How To!: Show Up For a Friend With Cancer
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3.9 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 1 August 2023
⏱️ 39 minutes
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Summary
When Gwendolyn found out her friend was diagnosed with cancer, she knew she wanted to help. She just didn't know how. Her friend lives hundreds of miles away. How can she help in a way that's more meaningful than sending a meal and a few encouraging texts? On this episode of How To!, guest-host Courtney Martin brings on Mia Birdsong, author of the book How We Show Up. Mia went through her own cancer journey and figured out structures of support that not only helped her but made supporting easier for her friends.
If you liked this episode, check out: How To Solve Your Own Medical Mystery
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Transcript
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| 1:00.0 | I made a definitive decision that I was absolutely going to ask for all of the help. |
| 1:04.3 | I'm not going to be stoic, I'm not trying to do this shit by myself, like we're not doing that. |
| 1:09.9 | Welcome to How To. I'm journalist and author Courtney Martin sitting in for Carvelle Wallace. |
| 1:16.3 | I don't know if it's middle age, I'm 43, or catching up with folks after the worst of the pandemic, |
| 1:22.0 | or just well real life, but there are quite a few people around me who've gotten cancer recently. |
| 1:29.2 | Neighbors, dear friends, kids at my kid's school, it's terrifying, and plants this little seed |
| 1:36.7 | of helplessness in me every time I hear a new diagnosis. Since magically eliminating cancer |
| 1:43.6 | doesn't seem to be an option, nor is swapping bodies, we are left trying to support as best we can. |
| 1:51.6 | But the question is, how? |
| 1:54.8 | Hi, I'm Gwendolyn, and I live in Philadelphia, and I am here to talk about supporting a friend. |
| 2:04.8 | Gwendolyn is a friend of mine, and she met this friend of hers two decades ago in London, |
... |
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