Navigating Childhood Cancer Podcast
Welcome to the Navigating Childhood Cancer Podcast.
In this podcast, we’ll explore all aspects of living through a child’s cancer diagnosis. We’ll speak with parents, experts, caregivers, and maybe even the children themselves, to understand the issues, the risks, the struggles and triumphs. We’ll talk about how to cope, how to support your child, how to ask for (and accept) help from your family and friends, and how to handle all of the day-to-day challenges that you may face while on your child’s journey.
This is the information, and the community, I wish I had when my child was diagnosed with leukemia. My goal is to educate, to support and to inspire anyone who is living through a paediatric cancer diagnosis.
Navigating Childhood Cancer Podcast
Episode 19 - My Conversation with Jessica Hill
In this episode, I have the honour of sharing my conversation with Jessica Hill. I first learned of Jessica, and her daughter Addy, in September of 2023, when Sick Kids Hospital posted a story about a new initiative called Precision Child Health.
The post featured an enormous crystal ball that was filled with colourful mist. At the unveiling, beside the crystal ball, stood a family who spoke about the young teen who inspired the campaign. That teen was Addison Hill, or Addy, as she is affectionately called.
I watched Jessica’s speech, and I was in awe at how a grieving mother could demonstrate such strength and hope, I needed to know more, so I followed along. I went on to learn about Addy’s experience with childhood cancer, and the work that her family has done since Addy's death to raise awareness for angiosarcoma, and to fulfill Addy’s wish to raise funds for cancer research, specifically for the work of Addy’s oncologist and his team, in order to do more for all the other kids out there with this disease.
Jessica herself is a force. She is tireless, committed, so well-spoken, and approaching this situation with so much grace and compassion. I feel so fortunate to have met her, and it is my great honour to share her story with you here.
You can learn more, and watch the documentary about Addy at https://www.teamaddy.ca/addys-story
https://www.instagram.com/teamaddy8/