Cancer and Comedy: Helping Cancer Impacted People to Cope with Hope and Humor

Kevin Gazzara is Dr. Brad Miller’s guest on this episode of “The Beyond Adversity Podcast.” Kevin is the co-founder of Magna Leadership Solutions and a certified Positive Intelligence (PQ) mental fitness coach. He brings over 30 years of corporate experience, including 18 years at Intel, where he worked in leadership development and organizational performance. Today, Kevin helps leaders build resilience, improve emotional intelligence, and overcome limiting mindsets through his coaching and consulting work. In this episode, Kevin shares how his life took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, something that runs i...

Bill is an entrepreneur, executive coach, and business strategist who has led companies through financial crises, built leadership frameworks, and now helps others navigate adversity with resilience, discipline, and faith. He is also the author of Restored by the Storm, where he shares his journey of overcoming life-threatening illness and business challenges. In this episode, Bill shares how he grew up working in his family’s construction business, eventually taking on major responsibilities in land development and large-scale projects. He explains how navigating the Great Recession forced him to make high-stakes decisions under pressure, shaping his mindset ar...

Cara Lockwood is the guest on Episode 103 of “Cancer and Comedy,” hosted by Dr. Brad Miller with co-host Deb Krier.Cara Lockwood is a bestselling romance novelist whose work has been adapted into Lifetime movies. She helps people navigate the cancer journey by blending humor, joy, and practical insights to reclaim strength and perspective. Her approach empowers patients not only to endure treatment but to live fully and intentionally despite life’s unexpected challenges.In this episode, Cara shares how her stage II breast cancer diagnosis became the ultimate plot twist in her life...

From Stage 4 Cancer to Purpose: A Story of Identity, Addiction, and Healing On this episode of the Cancer and Comedy Podcast, Dr. Brad Miller sits down with Dr. Joshua Carabello, an industrial organizational psychologist and author of I’m Not Dead Yet, to explore a deeply personal journey that began with a life-altering diagnosis at just 18 years old: What happens when surviving cancer is only the beginning of the battle? Drawing from his experience with stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Joshua opens up about the emotional and spiritual stru...

On this episode of Cancer and Comedy, Dr. Brad Miller talks with Cathy Nesbitt, a health and wellness advocate and laughter yoga teacher from CathysClub.com, about how intentional laughter, energy techniques, and even worms can help people move from stress into joy—especially when facing cancer and other major life challenges. Cathy shares the deeply personal story of losing her beloved stepfather Mike to brain cancer when she was just 21, and how that loss shaped her vow never to stay in a job that didn’t serve her, ultimately leading her from a worm composting business into the worl...

On this episode of the Cancer and Comedy Podcast, Dr. Brad Miller and Deb Krier take on a tender, real-life moment so many of us eventually face: What do you do when someone you care about sends the message, “I have cancer”? Drawing from their own journeys—Deb with breast cancer and Brad with prostate cancer—as well as years of walking alongside others, they unpack how to respond with compassion, presence, and appropriate lightness without being intrusive or “making it weird.” In this honest, practical, and hope-filled conversation, Brad and Deb share: Why you sh...

Tim McDonald is Dr. Brad Miller’s guest on an episode of “The Beyond Adversity Podcast.” Tim is a speaker, community builder, and advocate who uses his story to encourage others facing serious health challenges and personal adversity. He is known for openly sharing his journey with cancer and for helping people understand the importance of connection, vulnerability, and support during difficult moments in life. In this episode Tim shared the moment his life changed when a doctor walked into the room with a single sheet of paper and said three words...

Deb Krier joins host Dr. Brad Miller on this episode of “Cancer and Comedy”, a show devoted to helping cancer-impacted people heal through hope and humor — what they call turning the grim into a grin. Deb is the co-host of Cancer and Comedy, a community for “lifter uppers” — people facing cancer or other serious adversity who refuse to be dragged into a dark spiral and instead choose to seek joy, connection, and laughter in the midst of difficult diagnoses. In this episode, Deb and Dr. Brad dive into the often-overlooked topic of Seasonal...

On this episode of Cancer and Comedy, host Dr. Brad Miller and co-host Deb Krier talk with Steve Garrity, author of Great Fruit: How Cancer Led to Living a More Fruitful Life. At just 18 years old, Steve was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin’s lymphoma after discovering a lump in his neck that had quietly grown into a grapefruit-sized tumor. What followed was nearly a year of chemotherapy, the loss of his social circle, a breakup with his girlfriend, and a total disruption of the life he thought he wanted.Steve openly shares how, at that time, he wa...

On this episode of Cancer and Comedy, Dr. Brad Miller talks with psychologist and author Dr. Lou Franzini about how humor can be a powerful ally during cancer, stress, and everyday adversity. Lou shares his journey from university professor and researcher to practitioner of therapeutic humor, drawing on his work in psychology, his involvement with Toastmasters, and even stand-up comedy to explain why humor matters so much for emotional and physical health. Brad and Lou explore what makes humor helpful versus harmful—why racist, sexist, or demeaning jokes damage connection, and how appropriate, inclusive, or even gently se...

