31 and has lived with it for 16 years. Now in palliative care, she focuses on savoring life, choosing joy over anger and spending her energy on what matters most.

As a four-time non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor, Rowe, who first received her diagnosis in 2019 at the age of 20, found a sizable following online — including more than 79 million likes and 977,000 followers on TikTok — thanks to her humorous shorts about life with cancer.