Episode 56

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Published on:

31st Mar 2026

Cancer Survivor (Erika; ft. Dear Jack Foundation)

In this second collaboration with the Dear Jack Foundation, Erika shares her inspiring story of navigating a rare blood cancer starting from young adulthood, facing misdiagnosis, and eventually channeling her experiences into advocacy and support for others. Discover how resilience, support, and purpose can transform a life drastically altered by illness.

Music provided by Quincy Ledbetter (https://www.qledbetter.com/).

Artwork provided by Megan Weaver (https://meganweaverart.com/).

Special thank you to our premium members. If you’d like to support the show and listen ad free, you can become a premium member by clicking subscribe in your Apple podcast app or visit https://thebaggagepodcast.com/support to sign up or to gift a membership to someone. A percentage of all proceeds go to charity.

If you have questions, comments, or a good story, email us at thebaggagepodcast@gmail.com.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Dear Jack Foundation

The Dear Jack Foundation provides impactful programs benefiting adolescents and young adults (AYA) diagnosed with cancer and their families to improve their quality of life from treatment to survivorship. Through programs and strategic partnerships, Dear Jack addresses the physical and emotional needs of AYA cancer patients, survivors and their families. One-on-one patient support and wellness programs allow the Dear Jack Foundation to empower patients, survivors and their caregivers in their healing and to provide assurance that they are not alone in their cancer journey.

The Dear Jack Foundation

Leleka Foundation

Leleka Foundation is a volunteer-driven organization that operates with minimal overhead, maximizing the impact of every donation. By leveraging our personal resources, we ensure that 96-97% of all donations go directly to life-saving programs. Leleka was founded in December 2014 when several Ukrainians in the United States joined their efforts with several volunteer initiatives in Ukraine to procure and supply medical and first-aid supplies to paramedics, ambulances, and hospitals. Since February 2022, Leleka has focused on the urgent supply of critical medical supplies and protective gear to Ukraine’s defenders and civilians.

Leleka Foundation

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About the Podcast

Baggage
Everyone has a story.
Baggage is a podcast showcasing a collection of compelling, unique, and sometimes traumatic stories from people of all walks of life. These stories typically only get heard by the storyteller’s friends, family, or co-workers. Now there is a platform for everyday individuals to share their experiences with a larger audience as well as how they cope with the emotional and mental baggage that sometimes follows those events. Once a month, the show’s hosts—Eric Shaw (doctor), Ryan Frank (prosecutor), Adrian Bonenberger (journalist/author), and Ryan Conner (comedian)—hear a different set of stories bringing their own distinct perspectives. Sometimes serious and sometimes humorous, it’s sure to always be interesting.

The show is a unique vehicle to highlight and donate to charities who contribute to trauma and mental needs. Collaborating charities include the Dear Jack Foundation (https://www.dearjackfoundation.org/ ) and Canine Companions (https://canine.org/ ), among others. The ultimate goal of the show is to donate profits directly to these charities, as well as give them a platform to get their message out. If you are interested in helping the show achieve this goal, please donate to help with marketing and growth.

To share your story or ask a question, email us at thebaggagepodcast@gmail.com.
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About your hosts

Eric Shaw

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Eric is a pediatrician in Denver, Colorado. He started his medical career as a volunteer EMT in Blacksburg, Virginia. He practiced professionally as a Cardiac Tech for Richmond Ambulance Authority. He attended VCU Medical School and completed his pediatrics training at The Children's Hospital of the King's Daughter's in Norfolk. He currently is a partner at Pediatrics West, and an associate professor at Rocky Vista University.

Ryan Frank

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Ryan Frank has prosecuted criminal cases since graduating law school in 2012. He's handled everything from petit theft to homicides with a focus on child-victim crimes. Before going to law school, he served in the Marine Corps with two combat tours in Iraq.

Adrian Bonenberger

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Adrian Bonenberger is an essayist, writer, and poet. In addition to publishing his war memoirs and co-editing an anthology of veteran fiction, his writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Commonweal Magazine, The New Republic, Forbes, and other outlets. He co-founded and edits fiction for The Wrath-Bearing Tree. Several of his books can been found here.

Ryan Conner

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Ryan Conner is a writer/comedian who has been on the Late Late Show with James Corden and was a Top-10 finalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing. View his website, https://ryanconnercomedy.com/, for his latest tour dates. His debut novel, The Party, is available for purchase on Amazon.