Marrow Masters Podcast

The information in these podcasts should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your health care provider regarding your medical decisions and treatment. The listed resources are not intended to be endorsements.

SEASON 18 : EPISODE 0

Season 18 Trailer : Let’s Talk About Caregiving Tips and Resources

Our 18th season of the Marrow Masters podcast is all about the caregivers. Our guests will offer up their best tips, experiences and advice. We’ll cover the importance of self-care and share heartwarming stories of compassion and love. You’ll hear from an RN and transplant manager at Atlanta’s Northside Hospital, a CEO of a cancer organization who found herself in the cargiver role, an oncology social worker, a survivor who had an army of caregivers, and a male and female caregiver. You’ll want to hear how those roles affected the dynamics of their relationships.

SEASON 18 : EPISODE 1

Cancer Caregiving Close to Home: A CEO’s Story

In this episode, we sit down with Sally Werner, CEO of Cancer Support Community, to explore her dual perspective as a longtime oncology professional and as a caregiver to her mother-in-law. We begin with Sally’s background—first as an oncology nurse, then a healthcare administrator, and now a nonprofit leader. She calls this her “passion job,” driven by a deep commitment to support patients and caregivers alike.

SEASON 18 : EPISODE 2

Choosing Hope: Deb Brandt’s Cancer Caregiving Journey

In this episode, we talk with Deb Brandt, caregiver to her husband, JR, a survivor of Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Deb shares the journey that began in September 2016 when JR noticed unusual symptoms that led to an urgent diagnosis. Within days, he began an aggressive chemotherapy regimen, with the hope of a bone marrow transplant as the only cure. The search for a match took seven months, eventually expanding internationally until a 10/10 donor was found, leading them to relocate to Stanford University for the procedure.

SEASON 18 : EPISODE 3

Transplant Caregiving: Skills, Support, and Self-Care With Hina Desai

Today we sit down with Henry Ford Health Michigan’s Hina Desai, an oncology certified social worker with decades of experience, to share her best caregiving tips for those supporting transplant patients. Hina explains that patience, physical stamina, problem-solving, adaptability, and emotional intelligence are essential caregiver skills. We talk about the many roles a caregiver plays — from transportation and medication management to wound care, infection prevention, meal preparation, and emotional support. Staying connected to the healthcare team and keeping friends and family informed are key.

SEASON 18 : EPISODE 4

A Male Cancer Caregiver’s Story: From Diagnosis to Recovery

In this episode, we speak with Daniel Medina of Broomfield, Colorado, about his journey as a caregiver for his wife Miley, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in 2021 at the young age of 27. What begins as a story of sudden diagnosis during an active summer of volleyball quickly turned into an emotional and logistical rollercoaster for Daniel, Miley, and their then two-year-old daughter.

SEASON 18 : EPISODE 5

Lorri and Her Cancer Caregiver Army – It Takes a Village

In this episode, we sit down with Lorri Pimentel of Santa Rosa, California, a resilient survivor who shares her deeply personal journey through breast cancer, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and a life-saving bone marrow transplant. We explore not only the medical milestones but also the practical and emotional realities of navigating treatment and recovery, especially in the context of caregiving during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SEASON 18 : EPISODE 6

Stories from the Front Line of Cancer Caregiving

In this episode, we sit down with Anastasia Cacavias, a registered nurse and manager of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Leukemia Program at Northside Hospital Cancer Institute in Atlanta. Anastasia walks us through the essential role that caregivers play throughout the transplant journey—from initial diagnosis to long-term recovery. Her perspective comes not only from clinical experience but from deeply personal connections with patients and their support systems.

SEASON 18 : Bonus Episode

An Empathy Exercise

Given that Season 18 of Marrow Masters focuses on caregiving, we wanted to share an empathy exercise that the LINK’s licensed staff social worker, Jennifer Gillette, performed in a recent webinar. It’s impossible to know exactly what a cancer patient is going through, but through this exercise, you may get a bit of understanding. And it may help you garner some empathy for the person you are caring for.