Survivorship, self-advocacy, and designing more human health systems with Robby Spring

In this episode of Collected, we sit down with Robby Spring, a patient advocate who has been open about navigating breast cancer as a young woman, and about what it truly takes to advocate for yourself inside a complex health care system.Robby shares her experience being diagnosed at 35, after pushing for screening following her sister’s (and mother's) diagnosis. Despite having knowledge, access, and support, she describes how difficult it was to move from diagnosis to treatment, including long wait times, uncertainty, and the pressure to make life-altering decisions quickly. Her story highlights a reality many patients face: the system often requires you to be your own strongest advocate.Throughout the conversation, Robby reflects on:advocating for timely screening and treatmentpreparing for appointments to make decisions in real timenavigating fertility preservation, surgery, and survivorshipbalancing long-term treatment with quality of lifethe emotional and identity impact of hair loss and regrowthsharing openly online to reduce isolation, and learning to set boundarieswhy lived experience should be valued and compensated as expertiseThe episode also explores where health systems continue to fall short, from fragmented health records to limited access to precision oncology tools, and why patient stories are essential for creating the context needed to drive meaningful change.This is an honest, grounded conversation about survivorship, self-advocacy, and the invisible work patients carry long after treatment ends, and why designing more human-centred systems must start with lived experience.🎧 Listen in to hear Robby’s story and why she believes advocacy isn’t optional; it’s essential.Follow Robby's journey on Instagram, here.Collected by Unum Co. is a podcast about the power of lived experience, and how stories can shape more human-centred systems, services, and spaces.Created by Unum Co., a patient-experience consultancy and creative studio helping health care organizations connect with people through storytelling, strategy, and digital engagement.🔗 Learn more at unumco.ca 💌 Connect with us on LinkedIn and InstagramSubscribe, rate, and share the show. Your support helps more people discover these stories.