When Tonia Bartz was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2021, everything changed overnight. “I went to the ER knowing something was off, but I never imagined it would be cancer or that I’d be admitted immediately for chemotherapy,” she recalls.

Her journey included chemo, radiation, a stem cell transplant, and a donor lymphocyte infusion. As she approaches three years of remission, Tonia reflects on how healing continued long after treatment ended. “Life after cancer is so different,” she says. “I wish I’d known how deeply those changes would matter—big ones like shifting my career, but also the unexpected losses, like missing my hair or rethinking my identity.” With a background in holistic wellness, Tonia leaned on mindfulness and compassion to navigate the “messy middle” of recovery. “Healing isn’t linear—it can last a lifetime,” she says. “Seeking support isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom.”

That wisdom led her to Cancer Lifeline. “I was looking for a support group and found so much more,” she shares. “Cancer Lifeline became a space where I could show up as I was, ask questions without judgment, and connect with others who truly understand.”

Her support group became a lifeline in every sense—friends who listen, share, and hold space for honesty and hope. “There’s something irreplaceable about shared experience,” she says. “It creates permission to be real.” From sound baths to therapy horses, Tonia found that Cancer Lifeline’s programs seem to “intuitively meet people where they are.” Now she gives back by facilitating classes herself, helping others find what she found: a community that heals together, one day at a time.