An Open Letter to My Daughter, Layke
Gillian Lichota was diagnosed at 35 and 40—first with Stage III and later with Stage IV breast cancer. She is a mother, mountain climber, adventure travel enthusiast, and the founder and CEO of the iRise Above Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering and supporting young women through breast cancer. In this episode, Gillian reads her essay “An Open Letter to My Daughter, Layke,” from the 2024 “Mothers & Daughters” issue of Wildfire Journal.
Julia Tabisz was diagnosed at 25 with Triple Negative breast cancer. She is a journalist, editor, a mom with a passion for writing and competitive Irish dance. Julia happily lives in the woods of Maryland with her son and daughter.
In this episode, Julia reads her essay “A Mother’s Biggest Problem” from the 2024 Mothers & Daughters issue of Wildfire Journal. Her piece is a story about motherhood, and how swiftly perspective can be upended by a cancer diagnosis while still brushing tiny teeth and tucking in tiny bodies. April and Julia talk about journalistic writing versus writing to process and heal, how being given writing prompts unlocks flashes of memory, and how Irish dance has kept Julia connected to herself.
Lauren Bruns was diagnosed at 38 with Triple-Positive breast cancer while just eight-weeks into her second pregnancy. Lauren is a former competitive dancer, engineering graduate, and earned her MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. She is currently a management consultant. Lauren loves traveling, biking, swimming, NYT games, and rooting for her beloved Cleveland sports teams.
In this episode, Lauren reads her essay “My Pony-Tale” from the 2025 Hair issue of Wildfire Journal. Her piece is about how keeping her hair through cold capping felt like both a gift and a disguise during a pandemic pregnancy. April and Stephanie talk about moments of hope in cancer, the duality of being pregnant while going through cancer treatment, and what newborn bonding looked like for her family because of cancer.
Stephanie Marnocha was diagnosed at 33 with Stage III breast cancer. Stephanie is a licensed clinical social worker and outdoors lover. She lives in Denver with her four-legged adventure buddy, Annie. In this episode, Stephanie reads her essay “Being Myself” from the 2024 Body issue of Wildfire Journal. Her piece is about body autonomy and standing by a choice that goes against the grain. April and Stephanie talk about really seeing yourself when the mastectomy bandages come off, anorexia, losing time to inner dialogues, and insights on keeping a journaling practice. They also discuss cancer and fertility.
