Shelley Moreno returns to The Burn for a second visit. Shelley was diagnosed in 2012 with Triple Negative breast cancer. She is a writer, speaker and intuitive healer for pets and people. Shelley is currently writing a book and gives animal communication and intuitive coaching sessions.She lives in Los Angeles with her son Kai and their beloved cat Ollie. In this episode Shelley reads her piece “My Side” from the 2024 “Mothers & Daughters” issue of Wildfire Journal.
Her essay is about coming to terms with a difficult childhood and what is ultimately most healing for a daughter moving forward. April and Shelley will discuss the courage it takes to write about difficult relationships, communicating with your inner child, and the Death Mother archetype.
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Raina Kerman was diagnosed at 45 with Stage II, Triple Negative breast cancer. Raina is a dog-loving, fantasy-reading, fitness enthusiast living in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In this episode, Raina reads her essay “I Wish I Cared Less” from the 2025 “Hair” issue of Wildfire Journal. Her piece is about the painful, exhausting, and at times almost comically intense world of cold capping, and what it looks like to want something so badly—not just hair, but agency, normalcy, identity—and to have to let it go. April and Raina discuss the act of surrendering, family support, maintaining appearances, and the language used around breast cancer.
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Tegan O'Neill was diagnosed at 27 with Stage I Triple Negative breast cancer.She is a clinical social worker who finds meaning in helping herself and others heal through movement, dance, reading, and writing. In this episode, Tegan reads her essay “Kintsugi” from the 2025 “Hair” issue of Wildfire Journal. Her piece is about experiencing a ritual of burning her own hair—a haunting remnant of chemotherapy—in the company of two close friends. April and Tegan will talk about the alchemy of pain into beauty, being vulnerable with friends, and advice for making rituals. Wildfire Journal.
