Ep
76
76
How Elissa Built a Movement While Fighting Stage 4 Cancer
Nov 4, 2025
With
Elissa Kalver
45::12
How Elissa Built a Movement While Fighting Stage 4 Cancer
How do you turn a life-altering diagnosis into a life-affirming mission? In this deeply inspiring episode, Kenny Perkins speaks with Elissa, the powerhouse behind WeGotThis.org, who’s redefining what it means to live and thrive with stage 4 breast cancer.
Diagnosed just after her daughter’s first birthday, Elissa shares how she found meaning in the chaos, leaned into community, and built a nonprofit to help others ask for and receive the help they need during cancer.
Whether you’re a caregiver, patient, or someone navigating your own hard season, this is a must-listen.
Key topics discussed:
- Navigating diagnosis during early motherhood and the pandemic
- Creating WeGotThis.org: A registry for cancer patients to ask for real help
- Redefining creativity, career, and identity in the face of cancer
- Mental health, chemo fatigue, and choosing treatment that prioritizes quality of life
- Supporting young children through a parent’s diagnosis
- Marriage, caregiving, and keeping connection alive in hard times
- Date nights, Air Force 1s, and Lego bouquets—her feel-good rituals
- Why prioritizing living is just as important as surviving
