Carry The Fire

Described as graceful, artistic, and innovative, ice dancer and Olympic bronze medalist Piper Gilles is a lot of things; she’s also a cancer survivor. Piper joins Lisa LaFlamme in a wide-ranging interview following her captivating performance at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games, where her journey off the ice inspired her performance on the ice.

In her 20s, Ruby tested positive for a rare genetic mutation that increases her chance of breast cancer. Knowing this, she was able to mitigate her risk of being diagnosed. But a thyroid cancer diagnosis just a few years later came as a total shock. Listen as Ruby and Dr. Stambolic from The Princess Margaret join Lisa for a discussion about the growing number of young people receiving a cancer diagnosis, and what we’re doing at The Princess Margaret to meet this moment.

After attending a free screening event, Rensford De Haan began treatment at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre for a cancer he didn’t even know he had. The mobile event was led by Dr. Neil Fleshner, Love Chair in Prostate Cancer Prevention at The Princess Margaret. This unique initiative was part of a concentrated effort to bring screening directly to more Black men, a community that faces a higher risk of prostate cancer due to both systemic barriers and genetic factors.

Claire Cameron is a best-selling Canadian author and winner of the 2025 Governor General’s Literary Award in Non-Fiction. A lifelong outdoors lover, her identity was upended when she was diagnosed with a hereditary skin cancer and told to avoid sunlight. After receiving treatment at The Princess Margaret, she found new ways to connect with nature and used writing – especially her book, How to Survive a Bear Attack – to process her grief, accept her new limits, and reimagine her love for the outdoors.

When Ryan Gullen, bassist for the popular Canadian rock band The Sheepdogs, lost his father to esophageal cancer, grief showed up in unexpected and complicated ways. In this deeply personal episode, Ryan reflects on navigating hope, guilt, and the quiet aftermath of loss, all while balancing his music and life on the road. Plus, Dr. Madeline Li, a world-leading psychiatrist from The Princess Margaret, unpacks what grief really looks like, why it rarely follows a tidy path, and how we learn to live with it.

Welcome to Season Two of Carry The Fire, hosted by Lisa LaFlamme. We have ten new and inspiring personal stories about what happens when world-leading doctors, researchers and their patients come together to ignite breakthroughs in cancer research, treatment, and care. Special guests this season include Olympic bronze medalist ice dancer, Piper Gilles, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Dakota Joshua, musician Ryan Gullen of The Sheepdogs, and award-winning author Claire Cameron, as well as everyday Canadians who are helping to create a world free from the fear of cancer. Carry The Fire is a podcast from The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, Canada’s largest cancer charity, dedicated to raising funds for Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Ontario. This season launches Tuesday, April 7. Subscribe to hear a new episode every week.

Meet Sangita Patel: entertainment journalist, wellness influencer and TV host who promotes health and wellness. At the peak of her professional life she was diagnosed with a rare thyroid cancer that threatened her future. Fortunately, The Princess Margaret’s own Dr. Pasternak is the only surgeon in Canada with the specialized expertise to perform a groundbreaking procedure that would leave virtually no trace—allowing Sangita to continue her work and find her voice again.

Meet Paul Carleton: Faced with a terminal diagnosis and some hard decisions, Paul was motivated to keep going by the love of his family and a deep desire to see his daughter graduate and walk her down the aisle. Led by world-class Dr. Keith Stewart, Vice President, Cancer, UHN and Director of the Princess Margaret Cancer Program, Paul and his team at The Princess Margaret embarked on a journey to do the impossible.

Meet Luana Locke: a loving mother, daughter and sister who has had cancer six times. A genetic condition comes with a near 100% chance that she and others in her family will face cancer at some point in their lives, and yet Luana isn’t worried. Innovations in screening and genetic testing at The Princess Margaret are keeping her and her loved ones safe, highlighting the importance of early detection.

Meet Jeanne Beker: fashion icon, TV personality, and now the voice of a new understanding of breast cancer. Thanks to groundbreaking advancements at The Princess Margaret, Jeanne discovered that cancer doesn’t have to be an insurmountable illness. With innovative treatments and world-class care, managing cancer has become more achievable, offering hope and better outcomes for patients like her.

Meet Alicia Mathlin: a vibrant woman who had always been the picture of health until tragic news brought her face-to-face with her own mortality. Confronted with an impossible choice, Alicia’s story powerfully highlights how cancer treatment can go beyond the physical and challenge us to think differently about palliative care.

Cancer diagnoses in adults under 40 are rising sharply and they need a different kind of support than those who are diagnosed later in life. Meet Atoosa Rashid, a 26-year-old woman who was making plans for her future when she received unwelcome news that forever altered the trajectory of her life. Thanks to the Adolescent & Young Adult Oncology Program at The Princess Margaret, Atoosa was able to receive the support she needed and is now a passionate advocate for other young adults facing cancer.

Tennille and Rachel are childhood friends who were unexpectedly separated and then reunited by chance after years apart. They have remained close ever since, until a cancer diagnosis changed their lives forever. Rachel stepped in to provide support, quickly realizing that when someone you love goes through cancer, you go through it too. Tennille is passionate about helping other cancer patients during their journey. She is working towards fundraising to bring art materials to patients in order to help ease their emotional stress. We will be sure to update you when that information becomes available. Please check back in soon.

Meet David Lahey, an entrepreneur who was in the prime of his life when he was given a 3% chance of surviving an aggressive cancer. Despite his diagnosis, David is beating the odds with the help of Dr. Lillian Siu and a world-class medical team who are using groundbreaking immunotherapy treatments to train his own cells to fight back.

Carry The Fire is a podcast about radical innovation and hope. Hosted by legendary Canadian broadcaster Lisa LaFlamme, each episode features inspiring personal stories that explore what can happen when world-leading doctors, researchers, nurses and their patients come together to ignite breakthroughs in cancer treatment.