Ep. 6 The Power of Perspective: Apryl Zemla's Breast Cancer Journey
Release Date: 05/06/2025
Who Are You Now?
Motherhood doesn't begin or end in the moments we live. It begins in the moments that break us open. In this closing WTF? Midlife episode of Season 2, Chrissie and Marva share their experiences of becoming mothers through loss. Marva's firstborn daughter, Asia, passed just before delivery. Chrissie's firstborn son, Jack, died from SIDS at six months old. Two different stories, one shared truth: love doesn't disappear. It changes form, reshapes identity, and continues moving through the mothers left behind. This conversation explores how losing a child transforms...
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This week's planned episode of The Unimaginable series is on hold. My cousin—who was scheduled to join me—recently lost her father, and I am giving her the space and time to honor her grief. If you are navigavting loss yourself, or supporting someone who is, I hope this gentle pause reminds you that healing has its own rhythm. We do not force it here. We will return next week with our final WTF? Midlife episode on loss, and then close out Season 2 on December 2nd with a solo episode that begins bridging us into the Body Awareness Method and everything coming in 2026. Thank you...
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When the unimaginable happens, love doesn't disappear. It changes form. In this episode of Who Are You Now?, Michael Webb shares the sudden loss of his wife, Teresa, who passed at 48, and the journey of learning to live, parent, and love again after life changed in a single moment. From high school sweethearts to navigating grief as a father, this conversation explores what it means to rebuild identity and allow love to continue in a new way. This episode honors Teresa's life, the love that remains, and the truth that healing is not about forgetting. It is about becoming....
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Sometimes the unimaginable doesn't crash through the door — it slips in quietly, rearranging everything you thought you knew about life. It's the moment that divides you into before and after, when truth stops being an idea and becomes something your body feels before your mind can name it. In this powerful solo episode, Chrissie explores what happens when the unimaginable finds you — when loss, change, or endings shake the foundation of who you are. Through personal reflection, storytelling, and embodied truth, she reveals how grief and gratitude can coexist, how the body...
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Sometimes collapse isn't sudden. It's slow, disguised as "we're managing" or "it'll get better next month." Until one day you realize you're standing in a life that no longer adds up emotionally or financially. The bills are the same, the income isn't, and the silence between you carries more weight than the numbers ever could. In this episode of Who Are You Now?, Chrissie Morgan sits down with guest Kara Elkins to share a powerful story of financial loss, faith, and rebuilding from the inside out. After a year of unemployment, mounting debt, bankruptcy, and selling their...
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You raise your kids, send them off to college, and start to dream again. Then the phone rings–and suddenly, you're being pulled in another direction. In this episode of Who Are You Now?, the miniseries The Unexpected continues as Chrissie speaks with Donna Cespon Benedict, who shares her deeply relatable story of navigating the squeeze–that middle place where your kids still need you in some ways, your parents need you in others, and your own dreams get pushed to the background. Together, we explore the emotional and practical toll of midlife caregiving, the ways sibling dynamics...
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What happens when forever ends? In this episode of Who Are You Now?, Chrissie speaks with Belisa Davis, who shares her deeply honest story of navigating divorce after 16 years of marriage. From breaking the news to her kids, to redefining family, to rediscovering purpose and self-love, this conversation offers validation, perspective, and hope for anyone facing the unexpected. You'll Learn: Why cracks in a marriage often reveal themselves slowly How therapy and perspective shifts open new pathways forward The impact of divorce on family, parenting, and identity Why rediscovering...
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Life has a way of shifting when we least expect it. One phone call, one truth, or one quiet realization can change everything. In this solo episode of Who Are You Now?, Chrissie explores how the unexpected shows up in our lives–sometimes as a sudden rupture, sometimes as a slow burn, and sometimes as a silent realization that life has changed. Through stories of divorce, financial loss, health challenges, and family transitions, she unpacks how these moments move through all four bodies–physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual–and how awareness, allowing, and action become the...
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What if the playbook you inherited for raising boys is outdated? In this episode of WTF? Midlife, Chrissie and Marva dive into modern masculinity, emotional intelligence in boys, and why the old rules no longer fit today's reality. From the myths of "toughness" to the missing tools for emotional resilience, we explore how parents, mentors, and partners can guide young men in a changing world. Whether you're raising a son, mentoring young men, or reflecting on your own upbringing, this conversation will help you see the bigger picture–and your role in rewriting it. WTF? Midlife is where...
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Outdated scripts of toughness, silence, and self-reliance no longer fit the world our boys are growing up in. One of the last places boys consistently find mentors outside the home is in sports. And that's where both the crisis–and the solution–show up. In this episode, Chrissie sits down with Coach Jeff Noviello, who has been shaping young athletes for over 26 years with the Junior Ducks youth program. From his beginnings coaching a girls' hockey team in 1999 to guiding boys across multiple generations, Jeff shares how coaching goes far beyond the scoreboard. ...
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In this powerful episode, Chrissie Morgan sits down with Apryl Zemla, a 21-year breast cancer survivor, to explore the raw truths and profound shifts that come with facing cancer— not once, but alongside the memory of her sister who lost the same battle. Apryl shares how she went from fear to gratitude, from survival to true healing, and how love, mindset, and community helped shape her journey.
You'll Learn:
- How media attention shaped Apryl's mission to help others
- What her sister's journey taught her about strength and treatment choices
- Why shifting from "Why me?" to I'm so lucky I get to..." changed everything
- How blogging became a healing tool and act of service
- Why trusting the process and letting people in can transform recovery
- How Apryl redefined healing as peace, acceptance, and love
Whether you're in the midst of your own challenge or supporting someone through theirs, this episode is a heartfelt reminder of what it means to embrace life— fully and deeply.
Key Takeaways:
- Mindset shifts are essential for healing
- Community support is just as important as treatment
- Every cancer journey is personal— no one size-fits-all path
- Trusting others and letting love in is part of the process
- Life after illness can be fulfilling, joyful, and full of purpose
Timestamps:
00:51 A Journey of Survival-Mindset Transformation
07:51 Facing the Diagnosis: A Shift in Perspective
11:00 The Power of Support: Building a Community
23:03 Treatment Paths: Learning from the Past
29:58 Media Attention and Awareness
31:54 Birth of a Blog
34:07 Life After Cancer
35:49 Shifting Mindset
38:50 Finding Joy in the Mundane
40:00 Trusting the Process
44:18 Letting Others In
47:50 Defining Healing
48:19 Embracing Love and Community
52:34 Loving the Journey
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