Lilly Ribner was diagnosed at 37 with Stage I, Triple Negative breast cancer. She is a stay at home mother of two young children. In this episode, Lilly reads her essay “Through Her Eyes” from the 2024 Mothers & Daughters issue of Wildfire Journal. Her piece is about a moment where three generations exist at once: a mother losing her memories, a daughter facing breast cancer, and a little girl sweeping up the curls her mother just shaved from her head. April and Lilly will talk about a moment of control found in cancer, radical presence, befriending anxiety, finding community, and survivorship. They will also explore the liminal space where roles reverse, caring for a parent while navigating motherhood through cancer.

More about episode sponsor After Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD): https://abcdbreastcancersupport.org/

https://www.instagram.com/abcdafterbreastcancerdiagnosis/#

Learn more about Lilly: https://www.instagram.com/lillyribner/

Purchase the Mothers & Daughters issue of Wildfire Journal: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/shop/p/mothers24

Buy the Wildfire book Igniting the Fire Within: Stories of Healing, Hope & Humor, Inside Today’s Young Breast Cancer Community: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJVJ629F?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

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Learn about Wildfire writing workshops: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/workshops

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*Free* Get Wildfire and The Burn freebies here: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/free

More about Wildfire Journal:

https://www.wildfirecommunity.org

https://www.instagram.com/wildfire_bc_magazine/

https://www.facebook.com/wildfirecommunity

Information on submitting your story for consideration to be published in Wildfire Journal: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/submissions

Erin Perkins was diagnosed at 34 with Stage II, Triple Negative breast cancer. She is a volunteer, writer, Young Breast Cancer Project board member, and stay-at-home parent. Erin is a self-published author of “Young Breast Cancer Your Story and Mine: A Compact Guide”. In this episode, Erin reads her essay “The Way It Felt” from the 2024 Mothers & Daughters issue of Wildfire Journal. Her piece is about motherhood and memory and what happens when the fear of leaving your children collides with your own childhood wound of being left. April and Erin will talk about embodied writing, cancer activating old wounds, parenting before and after cancer, and Erin’s self-published book. They will also discuss the words that changed Erin at her friend’s deathbed.

More about episode sponsor iRise Above Foundation: https://www.iriseabovefoundation.org/

https://www.instagram.com/irise_above/

Learn more about Erin:

https://www.erinleeperkins.com/

https://www.instagram.com/erinleeperkins/

https://erinleeperkins.substack.com/

Purchase the Mothers & Daughters issue of Wildfire Journal: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/shop/p/mothers24

Buy the Wildfire book Igniting the Fire Within: Stories of Healing, Hope & Humor, Inside Today’s Young Breast Cancer Community: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJVJ629F?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

Get the free Wildfire “Hot Flashes” email newsletter: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/newsletter?rq=newsletter

Learn about Wildfire writing workshops: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/workshops

Shop Wildfire merch & more: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/shop

*Free* Get Wildfire and The Burn freebies here: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/free

More about Wildfire Journal:

https://www.wildfirecommunity.org

https://www.instagram.com/wildfire_bc_magazine/

https://www.facebook.com/wildfirecommunity

Information on submitting your story for consideration to be published in Wildfire Journal: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/submissions

Julia Tabisz was diagnosed at 25 with Triple Negative breast cancer. She is a journalist, editor, and a mom with a passion for writing and competitive Irish dance. Julia happily lives in the woods of Maryland with her son and daughter. In this episode, Julia reads her essay “A Mother’s Biggest Problem” from the 2024 Mothers & Daughters issue of Wildfire Journal. Her piece is a story about motherhood, and how swiftly perspective can be upended by a cancer diagnosis while still brushing tiny teeth and tucking in tiny bodies. April and Julia will talk about journalistic writing versus writing to process and heal, how being given writing prompts unlocks flashes of memory, and how Irish dance has kept Julia connected to herself.

Learn more about Julia:

https://www.instagram.com/sisterhoodunplugged/

https://sisterhoodunplugged.com/

Purchase the “Mothers & Daughters" issue of Wildfire Journal: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/shop/p/mothers24

Buy the Wildfire book Igniting the Fire Within: Stories of Healing, Hope & Humor, Inside Today’s Young Breast Cancer Community: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJVJ629F?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

Get the free Wildfire “Hot Flashes” email newsletter: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/newsletter?rq=newsletter

Learn about Wildfire writing workshops: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/workshops

Shop Wildfire merch & more: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/shop

*Free* Get Wildfire and The Burn freebies here: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/free

More about Wildfire Journal:

https://www.wildfirecommunity.org

https://www.instagram.com/wildfire_bc_magazine/

https://www.facebook.com/wildfirecommunity

Information on submitting your story for consideration to be published in Wildfire Journal: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/submissions