🎥 VIDEO EPISODE NOTE: This story was made for video and includes powerful visual moments from both sides of the THON 2026 Hospital-to-THON Bridge — from patient rooms at Penn State Health Children's Hospital to the floor of the Bryce Jordan Center. Watch the full episode on YouTube for the complete experience.

— — —

Every year, THON happens for the kids who can't be there. This year, THON came to them.

Delaney Clemens is sixteen years old. A two-sport varsity athlete — field hockey and lacrosse — she played a game on a Wednesday in March. By Friday, she was at Penn State Health Children's Hospital. Four days later, she was diagnosed with High-Risk B-Cell Leukemia. Her world, as she put it, changed in a split second.

This THON Weekend, Delaney's room was connected to the Bryce Jordan Center through a live remote bridge — bringing the full THON experience directly to inpatients who couldn't attend. Line dances, the white-out pep rally, the Penn State Drum Major and Majorette, a pairing reveal, and the live number announcement — all of it, streamed to patient rooms in real time.

And at the end of the weekend, when it was time to say goodbye, Delaney looked at the screen and said something that stopped the room.

"See you next year."

In this episode of Life on Pause, we tell Delaney's story alongside Emmett Herring — who was in that same hospital room last year during THON, and this year walked into the Bryce Jordan Center for the first time.

In this episode:

• The Hospital-to-THON live bridge and how it works

• The Wednesday hospital visit — the Drum Major, Majorette, Penn State Bingo, and line dance teachers who came to the inpatient unit three days before THON Weekend

• The pairing reveal: a THON organization meeting their Four Diamonds family through a screen

• The THON 2026 number reveal — watched live from both locations

• What it means to belong to a community when you can't be in the room

💙 Life on Pause is produced in partnership with Penn State Health Children's Hospital and Four Diamonds.

🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube — search "Life on Pause."

Learn more: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com

At twenty years old, Eliot Dean was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. For weeks, his world shrank to a single hospital floor he couldn't leave — a window with a good view, a lot of sunsets, and the slow, difficult work of getting through treatment.

Five years later, in remission, Eliot thought the worst was behind him. Then routine blood work came back suspicious. Same markers. Same diagnosis. A different kind of fear.

In this episode of Life on Pause, Eliot shares what no one tells you about facing leukemia twice — and what it means to fight it the second time, when you already know how hard it is. He talks about the stem cell transplant that saved his life, the brother who made it possible, the bell he rang on the other side, and the trip to Costa Rica he'd been putting off for too long.

Eliot speaks honestly about the "not knowing" — the statistics, the survival rates, the questions he demanded answers to because he wasn't willing to be a passive patient. He talks about THON, Four Diamonds, and the full-circle moment of realizing the organization his sister fundraised for as a student became his lifeline as a patient. And he shares the philosophy he's carried out of the other side: don't wait. Don't be scared.

His story isn't about one diagnosis. It's about two — and everything that changed between them.

Thank you, Eliot, for sharing your story and your strength.

Topics Covered:

• Being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age 20

• Life on a single hospital floor — confinement, coping, and small freedoms

• The relapse — facing the same diagnosis five years later

• The stem cell transplant and his brother Collin as the donor

• Self-advocacy and demanding to understand your own treatment

• THON and Four Diamonds — a full-circle community story

• Ringing the bell — the second time

• Life after cancer: Costa Rica, not waiting, taking it day by day

• What he'd tell the version of himself who was twenty and newly diagnosed

About Life on Pause:

Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health's AYA Oncology Program, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Our content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts to ensure accuracy and care.

Join Our Community:

💻 Website: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com/

🎧 Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of cancer diagnosis, relapse, stem cell transplant, and the emotional weight of facing a life-threatening illness more than once.

🎥 VIDEO EPISODE NOTE: This story was created for video and includes incredible visual moments from THON Weekend — from walking through Penn State's player cheer tunnel to experiencing the energy of 16,500 students in the Bryce Jordan Center. For the full experience, watch on YouTube: [LINK]

When Grace Schneider was diagnosed with B-cell leukemia in 2020, her family discovered something unexpected: Penn State's THON — the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, where students stand for 46 hours straight to support children fighting pediatric cancer.

