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Joseph Zolper, Army veteran and Manager of Outreach & Networking at the Road Home Program at Rush University Medical Center, joins Ashton on Veteran Cancer Talk to discuss veterans’ mental health, toxic exposure awareness, and why support matters even more when veterans and families are navigating serious medical issues like cancer.

Joseph shares his Afghanistan deployment experience, the reality of mental health symptoms surfacing after service, and why many veterans put their health last during the transition to civilian life. He also explains how the Road Home Program provides no-cost mental health care for veterans, service members, and families—plus accelerated treatment options and virtual care in many states—while emphasizing that caregivers and spouses deserve support too.

Get care (self-referral): https://roadhomeprogram.org/ → Get Care
More from Veteran Cancer Network: https://veterancancernetwork.org/

Guest Bio: Joseph Zolper is a leader, veteran, and advocate dedicated to serving the military community. A former U.S. Army Infantry Officer (Captain), he deployed to Afghanistan under Operation Freedom’s Sentinel and earned the Bronze Star, two Army Commendation Medals, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. After service, he built one of Amazon’s largest Military Employee Resource Groups and now helps veterans and families access life-changing care through the Road Home Program.

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Learn more at www.veterancancernetwork.org

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In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk, host Ashton speaks with Gary Schell, a U.S. Marine Corps infantry veteran and testicular cancer survivor, about his journey from military service to cancer diagnosis—and life after treatment.

Gary shares his experiences serving with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, including deployments to the Pacific and the Middle East, and discusses potential toxic exposures during military service that may impact long-term health. He opens up about noticing early warning signs during the COVID era, receiving a testicular cancer diagnosis, and undergoing aggressive treatment, including chemotherapy and a tandem stem cell transplant.

The conversation also explores the importance of early cancer detection for veterans, navigating the medical system, seeking second opinions, and addressing mental health challenges during and after cancer treatment. Gary explains how survivorship reshaped his purpose and led him to found the Home of Record Project, a nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans secure stable housing and rebuild their lives.

This episode is essential listening for veterans, caregivers, and advocates focused on cancer awareness, toxic exposure, mental health, and veteran support.

Topics covered include:

• Testicular cancer in veterans
• Military toxic exposure and long-term health risks
• Cancer treatment and stem cell transplants
• Mental health and survivorship
• Veteran advocacy and nonprofit leadership
• Life after cancer and ongoing surveillance

Learn more about the Home of Record Project:
https://homeofrecordproject.org/

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Veteran Cancer Network is building the resource we wish we had. Connecting veterans and caregivers navigating cancer.
Learn more at www.veterancancernetwork.org

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Charise Isis, founder and director of The Grace Project, joins Veteran Cancer Talk to share how photography has become a powerful tool for healing, visibility, and empowerment for breast cancer survivors — including veterans.

Through visual storytelling, The Grace Project is putting real faces to breast cancer and changing the way survivorship is seen, felt, and understood. The project has photographed more than 1,200 survivors, creating space for individuals to reclaim their identity, dignity, and sense of self after diagnosis.

In this conversation, Charise discusses how The Grace Project began, why humanizing breast cancer matters, and how photography can help survivors feel seen, heard, and valued. She also shares insights on early detection, the importance of self-advocacy in healthcare, and the emotional and mental health side of survivorship.

Topics include:
• The origins and growth of The Grace Project
• Using photography to humanize breast cancer
• Breast cancer in young women
• Early detection and why it matters
• Self-advocacy within the healthcare system
• The healing power of community and peer support
• Men and breast cancer awareness
• Creating a veterans-focused chapter within The Grace Project
• Exhibitions and public storytelling that honor survivor stories

This episode explores the human side of cancer beyond statistics — the fear, resilience, strength, and hope that exist alongside diagnosis and treatment. It also highlights why connection, compassion, and early detection are critical to improving outcomes for both veterans and civilians.

Whether you are a survivor, caregiver, veteran, healthcare professional, or someone who loves a person impacted by cancer, this conversation offers insight, encouragement, and a reminder that you are not alone.

Guest: Charise Isis
Founder / Director / Photographer – The Grace Project (Grace Goddess Inc.)

Website: www.the-grace-project.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/graceproject

Instagram: @800goddesses

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Veteran Cancer Network is building the resource we wish we had. Connecting veterans and caregivers navigating cancer.
Learn more at www.veterancancernetwork.org

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Navy veteran, breast cancer survivor, photographer, and author Brenda M. Lee joins Veteran Cancer Talk to share her powerful story of military service, toxic exposure, breast cancer diagnosis at age 30, and long-term survivorship.

