Discover how to become friends with you mind so that it can serve you the best.

Let's Connect:

• You can join the Grief and Happiness Alliance which meets weekly on Sundays by clicking here
• You can order the International Best Selling The Grief and Happiness Guide by clicking here.
• You can order Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief by clicking here at Amazon:
• You can listen to my podcast, Grief and Happiness, by clicking here
• Request your Awaken Your Happiness Journaling Guide here

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If you’ve ever wondered how to turn loss into hope, episode 364 of Grief and Happiness is for you. Advocate and author Ashlee Cramer shares how caring for her son through a rare cancer battle inspired her children’s book Michael, The Boy Who Danced on the Waves. With honesty and strength, she reveals how writing, family, and resilience can transform grief into new ways of “dancing on the waves” of life.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

(3:40) A son’s rare diagnosis

(6:10) The birth of a story in a hospital room

(7:30) From surfboard to storybook

(9:50) Hope without sugarcoating

(11:30) Why siblings must be included

(19:30) Writing as a lifeline

(26:40) Practical advice for caregivers

(35:20) Dancing forward, not back

In today's episode, I'm joined by Ashlee Cramer, Co-Founder and Chief Community Officer of No Patient Left Behind, a nonprofit advocating for affordable healthcare. A former dancer and early childhood educator, her life changed when her husband died of cancer in 2016 and later when her son Michael was diagnosed with a rare lymphoma. Ashlee became a full-time caregiver and advocate, raising awareness for pediatric cancer. During long hospital stays, she turned to journaling, which inspired her children’s book Michael, The Boy Who Danced on the Waves—a hopeful story of resilience that also supports pediatric cancer research. Through her work, Ashlee blends personal strength with a mission to ensure no patient and no family feels left behind.

Throughout this episode, Ashlee shares her journey with honesty and courage. She describes how writing evolved from a coping tool to the creation of Dancing on the Waves and stresses the importance of including siblings, being open with children, and using writing to ease grief and anxiety. Above all, she highlights the hope in her book—that while life may never return to “before cancer,” families can still find strength, connection, and joy by learning to “dance on the waves” in new ways.

Connect with Ashlee Cramer:

No Patient Left Behind

Michael and Mom Talk Cancer

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Book: Ashlee Cramer - Michael, The Boy Who Danced on the Waves

Let's Connect:

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

Twitter

Pinterest

The Grief and Happiness Alliance

Book: Emily Thiroux Threatt - Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grief lasts as long as love remains in your heart.

Let's Connect:

• You can join the Grief and Happiness Alliance which meets weekly on Sundays by clicking here
• You can order the International Best Selling The Grief and Happiness Guide by clicking here.
• You can order Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief by clicking here at Amazon:
• You can listen to my podcast, Grief and Happiness, by clicking here
• Request your Awaken Your Happiness Journaling Guide here

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.