The Biological Detour: A podcast about Cancer, Fertility, and the Path to Motherhood

They tell you to fight for your life, but nobody mentions the life you were planning to start. When a diagnosis crashes into your dreams of motherhood, the world doesn’t just stop—it shifts. Today on Her Health Compass, we’re talking about something that many people don’t realize cancer can take from patients: their fertility. What does it mean to navigate the dream of parenthood while facing a life-changing diagnosis?

We’re thrilled to be joined by Suzanne Stone, CEO of the Livestrong Foundation, an organization that helps cancer patients access so many different resources, including support around fertility preservation and family planning and Shea Mencel, co-founder of We Are Here and .

In this episode, we’ll hear Shea’s incredible journey, talk about why conversations around fertility are so important for cancer patients, and explore how organizations like Livestrong are helping people build families even in the face of cancer.

Suzanne Stone is a graduate of Texas Christian University and a native of Louisiana. Her career began in the television industry in Dallas, earning a regional Emmy Award for her work.  She eventually traded producing television for teaching it in the non-profit sector in 1998, working in public access television both in Naperville, Illinois, and then in upstate New York. After enjoying her four-year tenure as Head Coach of the local New York community college women’s basketball team while running the station, she headed back to Texas. Since arriving, she’s worked and led local non-profits around the state like Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and Children’s Miracle Network, Lake Travis Education Foundation, and Susan G. Komen Greater Central and East Texas.  Continuing to look for ways to scale social impact, she joined Livestrong to lead their mission initiatives in 2019.  In November of 2023 she became President & CEO where she leads the team to ensure anyone affected by cancer has the resources and tools they need to have the highest quality of life possible.

Shea Mencel is a Co-Founder and the VP of Navigation & Impact at We Are Here, a software platform built to close critical gaps in cancer care by connecting patients and families to the right support—exactly when they need it. As a certified integrative health coach and two-time breast cancer survivor, Shea brings both lived experience and professional expertise to reimagining how care is delivered beyond the clinic. Her journey to motherhood was profoundly shaped by cancer. First diagnosed with stage II breast cancer at 29, followed by a metastatic recurrence at 32, Shea faced the loss of her ability to carry a pregnancy- completely redefining her path to family. Through embryo preservation and ultimately growing her family with the help of a gestational carrier, she experienced firsthand the emotional complexity of fertility after cancer – the grief, uncertainty, and hope that coexist in this journey.