This is their third year experiencing THON Weekend, and in this episode, we follow Grace's family through an incredible weekend of Family Explorers programs. Her father Ben reflects on how the compassion and caring of college students humbles him every year. Her brother Brooks shares what it means to "beat cancer along with my sister, even though I didn't have it." And young adult cancer survivor Eliot Dean describes the energy that feeds him each time he returns.

From touring Penn State's football facility and meeting players like Nicholas Singleton, to walking through the player cheer tunnel, to experiencing the 46-hour dance marathon at the Bryce Jordan Center — THON Weekend creates connections that last far beyond one weekend. Ben shares how both his kids now dream of attending Penn State and playing sports here, inspired by the college students who showed up for them.

Brooks talks about what it meant to support his sister through treatment — sending cards, texts saying "get well soon, keep fighting" — and how THON volunteers became his connection too. Eliot, who has been attending since 2016 despite his diagnosis at age 20 and relapse five years later, explains what "taking the long way around" really means when you're living with cancer.

Behind it all is Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Children's Hospital, which ensures families never receive a single bill for their child's cancer treatment. Since 1977, THON has raised over $254 million to cover every cost not paid by insurance — and the support extends far beyond finances.

This isn't just a story about a dance marathon. It's about community, hope, and what happens when 16,500 students decide to stand up for kids who can't.

Topics Covered:

1. What THON is and how the 46-hour dance marathon works
2. Family Explorers programs across Penn State's campus
3. The sibling perspective on childhood cancer ("I beat cancer too")
4. How THON inspires kids fighting cancer to dream bigger
5. Walking through Penn State football's player cheer tunnel
6. Meeting Penn State athletes and building lasting connections
7. What Four Diamonds covers beyond medical bills
8. How college students create community for cancer families
9. Living as a young adult cancer survivor and returning to THON year after year
10. Grace's journey from leukemia diagnosis to thriving today

About Life on Pause: Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health's AYA Oncology Program and Four Diamonds, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Our content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts to ensure accuracy and care.

Join Our Community:

Website: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com/

Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Learn more about THON: https://thon.org

Four Diamonds: https://fourdiamonds.org

Featured Voices:

1. Ben Schneider - Father of Grace, diagnosed with B-cell leukemia in 2020
2. Brooks Schneider - Grace's brother, age 12
3. Eliot Dean - Young adult cancer survivor, THON attendee since 2016

What happens when treatment ends but the journey continues? For young adult cancer survivors, the ringing of the bell marks not an ending, but the beginning of something more complex — survivorship.

In this powerful episode of Life on Pause, five young women who participated in Penn State Health Children's Hospital's inaugural PhotoVoice project come together to share their experiences using photography to tell the stories they struggled to put into words. Facilitated by social worker Meredith Noel and art therapist Alexis Steefel, this program gave childhood cancer survivors a space to explore themes of impact, visibility, loss and found, time, and "here."

Monica Henderson (rhabdomyosarcoma, 20+ years post-treatment) shares how PhotoVoice helped her break decades of silence and honor "little Monica" who never got to share her story. Gabriela (Hodgkin's lymphoma, 4 years post-treatment) describes finding community after feeling isolated as the first in her family diagnosed with cancer. Shelly Bliss (Ewing's sarcoma, 11 years post-treatment) reflects on photographing her prosthetics as a powerful measure of time and healing.

From Monica's dish soap bubbles representing "visibly invisible" survivorship to Lily's peeling paint symbolizing layers of untold stories, each photograph became a window into experiences that too often go unspoken. The participants discuss the pressure to package their stories with "a pretty little bow," the struggle to own the term "survivor," and the transformative power of finally being heard and understood.

This isn't just a story about cancer — it's about sisterhood formed through shared truth, the courage to be vulnerable, and the healing that happens when survivors can tell their whole story, not just the inspirational parts.

Topics Covered:

1. The PhotoVoice methodology and five weekly themes (Impact, Visibility, Lost & Found, Time, Here)
2. Why survivors struggle to own their narratives and the term "survivor"
3. The gallery exhibition at Penn State Health and family reactions
4. Sibling dynamics, twin relationships, and invisible trauma
5. Survivor's guilt and the pressure to be grateful
6. Living with late effects and ongoing health challenges
7. The moment they decided to ring the bell together — on their own terms
8. How photography gave voice to what words couldn't express
9. Building a survivorship community for the future

Featured Participants:

1. Lily Montgomery (Host) - Acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivor
2. Monica Henderson - Rhabdomyosarcoma survivor, 26 years old
3. Gabriela (Gabby) - Hodgkin's lymphoma survivor, 21 years old
4. Shelly Bliss - Ewing's sarcoma survivor, 20 years old
5. Meredith Noel - Social Worker and PhotoVoice Program Facilitator

About Life on Pause: Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health's AYA Oncology Program, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Our content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts to ensure accuracy and care.

