After learning about her hereditary risk of cancer when she was working in Montgomery as weekend anchor for WAKA-TV (where we got to know her), Joy made the decision to undergo a series of preventative surgeries to lower both her breast and ovarian cancer risks.

As she puts it “I’ve spent much of my life watching those I love battle cancer, many wins, some losses. I consider myself fortunate to know that battle runs through my genes.”

A double mastectomy and full hysterectomy later, she still experiences discomfort along with the scars that chronicle her journey. Through it all, she has not shied away from sharing her struggles publicly. So why did she choose this path? “It was an easy decision,” she says. “I chose my husband, I chose my kids and hopefully a long healthy future with them. I am so thankful to have had this choice to make.”

It’s is a story about family, courage and making those hard choices that define you.

Is counting calories that important? What about those at-home workouts? What is clean eating? Can you still workout while you’re pregnant? Joy to Life Foundation co-founder Joy Blondheim makes another visit to the gym to talk to our trio of trainers (Ashley Jenkins, Clinton Adams and Ryan Callicott) to get the scoop on these questions and much more. Get ready to have your preconceived ideas about nutrition and fitness dispelled as you learn the correct way to lose weight, how exercise fits in to a healthy lifestyle, the importance of blood flow and why your Apple Watch may not be telling you the whole truth!

What's more important: nutrition or exercise? Why would a personal trainer gain over 30 pounds on purpose? Can't I just work out at home? We tackle all these questions, and so much more, on this episode! Joy to Life Foundation co-founder Joy Blondheim is joined by a trio of trainers (Ashley Jenkins, Clinton Adams and Ryan Callicott) who share a wealth of information such as the best way to lose weight, why discipline is more important than motivation and why you always trust the science!

Tina Hodge has been dealing with breast cancer for almost 30 years--just not as a cancer survivor. Tina has provided compassionate leadership to clinics in the central Alabama area (and continues to do so) and has helped guide countless women and men through their breast cancer journeys. When she was diagnosed with a genetic predisposition for cancer, Tina made the decision to undergo a series of surgeries to reduce her risk of developing the disease. She shares with us what led to that decision and how her late husband Boyd (along with many others) helped her make the decision to become a "pre-vivor" and supported her every step of the way. It's a journey full of family, fun and, believe it or not, fishing!

What keeps us going for one more day? To answer that, Joy to Life co-founder Joy Blondheim and Program Director Jackie Butler talk with two people who know first-hand about the trials and triumphs of providing breast health services to those in Alabama who desperately need it but are not equipped to pay for it. Nurse Supervisor Sarah Shelton (from Marshall county) and Regional Screening Coordinator Jackie Wilson (from the Wiregrass) share their experiences in dealing with patients who are fearful and unsure about their physical health (as well as stressed about the cost of receiving the healthcare they need) and the difference that Joy to Life has made for so many by providing financial assistance for needed procedures along with life-changing knowledge that comes with a diagnosis. Even during a pandemic, breast health services are not only necessary, they are critical and Joy to Life makes it possible for many who would never be seen to be diagnosed and treated—one day at a time.

When Janet picked up a Joy to Life breast self exam shower card during a visit from Ohio to Alabama's Gulf Coast, she never imagined that it would be instrumental in saving her life! Having never been one to perform self exams, Janet let the card sit for a while before heeding its message. Little did she know how the information on that card would change her dramatically. If you'd like to know more about Janet's breast cancer journey (along with much more about her life), she's written a memoir that you can download and read free of charge here: http://www.willkefamily.com/Family-Faith-Travel-Memoir-Janet-Bolton.pdf

Download the Joy to Life Foundation Shower Card.

When Scott and Beth Boyar got married, they knew that they wanted to start a family. Unfortunately, breast cancer made them take a few detours on their journey. Through it all, their courage became an inspiration to everyone they came in contact with. Theirs is a story of how to look at even the biggest challenges in your life as just an "oops bump" (as Beth would call it) and move past them toward your ultimate goal.

While it doesn’t get talked about very much, men can be diagnosed with breast cancer. Chappy’s Deli owner David Barranco knows this only too well. Of course, being treated for a disease that typically only effects members of the female population brings with it a whole new perspective on life and faith. Over the years since his diagnosis and treatment, David has shared his story with many audiences and that is why we asked him to join us here–so hopefully more men will hear his message of early detection and take the necessary steps to make sure that their breast health is taken seriously. The lessons he has learned on his journey are lessons we all can benefit from and , believe it or not, we can actually laugh together through it all!

Pictured above are Joy Blondheim (right), Tommy Fields (left) with David Barranco, owner of Chappy’s Deli, at one of the Chappy’s Deli restaurant locations in Montgomery, Alabama.

Join Joy to Life Foundation co-founders Joy and Dickie Blondheim as they share the reasons why Joy to Life came to be, explain how the Foundation got off to a successful start (despite some difficult timing) and explore the new challenges and opportunities that lay ahead with the Foundation’s recent expansion into Alabama’s northern counties. The bottom line? Saving lives by stepping in and stepping up when no one else would or did.

Pictured above are Joy & Dickie Blondheim (left) with Dr. Scott Harris, State Health Officer, at a recent press conference in October 2020.

Breast cancer. Petit Fours. A match-making friend. All these elements and many more come into play in the story of how David (a Jewish man with a daughter) and Lee (a Christian woman with three sons) Herman became man and wife. If you’ve ever heard the phrase “it’s a God thing”, you’ll be amazed at how many “God things” can happen to two people as you listen to David and Lee explain how they got together. Theirs is a story of love, loss, humor and faith with the Joy to Life Foundation in the midst of it all!

Pictured above are Lee Herman (left), David Herman (center) and podcast co-host Joy Blondheim (right).