Teona Ducre has to be one of the most inspirational humans I've ever spoken with. I hope you listen to this conversation about her cancer journey, and how she is helping others deal with this disease.  She's a hero---cancer didn't steal her joy!

About Teona:

Teona Ducre is a six year pancreatic cancer survivor from Atlanta, GA. She is a single mother of two adult children, Grant (22) and Sydney (19) and works for Pinnacle Health of Atlanta as a Physician Recruiter.

Teona was diagnosed at the age of 41 on April 1, 2016 (yes, April Fool’s Day!)  Her battle with pancreatic cancer included 6 months of very aggressive chemotherapy that successfully shrunk the tumor and made her eligible for surgery in November of 2016.The day before Thanksgiving 2016, Teona was released to go home and celebrate the holiday with her family and friends.  

She then underwent another 5 months of chemotherapy until she was officially declared in remission.  

Teona’s motto throughout her cancer journey was “Cancer Can’t Steal My Joy.”  Soon after getting diagnosed, Teona began volunteering with various organizations including Purple Pansies and  the Pancreatic Cancer Network (PanCAN) to advocate for all those impacted by this devastating disease.  

Her volunteer work includes being a guest speaker at the Purple Pansies annual Gala and fundraiser, as well as being an Honorary Board Member of Purple Pansies. She has served as board member and executive director of Destroy Pancreatic Cancer Foundation of Atlanta. She has served in various roles with the Atlanta PanCAN affiliate, including participating in the planning of Purple Stride Atlanta, traveling to Washington DC on multiple occasions for National Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill and serving as the Affiliate Chair, Affiliate Co-Chair and a 3 year member of the PanCAN Survivor Council. She also is the author of HealthFULLLife blog and uses social media to spread awareness about her battle with pancreatic cancer.

In addition, Teona shares her story through attending speaking engagements and interviews for both print and broadcast media. She has been a guest on several Atlanta radio shows and on Atlanta Unplugged with WNBA player Tamara Young, whose father died of pancreatic cancer. Teona also appeared in a national interview on CBS with PanCAN CEO and President, Julie Fleishman.

Teona celebrated a milestone 6 years in remission in 2022 and continues her volunteerism. As a woman of color, Teona is dedicated to educating Black and Brown communities about the disease and spreading awareness with the goal of bettering outcomes for the BIPOC community diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer.  

Through her involvement with Purple Pansies and other advocacy and health education roles,  Teona was inspired to pursue a career as a physician recruiter. She hopes to eventually complete her MPH degree to work more closely with nonprofit organizations and globally to improve health outcomes for People of Color.

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Chris Joseph is a dad, environmental consultant, cancer patient advocate, best selling author, thought leader, public speaker, and founder of two music record companies and a complementary 501(c)(3) non-profit helping New Orleans artists and musicians. He's also a television producer, hobbyist songwriter, podcaster, and a lover of all things outdoors. Over the decades, Chris has served as a board of director for numerous non-profit organizations, and is currently a national board member of NatureBridge.

Chris’s first book was the best seller “Life is a Ride: My Unconventional Journey of Cancer Recovery” (2020). He then co-authored "The Epiphanies Project" and is currently finalizing his third book, “The Kitchen Sink Approach to Cancer (And Why You SHOULDN'T Always Listen to Your Doctor)”.

For more information about Chris Joseph, please see the following websites:

https://my.terrain.network/profile/member/841?tab=overview-tab

lifeisaridebook.com

terrainnavigators.com

and at chrisjoseph AT mac DOT com