08/26/2026
A cancer diagnosis doesn't affect only the person who receives it. In many ways, cancer is a family story.
How do you tell your children you have cancer?
What do you say when they ask, “Are you going to die?”
How do you tell an aging or ill parent? A spouse? A friend?
And when someone you love tells you they have cancer, how do you support them when you don't know what to say?
In a newly published feature, “The Conversation That Changes Everything,” LIVE Today Foundation Founder Dr. Sheri Prentiss draws from her experiences as both a physician and breast cancer overcomer to explore the conversations that happen beyond the diagnosis.
Young journalist Aryana Hadjimohammadi speaks with Dr. Sheri about telling her children while their grandmother was dying, receiving—and sometimes being disappointed by—the responses of others, setting boundaries, asking for help, allowing space for grief, and holding onto hope when there are no guarantees.
One of the simplest lessons may also be one of the most important:
“People remember how safe you made them feel, not how many solutions you offered.”
Sometimes supporting someone with cancer isn't about knowing exactly what to say.
Sometimes it's simply:
I'm here.
You're not alone.
How can I help?
The full article is now featured in LIVE Today Foundation’s Articles & Resources.
❤️ Explore the feature and read “The Conversation That Changes Everything”:
https://www.live-today.org/articles-and-resources
://www.live-today.org/articles-and-resources
