6.5 Months Pregnant When She Got The Call That Changed Everything

What this episode covers

Kristen Chester was glowing. Thirty-four years old, 6.5 months pregnant, planning a nursery, picking out baby names. Living the dream of impending motherhood while building a successful career as a management consultant. Then her phone rang with test results that shattered everything. In today's episode, I sit down with Kristen, now the founder and "chief caftanista" of Casa Danu, who faced every pregnant woman's worst nightmare - a breast cancer diagnosis while carrying her child. This isn't just another cancer story. This is about the impossible decisions that come when you're fighting for two lives at once. When every treatment option could harm the baby you're trying to protect. When you have to choose between your life and your child's future. Kristen shares the moment she heard those words while her belly was growing with new life. The terror of not knowing if treatment would hurt her baby. The medical team had to navigate uncharted territory. The decisions that felt impossible but had to be made anyway. You'll hear about the unique challenges of pregnancy and cancer treatment. The protocols that don't exist for women in her situation. The way she had to advocate for both herself and her unborn child when the medical system wasn't equipped for her reality. She reveals how this traumatic experience became the catalyst for the most transformational period of her life. The moment she realized that surviving cancer while pregnant wasn't just about beating the disease - it was about completely reimagining what life could look like on the other side. The successful, stressful career that suddenly felt meaningless. The dream of starting her sustainable fashion brand that emerged from the ashes of her old life. How facing mortality while creating life gave her the courage to finally pursue what she'd always wanted. Kristen's journey from management consultant to entrepreneur proves that sometimes the worst thing that happens to you becomes the push you need to create the life you were always meant to live.