Life didn’t pause when Ashley Cartun was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in 2023. She was teaching college full-time, raising two kids under six, and traveling to support her husband’s NCAA basketball season. Then came five months of chemotherapy and multiple surgeries — and the work of staying whole while everything changed.
In this episode, Ashley shares what truly helped: friends who sat with her during infusions, care teams who explained what each step would feel like, and the surprising calm she found in sound baths. That healing experience led her to create Heal with Ashley, offering sound therapy and support to other survivors.
She also talks about catching her cancer early, her advocacy with the American Cancer Society and TNBC Thrivers, and what it means when healthcare teams connect beyond test results.
This episode opens Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a powerful reminder of the small things that change a patient’s journey — and the hope that follows.