The Lighthouse Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this heartfelt episode, Chris Woodruff and Christy Richards sit down with Marissa Bondurant, a writer, mother of four, and passionate childhood cancer advocate. Marissa shares the powerful story of her family's journey through childhood cancer, which led her to discover a new purpose: using her experiences to encourage and bring gospel hope to others.
Together, they discuss Marissa’s transition from writing updates for family and friends to creating a ministry that reaches caregivers and cancer families worldwide. They also learn about her book Who Cares for You?, her inspiring blog, and the 31-Day Prayer Guide for Caregivers, which are resources designed to comfort and strengthen those walking through difficult seasons. 
Marissa also shares practical advice for staying connected, instructions for accessing her writing and guides, and a deeply encouraging message for anyone facing challenges: God sees you and will use your story for good.

You can find Marissa's resources on her website.

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In this inspiring episode, hosts Chris Woodruff and Christy Richards sit down with special guests Elise Keel, Megan Beasley, and Seamus, a Duke athlete, to discuss the transformative work of Team Impact. Team Impact connects children facing serious illnesses with college athletic teams, fostering meaningful relationships that empower kids and inspire athletes. These connections create a community of support, resilience, and joy for families navigating life with pediatric illness.
Listeners will hear firsthand accounts from the Beasley family and Seamus about how Team Impact has shaped their lives. The Beasleys share their journey of joining the program, highlighting the incredible bonds formed and the emotional support they’ve experienced. Meanwhile, Seamus offers a unique perspective as an athlete, reflecting on his life lessons and personal growth from participating in this initiative. Together, their stories showcase the profound ripple effect of Team Impact’s mission on children, families, and college communities.
Whether you’re a family seeking support, an athlete eager to make a difference, or inspired by the power of connection, this episode is a touching reminder of how compassion and teamwork can create lasting change.
Connect with Team Impact: https://www.teamimpact.org
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Welcome back to the Lighthouse Podcast! This is our March edition, but don't forget that we have 133 other episodes you can also listen to. Today, Chris and Christy have the privilege of talking with Pamela Jones. Pamela's daughter, Sarah, was diagnosed with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the age of 12.

Before that diagnosis, back when Sarah was an infant, they had a miracle happen that you will want to hear! That miracle set the stage for a powerful faith journey through her life. Pamela and her family realized that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. They would continue to claim his promises through the journey ahead.

Going through cancer treatments as you turn from pre-teen to teen was incredibly difficult for Sarah. But she continued to hold on to her faith that could move mountains. The Bible tells us not to fear 365 times, and Sarah, as well as her family held on to that through the valley lows. 

Pamela joined a Facebook group for families going through this journey. And it provided friendship, community, and encouragement. She continues to share about the tough times and the blessings along the road. In closing, she encourages families going through this to accept help no matter how hard it is to say "yes." 

In the opener, Christy mentioned that we have space for first-time families walking through childhood cancer on our weeklong summer retreats. And that we also have space on an upcoming weekend retreat in Jasper, GA. You can learn about those by going to https://www.lighthousefamilyretreat.org/retreat. 

Peyton Gully joins Chris and Christy on the podcast this week to share her personal journey with childhood cancer. Now a junior in college, Peyton was diagnosed as a sophomore in high school at the age of 15 with mixed phenotype acute leukemia. As an active cross-country runner and lacrosse player, Peyton describes noticing her performance slowing down leading up to her diagnosis. When a month-long headache  sent her to the ER, she found herself on a multi-year journey of chemotherapy, CAR T-cell therapy, and two bone marrow transplants before finally being declared cancer-free three years ago. Peyton describes what it was like to miss a year and a half of high school, and how the support of her friends and family made a difference in her journey. She ends by sharing how the experience deepened her faith, and why she is ultimately thankful for what she endured.