On this episode of Cancer and Comedy, Dr. Brad Miller talks with James Moffitt, founder of Father’s Refuge, about grief, faith, and finding hope after the loss of a child. James shares the stories of his daughter Jessica, who died from childhood cancer at age 10, and his son Jeremy, who passed away years later from serious health complications. His experiences show how grief is not a moment in time, but a lifelong journey that reshapes identity and belief.James explains how Father’s Refuge was created after realizing that fathers often lack support once a child’s trea...

In this episode of “Cancer and Comedy”, Dr. Brad Miller talks with mental health advocate, performer, and podcast host Kevin Crispin (Behind Beautiful Things) about living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, and the “things that eat you alive” on the inside. Anchored in a Bob Dylan lyric— “Behind every beautiful thing, there’s some kind of pain”—Kevin shares how he’s learned to acknowledge both the hurt and the hope, and how we can choose what to focus on.Kevin opens about childhood racing thoughts, irrational fears, and feeling “other,” and how therapy, performing, and his one-man show “Invisible...

Cancer changes everything, but it also has a way of revealing life’s most important truths. In this heartfelt episode of the Cancer and Comedy podcast, Dr. Brad Miller sits down with Tim Sohn—two-time bestselling author and the host and creator of the Showing Up: Perspectives on Cancer podcast. Tim opens up about his 18-year journey with chronic myeloid leukemia, a diagnosis that initially brought shock and fear but ultimately inspired a mission of connection, healing, and hope.Tim shares how he found strength in storytelling—first by hearing others’ experiences and then by sharing his own. He...

Dr. Brad Miller welcomed humorist Alan Klein to the Cancer and Comedy podcast, focusing their conversation on the transformative power of humor in difficult times. Klein shared stories from his career and personal life, including influences from his parents and his experience working on children’s television. The discussion highlighted how small acts of humor, such as handing out dad-joke cards or wearing a red clown nose, can serve as icebreakers and foster positive interactions, even with strangers. Dr. Miller and Klein emphasized that humor is not just a reaction but an intentional attitude that shapes relationships and provides pe...

Deb Krier and Dr. Brad Miller ring in the New Year on this special episode of "Cancer and Comedy," where their mission is to heal cancer-impacted people through hope and humor—turning the grim into a grin. Together, Deb and Dr. Brad explore “Planning in Pencil: A Cancer Patient’s Guide to the New Year,” offering uplifting advice for adapting to life’s unpredictability, especially for those coping with cancer or other adversities. The hosts share candid stories from their own lives—including Dr. Brad’s memorable tale of taking his mother to the movies—to illustrate the importance o...

Pastor, author, and Marriage Monday podcast host David Barringer joins Dr. Brad Miller for a meaningful episode of the Cancer and Comedy podcast, a show committed to helping people facing cancer and other life challenges cope with hope and humor. David is the lead pastor of Kalamazoo First Assembly of God and the author of Speaking From the Shadows, where he shares his own battle with depression and the emotional complexities often hidden behind leadership and ministry. Known for his honesty, warmth, and humor, David brings a fresh perspective to how laughter can serve as both a h...

Mallori DeSalle is a licensed mental health counselor, certified humor professional, professor at Indiana University’s School of Public Health, and a trainer of motivational interviewing. She is also an Oreo connoisseur who has tasted more than 150 flavors from around the world — and a recent breast cancer patient who uses humor as her most powerful coping tool. In this episode, Mallori shares how she faced the fears, uncertainty, and emotional strain of her cancer diagnosis with authenticity, honesty, and laughter. She talks openly about going from a routine mammogram to a callback, to a biopsy, and then to th...

Deb Krier joins Dr. Brad Miller on a special Thanksgiving-week episode of the Cancer and Comedy podcast, a show dedicated to helping cancer-impacted people cope with hope and humor.  Deb is the co-host of Cancer and Comedy and the creator of the Surviving Not Dying community, where she supports patients and caregivers with honest conversations, practical encouragement, and laughter during difficult seasons. In this episode, Deb and Dr. Brad talk about what they call “the gratitude we didn’t ask for,” exploring the unexpected good that shows up in the middle of cancer, loss, and...

Deb Krier joins Dr. Brad Miller on this episode of “Cancer and Comedy,” where the mission is to heal cancer-impacted people through hope and humor — turning the grim into a grin. Deb is a longtime dog lover, national beagle show leader, and board member of the National Beagle Club of America. In this episode, Deb opens up about the profound role pets — especially dogs — play in helping people cope with cancer, grief, and difficult life experiences. In this deeply personal conversation, Deb shares the emotional story of losing her beloved beagle, Carmen, after sudden...

Deb Krier joins Dr. Brad Miller on this episode of The Cancer and Comedy Podcast. Deb, the co-host of the show, leads a heartfelt and grounding conversation about navigating loneliness during the cancer journey — especially for those who are going through treatment without a built-in support system or close circle of caregivers. In this episode, Dr. Brad and Deb reflect on how deeply loneliness can affect cancer patients, even those who do have supportive family or friends. They share stories from listeners, including one powerful comment from a stranger online: “I have never felt so alone...