In this episode of Cups & Courage, Sam speaks with acupuncturist, researcher and author Beverley de Valois about the role acupuncture can play in cancer care and survivorship. They explore how it can support people through treatment and beyond, from managing hot flushes, fatigue, anxiety and nausea to improving quality of life after a diagnosis. It’s a thoughtful, practical conversation about supportive care, lived experience and the need for better awareness of what can help after treatment.

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Shirley was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, before facing a recurrence five years later in 2020. In this honest conversation, she reflects on reconstruction, body image, family support, living with uncertainty, and what courage really looks like when cancer becomes part of your story. It’s a warm, open episode about resilience, vulnerability and learning to live fully in the in-between.

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Juliet was diagnosed with breast cancer ten years ago — a routine mammogram that changed everything. After a mastectomy and chemotherapy, she made a decision that surprised her medical team: she chose not to reconstruct. Instead, she fought for symmetry, autonomy, and the right to live in a body that felt honest to her.

In this powerful episode, Juliet shares the emotional and physical reality of living with one breast, the long battle to be heard by her surgeon, and the relief she felt when she finally woke up flat. We talk about informed consent, medical culture, body image, advocacy, and why visibility matters for women who choose a different path.

This is a conversation about courage — not just surviving cancer, but insisting on choice, dignity, and self-definition

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In this episode of Cups & Courage, we sit down with Charlayne — clinical nurse specialist, breast care nurse, and co-founder of a charity supporting young women with breast cancer. With over 40 years in nursing, Charlayne shares what it truly means to walk alongside people at the most frightening moments of their lives.

We talk about vulnerability as courage, the shock of diagnosis, information overload, and the quiet but vital role breast care nurses play as translators, advocates, and anchors. Charlayne opens up about building support where none existed, creating safe spaces for young women, and why recovery is about far more than finishing treatment.

We explore the gaps that still remain — support for children, partners, intimacy, and life after cancer — and the small acts of care that make a lasting difference.

This is a conversation about compassion in practice, the power of being seen, and the courage it takes to hold space for others every single day.

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When Carly was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at 37, it wasn’t her first encounter with cancer. With a family history of breast cancer and an unexpected discovery of the BRCA1 gene mutation, her diagnosis unfolded fast — from swollen lymph nodes to chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and a double mastectomy with DIEP flap reconstruction.

In this deeply honest conversation, Carly shares the reality of navigating an aggressive diagnosis, making treatment decisions, advocating for the right medical team, and undergoing major surgery during lockdown. She talks openly about fear of recurrence, learning to live in a changed body, grief, humour, resilience — and the unexpected ways cancer reshaped her identity.

We explore genetic testing, BRCA awareness, patient advocacy, mental health after treatment, preparing for surgery, and why joy, play, and self-compassion became essential parts of survivorship.

A conversation about courage that’s quiet, real, and hard-won.

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In this episode of Cups & Courage, we sit down with Emma, who was diagnosed with de novo stage four metastatic breast cancer after what she thought would be a routine mammogram.

Emma shares what it’s really like to live scan to scan — carrying a life-limiting diagnosis while feeling physically well, navigating constant uncertainty, and learning how to live alongside fear without letting it take over. We talk about genetic testing, late screening, advocacy, and the complicated relationship with a body that looks the same but no longer feels safe.

This is a conversation about quiet strength, trusting medical teams, and redefining what courage looks like when cancer isn’t something you “get through,” but something you live with.

A powerful, honest episode about awareness, autonomy, and choosing to live fully — even when tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.

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In this deeply honest conversation, Sam sits down with Sophie — diagnosed in 2020 with stage 3 breast cancer. Sophie shares her story with raw clarity: from a mammogram that missed her cancer, to the shock of finding it in 13 lymph nodes, the fear of a liver lesion, and the strange reality of chemo, menopause, and body changes no one prepares you for.

We talk about courage not as fighting, but as walking forward without knowing the outcome. Sophie reflects on reframing her experience, making friends with chemo (yes, really), navigating implants and body image after reconstruction, and the pressure to live a “new life” after cancer — even when you’re still figuring out who you are now.

This is one for anyone living in the messy middle: grateful to be here, but still carrying the weight of it. With biscuits (contentious choices were made), humour, vulnerability, and a whole lot of truth.

🫖 Expect: body talk, menopause chat, cancer reality, self-worth, hope, therapy, courage (real courage — not the inspirational quote version).
🍪 Biscuit of choice: fig rolls — surprisingly divisive.

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In this powerful conversation, we sit down with Jacqui — a Black Women Rising ambassador whose breast cancer diagnosis arrived just six weeks into a brand-new chapter of her life. Jacqui shares how shock, dismissal, and relentless side effects shaped her experience, and how she had to fight to be heard in a healthcare system that repeatedly minimised her pain.

She speaks openly about the pressure to return to work, the financial fear that pushed her beyond her limits, and the emotional cost of holding everything together for her family. Jacqui also explores the deep generational reasons why trust in healthcare can be fractured for Black women, and why visibility, representation, and safe spaces are vital.

From navigating endocrine therapy and complex side effects to discovering survivorship therapy, mindfulness, and community support, Jacqui traces the long road from numbness to feeling again — and the role Black Women Rising played in helping her reclaim her voice.

This episode is about courage that isn’t loud or dramatic — it’s about refusing to stay stuck in fear, learning to rest, asking for help, and allowing yourself to feel. Jacqui’s story is a reminder that healing isn’t linear, and that none of us should have to do it alone.

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