What do I say to someone with cancer?

Image is of a stick figure that appears to be crying and another giving the first one a hug. Next to them are the words Cancer Conversation SOS

Practical tools for the conversations

no one prepared you for.

Their real genius is not in the perfect thing to do or say, but that they invite you to embrace discomfort and act with deep compassion. 

They urge you to use what little power you have, and it is not nothing. 

It is not about you, and you can be with another’s suffering. Your quiet presence that demands nothing of the other person (even to answer a question) is more powerful than you imagine.

Sam Ardery

I’m a cancer survivor, educator, and creator of Cancer Conversation SOS. Described as “a combination of empathy, sweet, and salty, tied together with energy and conviction,” I’m able to help in ways you won’t find elsewhere.

Common scenarios:

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Letters Without Armor

Thoughtful essays and Q&A about handling difficult situations.

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