Brenda served aboard Navy ships where she was regularly exposed to jet fuel, asbestos, and hazardous environments — conditions many veterans now believe contribute to higher cancer risk. She opens up about receiving her cancer diagnosis through a phone call while sitting in a Target parking lot, navigating nearly a year of chemotherapy and radiation, and the psychological impact that followed.

In this conversation, Brenda discusses:
• Breast cancer in young women
• Cancer risk among women veterans
• Military environmental exposures and cancer
• The mental health effects of cancer treatment
• The importance of early detection and self-advocacy
• Why survivorship does not always mean “being okay”

Now more than eighteen years cancer-free, Brenda shares her experience with honesty, humor, and compassion through her book It’s Not You, It’s Cancer: A Slightly Inappropriate Guide to Breast Cancer Survival. Her book offers real-world guidance for patients, survivors, caregivers, and families navigating diagnosis, treatment, and life after cancer.

This episode highlights the invisible battles veterans face, the critical role of caregivers, and why connecting with others who understand the cancer journey can be lifesaving.

Connect with Brenda

Website:
https://brendamlee.wordpress.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Brenda.Marion.Lee

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/brendamlee_author/

Order It’s Not You, It’s Cancer

Amazon / Kindle (Print & eBook):
https://amzn.to/4nBnXve

Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/its-not-you-its-cancer/id6754893131

Barnes & Noble (Print & eBook):
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/its-not-you-its-cancer-brenda-m-lee/1148680446?ean=2940182894982

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Veteran Cancer Network is building the resource we wish we had. Connecting veterans and caregivers navigating cancer.
Learn more at www.veterancancernetwork.org

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In Episode 3, Casey — Marine Corps veteran and cancer survivor — breaks down one of the biggest gaps in veteran healthcare: age-based cancer screening.

Most cancer screening guidelines are built for the “average” patient. But veterans are not average. Military service comes with unique environmental and occupational exposures that increase cancer risk — risks that often aren’t considered when care is based on age alone.

In this episode, Casey explains why age-based screening fails veterans, how systemic healthcare defaults create dangerous delays in diagnosis, and what veterans can do to advocate for cancer screening based on risk rather than age. This conversation is focused on understanding the system, not placing blame — and empowering veterans to have better, more informed conversations with their healthcare providers.

If you’re a veteran navigating healthcare, a caregiver, or a healthcare professional working with veterans, this episode offers practical insight into why cancer care must evolve to reflect military service-related risk.

Risk doesn’t mean cancer is guaranteed — it means the odds are different.

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Veteran Cancer Network is building the resource we wish we had. Connecting veterans and caregivers navigating cancer.
Learn more at www.veterancancernetwork.org

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In Episode 2, Casey — Marine Corps veteran and co-founder of Veteran Cancer Network — shares his personal journey with testicular cancer, from the first warning signs to chemotherapy and recovery.

Casey reflects on his military service, exposure to toxic environments, and the challenges veterans face when navigating VA healthcare and cancer diagnosis. He recounts how a seemingly unrelated bicycle accident led to the discovery of his tumor, the moment he received his diagnosis, and what it was like undergoing chemotherapy as a young veteran.

This episode highlights the importance of self-advocacy in healthcare, leaning on community and loved ones during treatment, and finding moments of humor even in the hardest seasons. Casey also shares practical advice for veterans and patients preparing for chemotherapy — including what no one tells you beforehand.

If you’re a veteran, caregiver, or someone navigating a cancer diagnosis, this episode offers honesty, perspective, and reassurance that you don’t have to face it alone.

Advocating for your health can save your life.

Support the show

Veteran Cancer Network is building the resource we wish we had. Connecting veterans and caregivers navigating cancer.
Learn more at www.veterancancernetwork.org

Send us a text

Veterans are being diagnosed with cancer younger and too often, too late.

In Episode 1, we introduce the Veteran Cancer Network and the reason it exists. Marine Corps veterans Casey and Ashton share their personal experiences navigating cancer as a veteran and caregiver, and the systemic gaps they encountered along the way.

This episode explores how age-based screening guidelines, communication breakdowns in healthcare, and limited access to early detection put veterans at higher risk. We discuss why early, risk-based cancer screening matters, the critical role caregivers play, and how storytelling can drive real change in veteran healthcare.

You’ll also hear about Pedal for Impact, a grassroots advocacy initiative designed to raise awareness, build community, and push for earlier cancer detection for veterans nationwide.

If you’re a veteran, caregiver, or healthcare advocate, this episode sets the foundation for the conversations ahead—and why this movement is urgently needed.

This isn’t about age. It’s about risk.

Support the show

Veteran Cancer Network is building the resource we wish we had. Connecting veterans and caregivers navigating cancer.
Learn more at www.veterancancernetwork.org