Join Our Community:

💻 Website: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com/

🎧 Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

What does health maintenance really mean when you're a young adult cancer survivor? Eliot and Hailey—both acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors—share the reality of life after treatment: checkups every six months, school accommodations for brain damage, mental health boundaries that weren't optional before, and learning which exercises won't break bones weakened by chemotherapy.

Recorded at Life Lion Emergency Services in Hershey, Pennsylvania, this episode draws a powerful parallel between maintaining emergency helicopters and maintaining your own health after cancer. Just like mechanics check every system before a helicopter flies, young adult survivors must maintain their mental health, physical health, reproductive health, and everything in between.

In this honest conversation, Eliot opens up about his journey through diagnosis at age 20, achieving remission, experiencing relapse, and receiving a life-saving bone marrow transplant from his brother. He shares how cancer taught him to "cut out the BS," pace himself, and recognize that slow and steady wins the race.

Hailey, diagnosed at 12 in February 2020 right before COVID lockdown, discusses living with brain damage from treatment—dead brain cells in two lobes that affect her memory, dexterity, and processing speed. Despite doctors telling her she's "performing too well for how damaged her brain is," she thrives using accommodations like dictation software and extended time. She shares the painful moment someone called her cancer diagnosis "just a break" from field hockey, and how she learned to set boundaries to protect her mental health.

Topics Covered:

• Redefining health maintenance after cancer (mental + physical)

• Setting boundaries to protect mental health post-treatment

• Living with treatment-related brain damage and school accommodations

• The "gray area" of young adult cancer—too old for pediatric, too young for adult care

• Cancer imposter syndrome: not looking "sick enough"

• Physical fitness adaptations (bad bones, limited dexterity, ongoing symptoms)

• Reproductive health challenges and Four Diamonds support

• Family support for ongoing medical appointments

• Finding community in the AYA cancer space

• How cancer sparked curiosity about oncology and neuroscience

About Life on Pause: Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health's AYA Oncology Program, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Our content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts to ensure accuracy and care.

Join Our Community:

💻 Website: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com/

🎧 Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

When a Life Lion flight nurse saves a teenager's life, he never expects to meet him again. Ten years later, that young man returns—not as a patient, but as a father—to say thank you.

Ten-year-old William, a leukemia survivor, discovers a new dream while exploring a Life Lion helicopter: "I may want to be a helicopter mechanic." Maria, a Wilms tumor survivor, remembers the kindness of her transport crew. And Lisa Kreider shares a stunning revelation: Life Lion saved her life sixteen years ago after a car accident—then saved her daughter Maria during cancer treatment.

But the emotional center belongs to Dan Schaeffer, Life Lion's Chief Flight Nurse. At a recent fundraiser, a young man approached him: "Thank you for taking care of me." Dan didn't recognize the face. Then came the moment: "I want to introduce you to my family and kids."

Ten years ago, Dan transported a seventeen-year-old with a traumatic brain injury. Today, that teenager is a father.

"You don't think about those things in the moment," Dan reflects. "That hit really home to me. This is what I do. This is why I do it."

This episode follows Four Diamonds families to Life Lion EMS Day, where the people doing the rescuing get to see what happened next. From Dexter McConnell, a pilot who flies in weather others turn down, to Matt Baily, who treats "the sickest of the sick"—this is a story about profound connections and the impact that ripples out in ways we can't imagine.

Topics Covered:

• William's journey from leukemia patient to aspiring helicopter mechanic
• Maria's Wilms tumor treatment and Life Lion transport
• Lisa's revelation: two generations saved by the same team
• Dan Shcaeffer's emotional reunion with a patient ten years later
• The challenges of flying Life Lion: weather, training, and split-second decisions
• Life Lion EMS Day: teaching kids that aircraft maintenance parallels their own healthcare
• The "Life Lion Family" culture of support and camaraderie
• Matt Baily's story of the Lancaster infant in cardiac arrest
• Four Diamonds' role in removing financial burden for cancer families
• How life-saving work ripples out in ways we can't imagine

About Life on Pause: Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health's AYA Oncology Program, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Our content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts to ensure accuracy and care.

