ABOUT THIS EPISODE
"You don't qualify. You're not infertile yet." That is what Amanda Rice heard from her insurance company when she called, diagnosed with cancer for the third time before age 40, asking for help freezing her eggs before chemotherapy. Instead of accepting that answer, she built a movement.
This week, just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we sit down with Amanda Rice, three-time cancer survivor and founder and CEO of The Chick Mission, a nonprofit helping cancer patients protect their fertility before treatment begins. Amanda shares her story from the very first symptom she had to push to get checked, to the fertility decisions she had to make while facing her own mortality, to the rejection that sparked The Chick Mission. We talk about why so many patients are never told that cancer treatment can affect fertility, how fast these decisions really have to happen, and why every patient deserves the chance to make an informed choice about their future family.
In this episode, we cover:
- Amanda's journey through three cancer diagnoses and how she navigated fertility preservation along the way
- How quickly fertility preservation can happen after a cancer diagnosis, and why oncology and fertility teams need to be talking to each other
- How The Chick Mission's Hope Grants work, with no essays, no upfront copay, and clinics submitting on your behalf
- The legislative progress that has brought fertility preservation coverage to nearly half of U.S. states, and how one phone call can help
- Why egg freezing vs. embryo freezing is a bigger decision than many people realize
- Why choosing not to pursue fertility preservation, or not to have children at all, is just as valid
- How The Chick Mission is teaching fertility education to high school and college students
- Amanda's call to be the CEO of your own body, from self breast exams to showing up prepared for every appointment
More than anything, this conversation is a reminder that cancer takes a lot of control away, but it does not get to make every decision for you. You deserve to know your options, and you deserve support in choosing what is right for you.
If you or someone you love is facing a cancer diagnosis, if you work in oncology or fertility care, or if you just need a reminder this October to schedule that mammogram, this episode is for you.
Connect with The Chick Mission:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chickmission/Website: https://www.thechickmission.org/
