28. Part 1. Reproductive Rights: Valerie's Story - Pregnancy, Cancer, and a Life-or-Death Choice

28. Part 1. Reproductive Rights: Valerie's Story - Pregnancy, Cancer, and a Life-or-Death ChoiceAlexis sits down with her childhood friend Valerie Ruschke for a deeply personal and emotional conversation about reproductive rights, faith, and medical reality.At 16 weeks pregnant, Valerie was diagnosed with aggressive Stage 3 HER2-positive breast cancer. Doctors told her she had less than a 10% chance of survival unless she terminated the pregnancy immediately to begin life-saving treatment.This is Part 1 of a two-part series exploring reproductive rights, faith, and nuance.Valerie shares what it was like to face that decision in real time - the physical pain, the emotional weight, and the lasting impact. She opens up about what followed: chemotherapy, loss, survival, recurrence, and ultimately building her family through surrogacy.This episode moves beyond political talking points and into lived experience. It challenges assumptions about abortion, highlights the realities of maternal health, and reminds us that these decisions are not theoretical - they are deeply human.💬 In This Episode• How Judaism teaches that the life and well-being of the mother takes precedence in pregnancy• A real story of abortion and cancer during pregnancy• What happens when treatment cannot wait• The physical and emotional reality of termination• How faith and personal values shape complex decisions• The medical realities often missing from public conversations• Why this issue is not simple within Christianity or any faith• How policy decisions impact real families and outcomes@valroosh🎧 Coming in Part 2In Part 2, Alexis speaks with Reverend jessica young chang and shares perspectives from clergy, theologians, and leaders wrestling with reproductive rights, faith, and care in their communities.Support the showAbout The Sacred SlopeWhere the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity.Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify     LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere     FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky)🔗 Connect🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: [email protected]🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control