Join Our Community: 💻 Website: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com/ 🎧 Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Tony Campisi, a two-time cancer survivor, shares a story about hockey, resilience, and discovering that heaven doesn't have to look the same to still be heaven.

Diagnosed with an astrocytoma tumor on his spinal cord at age four, Tony lost the use of his left side and had to learn to walk — and skate — all over again. Through what he thought was "just playing games" in physical therapy, Tony fought his way back to the ice. With the support of a coach who believed in him when others doubted, telling parents "Tony's the toughest kid out there," he returned to competitive hockey.

For seven years, Tony played. Then came senior year, 2021. As an eighteen-year-old high school senior, Tony started losing grip strength in his left hand. His coach began taping his hockey stick into his hand just so he could play — not too tight, not too loose, just enough to keep him in the game. A routine MRI revealed the devastating news: cancer had returned, with fluid compressing his cervical spine.

In this episode of Life on Pause, Tony reflects on facing treatment the second time with full awareness, using humor to get through six weeks of proton radiation at CHOP, and playing his final game of hockey with his stick literally taped to his hand. Four years cancer-free, Tony shares how he's finding new ways to stay close to his heaven — whether skating, driving the Zamboni, or dreaming of coaching the next kid who needs someone to believe in them.

From the profound wisdom of his Make-A-Wish revelation — that he would choose his cancer journey again because of who it made him — to the powerful metaphor of "the tape job," Tony's story reminds us that adaptation isn't defeat. It's strength.

Thank you, Tony, for sharing your story and your voice.

Topics Covered:

• Tony's diagnosis with spinal cord astrocytoma at age four
• Learning to walk and skate again through physical therapy
• The power of mentorship and believing in young cancer survivors
• Cancer recurrence during senior year of high school
• The literal "tape job" that kept him playing
• Treatment with humor: Austin Powers and laser beams
• Playing his final hockey game
• Finding new ways to stay connected to the game
• The Make-A-Wish revelation: "I would still have it happen to me"
• Redefining heaven when everything changes

About Life on Pause: Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health's AYA Oncology Program, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Our content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts to ensure accuracy and care.

Join Our Community: 💻 Website: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com/ 🎧 Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

At twelve years old, Ariana was living for sports — two softball teams, church basketball, and constant motion. Then her knees started hurting. What seemed like a sports injury turned into an osteosarcoma diagnosis that would change everything: her body, her childhood, and her understanding of what it means to advocate for yourself.

In this powerful episode of Life on Pause, Ariana shares what no one tells you about being diagnosed with cancer as a preteen. From losing her leg to amputation, to learning to walk again with a prosthetic, to navigating nine chest tubes and countless chemotherapy regimens — her story reveals the hidden costs of childhood cancer that go far beyond treatment.

Ariana speaks candidly about the things that disappeared: school days, sports, the simple freedom of going to the mall. She describes what she calls "taking the long way around" — renting out entire movie theaters, waiting four months for a prosthetic leg, canceling Make-A-Wish trips twice. But through it all, she discovered something powerful: her own voice.

Now living with ongoing tumors and daily pain, Ariana shares hard-won wisdom about speaking up for yourself in the medical system, the importance of support systems, and why she tells herself "I'm not sick" to keep going. Her story isn't about beating cancer — it's about living with it, honestly and bravely, one day at a time.

Thank you, Ariana, for sharing your story and your strength.

Topics Covered:

• Being diagnosed with osteosarcoma at age 12
• The immediate impact on school, sports, and childhood
• Amputation and learning to walk with a prosthetic leg
• Navigating multiple surgeries and chemotherapy regimens
• Finding your voice and advocating for yourself as a young patient
• Living with metastatic disease and chronic pain
• The unpredictability of cancer treatment and planning for the future
• Coping strategies and maintaining hope
• What "taking the long way around" really means

About Life on Pause: Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health's AYA Oncology Program, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Our content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts to ensure accuracy and care.

Join Our Community: 💻 Website: https://www.lifeonpausepodcast.com/ 🎧 Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of surgery, amputation, cancer treatment, and chronic pain.