For Cancer Survivor, Healing Journey Doesn’t End with Treatment

Our stories connect us, and if there is one thing Julie Spangler has in spades, it is stories. As a volunteer driver for the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery® program and two-time cancer survivor, Julie has seen the immense power of sharing a simple story.

First diagnosed with breast cancer 16 years ago and again with skin cancer more recently, Julie underwent 38 rounds of radiation, which required frequent trips to the hospital.

“Both times, I was shocked by the diagnosis,” she said. “It was overwhelming and tough, but having a supportive family and community made a world of difference to me.”

That is why, now that Julie is done with cancer treatments, she is so passionate about being a friendly face for others going through treatment. She offers rides through Road to Recovery, an American Cancer Society program that addresses a significant barrier cancer patients face: lack of transportation. Road to Recovery provides volunteer drivers, like Julie, who offer free rides to individuals undergoing cancer treatment, ensuring patients can access timely and high-quality care. Since its start in 2005, the program has facilitated nearly 10 million rides across the country.

“I am giving these folks a ride, and sometimes I’ll go in and sit with them when the treatment is quick. I’ll be a friend,” Julie said. “But I get more than I give because of these connections, these stories I hear from people you’d never expect. There is so much resilience, so many amazing stories out there.”

Julie gets to know each of the people she drives to and from treatment, usually starting with a conversation about their cancer journeys. From there, she says, it can evolve in many different directions – the importance of community, life experiences, and accomplishments, or more everyday topics, like what’s for dinner that night.

Julie has given rides to more than 160 patients and her recent appearance on the Today Show, resulted in more than 500 applications for the Road to Recovery program.

“It’s amazing to see how this one story inspired all these other volunteers to step in and start helping folks in their areas,” Julie said.

In her years of driving, Julie has made connections with each of her passengers, from the one who called her “his angel” for ensuring he was able to get to each treatment appointment, to the one who shared her family recipe for fried chicken.

“It’s an adventure each day,” Julie said, “to see who is next, what their story is, and how I can just be there for them.”

At the end of each day, after driving patients to their appointments and back home, Julie says that the power of stories keeps her volunteering. Rachel Capps, one of the women Julie drives for treatments and who was also featured in the recent Today Show story, mentioned that she would not have been able to convince herself to get up and go for her treatments if it weren't for people like Julie, who showed incredible enthusiasm. She felt that if Julie could do all that for her, she could get up, get dressed, and go for herself.

For Julie, Rachel's words were a powerful reminder of the importance of perseverance and maintaining a positive outlook, even during difficult times. Connections and stories like this fuel her passion for her volunteer work, as she recognizes the impact of these stories on both her life and the lives of those she helps.