Chris and Christy kick off September, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, with this important conversation. Christy shares from her experience as the mother of a childhood cancer survivor, explaining why September is so important. Then she and Chris explain the many experiences and types of support that Lighthouse Family Retreat provides. They explain what a week at one of Lighthouse's seaside retreats looks like, including the balance of both programmed events (such as the special time just for parents called Common Ground, Dad's Poker Night, Mom's Luncheon, and the UnBirthday Party) and free time as a family. Chris and Christy go on to share about other retreat experiences Lighthouse offers, such as the one-day regional retreats and weekend retreats, which allow families to not only experience a taste of Lighthouse, but also to connect with other families living in their area. Then they close the conversation by highlighting the resources that Lighthouse provides beyond retreats.

In this second episode of a two-part conversation with Joe and Alana Phillips, Chris and Christy talk with the couple about all of the updates in their daughter Tillery's cancer journey. They share what has been different this time around, after having been off treatment for three and a half years, including the shock of hearing the news that the mass had grown, and the frustration of having to find a new oncologist as theirs had left the hospital. They explain the path that led them to St. Jude for Tillery's current treatment, which is a drug trial, and the challenges that come from being a part of a trial. They share the good—that the tumor has shrunk; the bad—that she struggles with physical, behavioral, and educational side effects from the treatment; and the hard—not knowing the right choice to make for Tillery's treatment. Joe and Alana keep it positive, but real, explaining how others' response to Tillery's relapse has differed from the first time around, but how thankful they are for their support team.

Joe and Alana Phillips were generous to talk with us on two separate occasions, as their daughter's cancer journey took a big twist soon after recording the first podcast. In this initial conversation, Chris and Christy talk with the parents of Luke and Tillery about Tillery's initial diagnosis at 15 months old with a brain tumor. They describe the early months of her life when they noticed her missing milestones, and the fight to get her symptoms recognized by the medical community. As Tillery and Alana ended up spending several months in a hospital six hours from their home, Joe and Alana share what they learned about their marriage and each other through the challenges of childhood cancer and an extended physical separation. Both share how their faith in God and their church and cancer communities helped carry them through, and what led them to start a 5K to fund childhood cancer research, as well as a men's group for dads of childhood cancer patients.

Last week on the podcast, Chris and Christy spoke with Kayla Funk, a childhood cancer survivor, and on this episode, they chat with Kayla's siblings. Morgan and Andrew, who were teenagers when their sister was diagnosed, describe the early days of Kayla's cancer journey and what it was like to be on the other side of a sibling's diagnosis. Andrew shares the difficult emotions he experienced, especially with Kayla's relapse, and how his friends helped him process and get through it. Morgan also reflects on the strong support system her family had, and talks about the ups and downs of coping with the emotions. And both siblings share about the positive ways they all grew up and came together during such a hard season. They also offer up advice for both teenagers and parents in a similar situation.

Kayla Funk was 18 years old and ready to launch into her young adult life when she started developing strange health symptoms while serving on a mission trip in Kenya. She was soon diagnosed with neuroblastoma, which is typically diagnosed in children under five. On this podcast, she shares with Chris and Christy about the struggle of being ready to be an adult while being thrust back into a world where she was treated like a child and having to fight for her own voice in the children's healthcare system. Kayla also shares openly about the challenges of navigating her independence from her parents throughout her diagnosis and treatment as a young adult, and about her fight to regain the ability to walk and recover her motor skills. She closes the conversation by sharing about what her life is like now, including working at the non-profit she and her family started to fund research to end childhood cancer.

In our inaugural episode of season 3, Aria Randolph, a friend of Lighthouse and homeschool educator, shares her journey to making the choice to homeschool, even as someone who enjoyed her own public school experience. She explains the two main "whys" her family has chosen this path, and the importance for each family to figure out their own "whys" when it comes to their education choices. Chris, Christy and Aria discuss the impact of cancer on a child's educational life, and why that might influence a parent's decision to make different schooling decisions for each individual child in their family. Aria helpfully breaks down the process for getting started in homeschooling and also debunks some homeschooling myths.