I’m so excited to welcome Joy Harmon back to the podcast, as this will be the first time I’ve had a guest on the show for a second time!
It feels even more appropriate when you consider that Joy had not one, but two NICU journeys with her daughters. And I’m very happy to say they are thriving right now. Joy is also a breast cancer survivor who underwent treatment at the beginning of COVID when everything changed for everyone. What she has done since then is truly remarkable.
For any parent going through a medical journey, there’s a tendency to tell people, “I’m fine,” when the reality is, everything is anything but fine. With so much going on back then, needless to say, it was a challenging time. There were so many unknowns with the pandemic and her cancer treatments, but you’ll also hear how much her daughters struggled with the transition of returning to school after spending so much time together at home. I’m sure most parents can relate to that.
Thankfully, Joy had a great support system during that time in her life, and you’ll hear just how instrumental it was for her to get through it all and the lessons that her daughters have learned from this experience.
Perhaps most importantly, Joy talks about the need to give back and how the idea for her wonderful non-profit, Bringing JOY, came to be. Her charity now serves 9 cancer centers, honors the vets on Veterans Day and supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month by bringing a little JOY to others that are going through so much.
Her efforts are definitely helping others to know that they are not alone, letting them know that others are thinking about them… One Little Bag at a Time. I hope you’ll love hearing her story and what she has accomplished as much as I do.
Key Takeaways with Joy Harmon
- Dealing with cancer treatments and raising two daughters when COVID hit.
- How difficult it was for her daughter to go back to school after spending so much time at home during the pandemic.
- The aftermath of how the unknowns of COVID and a cancer diagnosis impacted her kids.
- The feeling of always waiting for the other shoe to drop after having gone through so much.
- The importance of having a network of friends and family to support you during the really difficult days.
- How beautiful it is for kids to see that sometimes we need help at such a young age.
- How Joy is teaching her kids that when help is given, there is a time to give back and support the ones who helped you.
- The immense support that Joy received from the beginning of her non-profit, Bringing JOY.
- How important it’s been for Joy to stay involved with the world of cancer foundations.
Joy Harmon Tweetables
- “The girls got to see that when things are really tough, having a support system is huge.” – Joy Harmon
- “It’s really important to just let others know that you’re thinking of them.” – Joy Harmon
- “Even on the toughest days, find joy in the smallest of things. Don’t let the hiccups in life steal all your joy.” – Joy Harmon
Resources
- Bringing JOY.org
- Bringing JOY Inc. Facebook Page
- Bringing JOY’s 2nd Annual Sunset Social Fundraiser
- Ep# 005: Coping with a Newborn in the NICU with Joy Harmon
- NationalBreastCancerAwareness.org
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