How do you keep showing up when life changes completely?

In this episode of WE GOT THIS, Elissa Kalver speaks with former Marine and advocate Jake Messier about living with stage 4 metastatic male breast cancer and using his experience to raise awareness for others.

Jake shares what strength, vulnerability, and resilience look like in real life, especially when navigating uncertainty and advocating for a disease many people overlook.

This is a conversation about courage, community, and continuing forward one day at a time.

Follow WE GOT THIS for more honest conversations about navigating life’s hardest moments together.

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What does it look like to keep showing up for your life while you’re still in treatment?

In this episode of the WE GOT THIS podcast, Elissa sits down with Broadway performer and cancer thriver Kara Lindsay. Since her diagnosis in October 2024, Kara has been navigating treatment while continuing to show up as a mom, a wife, and an artist.

This conversation is about what it actually looks like to live in the middle of it. Holding fear and joy at the same time. Staying connected to who you are while everything feels uncertain. And finding moments of light, even on the hardest days.

At WE GOT THIS, we believe stories like Kara’s help people feel less alone and more understood in their own experience.

About Kara Lindsay:

Kara Lindsay is a Broadway performer known for her roles as Glinda in Wicked, Cynthia Weil in Beautiful, and Katherine Plumber in the original Broadway cast of Newsies. Her work spans Broadway, national tours, television, and film, including appearances on Murphy Brown, ABC’s Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong, and The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II. She holds a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University.

Kara was diagnosed with cancer in October 2024 and is currently in treatment, continuing to navigate life as a mother, wife, and artist.

Follow Kara: @karalindsay1

Kara Lindsay & Elissa Kalver are joining forces for We Got This — a benefit concert of song and stories supporting the cancer community. All proceeds benefit WeGotThis.org, the first ever cancer registry founded by Elissa Kalver to support patients through every step of their journey. 🎭🤍 Tickets available here: https://thegreenroom42.venuetix.com/showdetails/PeC32qpJ4XcgHxHZLDgV/Q5daoXFDqqMgXGd2gy9t

In this episode, we talk about:

• Living in treatment, not just after it

• Balancing motherhood, marriage, and a creative career during cancer

• Holding onto identity when everything shifts

• Finding moments of joy in the middle of uncertainty

• The role of community in getting through hard seasons

Watch the full episode on YouTube

Subscribe for more conversations with thrivers, experts, and advocates.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of WE GOT THIS, Elissa Kalver sits down with Sarah Clark, Executive Director of Blood Cancer United – Greater Los Angeles (formerly the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society), for a powerful conversation about what real cancer support can look like for patients and caregivers.

Sarah shares how her personal connection to blood cancer led her into nonprofit work, and how Blood Cancer United helps people navigate cancer through patient education, financial support, clinical trial guidance, nutrition support, and one-on-one connection programs.

Together, Elissa and Sarah talk about the very real gaps patients face after diagnosis — from medical debt and treatment logistics to caregiver access and the emotional weight of trying to do it all alone. They also dive into why collaboration between cancer organizations matters, how support systems can change outcomes, and why no one should have to navigate cancer without resources or community.

This episode is an important listen for anyone facing cancer, supporting a loved one, or looking for trusted cancer resources that go beyond the basics.

• What Blood Cancer United offers for patients and caregivers
• How the organization’s Information Resource Center supports people in real time
• Financial assistance options, including copay help, hardship support, travel assistance, and medical debt counseling
• Nutrition support and why some services are available beyond blood cancers
• The power of peer support through programs like First Connection
• Why patients often miss out on free resources simply because they do not know they exist
• How WE GOT THIS and other nonprofit organizations can work together to better support the cancer community
• The importance of community, advocacy, and connection during diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship
• Why caregiver support remains one of the biggest unmet needs in cancer care

Sarah Clark is the Executive Director of Blood Cancer United – Greater Los Angeles and has spent more than 15 years serving the blood cancer community in a variety of roles. With a strong background in fundraising, community engagement, and patient support, Sarah is passionate about connecting patients and families with the resources they need most. Her work is deeply personal, shaped by family experiences with leukemia and a long-standing commitment to helping no one face cancer alone.

• Blood Cancer United
• https://bloodcancerunited.org/
• Blood Cancer United Information Resource Center
• https://bloodcancerunited.org/resources/patients
• WE GOT THIS Resource Directory at wegotthis.org
• https://wegotthis.org/collections/resources
• Support for blood cancer patients, caregivers, nutrition guidance, financial assistance, and medical debt counseling
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WE GOT THIS exists to make navigating cancer a little less overwhelming — and a lot more supported.

In addition to the podcast, WE GOT THIS offers free resources for the cancer community, including:

• A Free Gift Registry
• A Recommendations Shop with vetted products for cancer patients and caregivers
• A Free Resources Directory with trusted organizations, support services, and education

Explore everything at wegotthis.org

Follow WE GOT THIS on social: @wegotthisorg

Follow Blood Cancer United on social: @bloodcancerunited

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