When the Treatment Ends, the Healing Continues - and why we created a retreat for the journey

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word cancer?

For some, it’s fear. For others, it’s the name of a loved one, a diagnosis, or a reminder to schedule a screening. For me, it’s Joanie—my mom’s beloved sister, my sweet and sassy aunt.

She fought a long battle with ovarian cancer, putting it into remission for a season before it returned aggressively and stole her from us far too soon. Every year our family gathered for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition 5K, our team affectionately named Joggers for Joanie.

But when I think of Aunt Joan, I don’t first picture the cancer.

I picture her hands raised in worship, always on the front row of church, singing loudly and wonderfully off-key. I’m not saying she never questioned her faith or asked God why. Most people would in her situation. But I remember those raised hands—a quiet, steady testament to the choice to believe in God’s goodness even in the darkest days.

Most of us have been touched by cancer in some way, whether through our own diagnosis or through someone we love. Our family knows cancer all too well, with Joanie being just one of many relatives diagnosed with different types of cancer.

Years later, cancer intersected with my professional life in an unexpected way.

One of our retreat alumni (we affectionately call them Frequent Flyers because they keep coming back) spent her third retreat seeking the Lord and asking how she could give back—as both a businesswoman and a cancer survivor. She had experienced firsthand the value of stepping away from everyday life and finding her way back to herself. She knew what it felt like to move from simply surviving toward truly thriving.

So when she approached us about creating a retreat specifically for cancer survivors, it was an easy yes.

While this is our first retreat designed exclusively for cancer survivors, the need behind it is something we’ve seen again and again. So many people come to retreat after life has thrown a curveball that left them questioning who they are, what they believe, and how to move forward. Whether the survival mode was physical, emotional, or both, the lingering effects often look surprisingly similar: anxiety, brain fog, overwhelm, exhaustion, and a deep sense of identity confusion.

Our upcoming Survivors & Thrivers Retreat continues the theme of Rest. Reset. Reengage., but this time it is tailored specifically for those who are on the other side of cancer and are beginning to ask, Now what?

Because surviving was only the first step.

For many people, this is where the care ends. You ring the bell. Friends celebrate online. Family cheers you on. And then, quietly, the world expects you to return to normal.

But you may not feel normal.

You may feel grateful to be alive and still grieve the body that changed. You may find yourself anxious before every scan, hyperaware of every ache and pain, wondering if anyone else understands why it’s so hard to relax. You may be carrying fatigue, brain fog, fear, survivor’s guilt, or the unsettling question: Who am I now?

That’s why retreat matters.

There is something powerful about stepping away from the environment where you’ve been surviving. For a few days, you are not managing appointments, answering everyone’s questions, keeping the household running, or pretending you’re fine. You have space to breathe, to rest, to process, and to reconnect with yourself and with God.

On this four-day Outer Banks coastal retreat, we will wrestle through those hard questions together in a community of people who have been there and understand. We will explore what it means to move from surviving into thriving, practice practical tools for reducing anxiety and brain fog, and create space for healing emotionally, spiritually, and relationally—not just physically.

We also know that cancer doesn't just take a physical and emotional toll—it often leaves a financial one as well. Medical bills, missed work, ongoing medications, and the many hidden costs of treatment can make something life-giving like a retreat feel out of reach. Our heart is that finances would never be the reason someone misses the opportunity to rest, heal, and reconnect with themselves.

That's why we're inviting individuals, businesses, and community partners to help sponsor this retreat through donations and scholarships. Every gift, no matter the size, helps us make this experience accessible to cancer survivors who need it most. If you've been looking for a tangible way to encourage someone on the other side of cancer, this is one beautiful way to do it. Visit our Survivors & Thrivers page to learn more about sponsoring a participant or making a donation.

We can’t erase what you’ve been through. But we believe cancer does not get the final word over your identity, your joy, or your future.

Cancer may always be part of your story, but it doesn’t have to be the whole story.

And if you’re ready to begin exploring what thriving could look like for you, we would be honored to walk alongside you.