The Freak Cast

Jerry Kidd is a hero of mine—and the very definition of a Freak. He’s traveled the world many times over and lived a life full of adventures that truly feel like something out of a movie. His story is one of love, faithfulness, strength, courage, and unwavering dedication to a cause greater than himself. This episode will challenge you, inspire you, and encourage you in all the best ways.Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77

Time to get busy fulfiling our purpose. Ryan's Family & Friends...I'd love to tell you about Ryan. His wife, family, and friends were a huge motivational factor that moved me to get the Freak Cast Back up and Running! Family Update...My sister Lori, Phil's Cottage, and Donna and I are "Pop & Nana!" So much to catch up on and so many stories to tell. Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77

Tennille had struggled from the time she was born off and on with unexplained illness, and no one could figure out what was going on. She was ultimately diagnosed with a rare condition called Aplastic Anemia in March 1998 at the age of 21 years old. Tennille had an Allogenic Stem Cell Transplant (full sibling donor 100% match) on January 29, 2002 when she was 25 years old. She was a warrior then, and she is a warrior now! Her story is one that has many twists and turns along they way, but her faith and strength moved her through a very difficult process in a season of her life where she literally didn't know if she would live or die. This podcast will challenge and inspire you. She is a 20+ year stem cell transplant veteran, a mom to her amazing daughter Lexi, a police officer, and she has an incredible impact in every area of her life! We are so excited to have her on the Freak Cast!! We have known each other for over 20 years, and it's a powerful conversation!Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77

When you battle cancer of any kind, you will most likely end up in the infusion room of some Cancer Treatment Center quite a bit. I was in for my 23rd treatment in January of 2024, and I met my new friend Ryan! But, how we met is what is interesting. I noticed Ryan when he came in because he had a shirt with the word "FREAK" on it. Obviously that word is special to me, I mean it's in the name of my podcast! But, it wasn't just the shirt, when Ryan walked into the infusion room the atmosphere lit up! Yes, he was there to get treatment, but you could tell immediately he was there to battle! Ryan has an incredible story of love, family, hope, strength, & faith! Listen in and you will be inspired as he shares his story about being diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer, and how he is LIVING life daily to win this battle!Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77

I hope you will tune into Episode 14 of The Freak Cast! We are excited to have our 14th guest, & new friend, Kelly Gaudreau. Kelly was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer in September of 2021. He has had right at 40 treatments to date. His passion to share his faith, live life to the fullest, & help others will inspire & challenge anyone! Kelly was given a bag filled with items that someone knew he would need as he began his treatments to battle this cancer. It made such an impact on his life, that he wanted to do the same for others. You will be amazed at how that one bag has translated into hundreds of other bags given to other people battling cancer too!No matter what you are facing, you will love hearing Kelly's story, and I believe you will see that life is precious and short. What you believe, who you spend your time with, and how you approach life mentally makes a big difference in all of our lives. Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77

This episode of The Freak Cast features our special guest Brian Smith. Brian and Patty Smith are incredible people, that share their late daughter Laureen’s powerful story every chance they get. Their daughter Laurren was diagnosed with & battled osteosarcoma as a child and teenager. She had an incredible attitude & was a bright light that literally impacted thousands of people. Laurren was interviewed by a local Dallas TV station, and the reporter asked her, "You've been told that you have 6 months to live, what would you want to tell everyone?." She replied,  "I have a story to tell, and I want everyone to learn something from it. You have to keep a positive attitude through the ups and downs. I didn’t pray for God to heal me, I prayed for God to give me a positive attitude.” She definitely exhibited & shared that positive attitude up until the day she passed away. This is another powerful story, from everyday people just like you, that will challenge, inspire, & share the faith, hope, & love that helped Brian, Patty, Lauren,, and their family as they walked this difficult journey together. Losing a child is the worst fear of every parent Brian is very honest as he shares their journey. But, Brian and Patty have not only walked through it all, but they have made a commitment to share Laurren's story and the hope they have found with others any time they can!Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77

Jessica Clark Winchester is our special guest on this episode of The Freak Cast! Jessica was diagnosed with Type 1 #diabetes as a kid. She struggled for years not only with the diagnosis, but with so many other issues growing up. She even came to the point where she wanted to end her life several times as a teenager and young adult. Many would say she lost so much because of her diagnosis, (her sight, physical ability, etc...) but she says she made a decision to gain control of her life.  She changed her diet, got wise counsel from a trusted source. began yoga, exercise, refocused spiritually & mentally, and made an overall life change. The result is that she not only changed her life, but many others along the way. The result is an incredible story of hope, healing, restoration, determination, and so much more! Jessica and her husband Curtis are incredible people, and they literally turned their home into a place where anyone can come to find community, health. wellness, acceptance, love, and grace to start their own journey to healing no matter where they may be. This is a great listen for all of us & something to share with folks that may be struggling to find their way too. Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77

Episode 11 is a Freak Cast that you don't want to miss. My special guest tonight is Tracey Murtha. Tracey & her family def have a story to tell & are a huge inspiration to my life. They will be to you too. Over the course of the last few years, since 2012, Tracey has walked with her late husband Greg Murtha as he battled Colon Cancer, (The book,he finished before he passed, “Out Of The Blue” has helped me in my battle along with thousands of others). Tracey is currently walking with her son Jackson as he recovers from a tragic event that happened just over a year ago that almost took his life. As you listen to this Freak Cast, I KNOW Your faith will be not only be strengthened, but you will also be challenged/encouraged by Tracey’s perspective & authenticity as she shares her Story.Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77

Episode 10 of The Freak Cast! Our Special Guest tonight is Mark Tedder. Mark & his wife Carrie are very special to my wife & I. They have literally traveled the world as Missionaries for over 30 Years and have more stories than we will be able to cover. They have faced challenges & obstacles that required a faith with no safety net. They were ALL in together as a family. No reservation. As with everyone, their lives have been marked by adversity & the unexpected. As when Mark’s Mom & Dad literally passed away within hours of one another. Mark is one of my favorite people ever, & these guys, and their family, are truly Jesus Freaks! This interview will challenge, encourage, & inspire you to truly believe that all things are possible.Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77

The 9th Episode of The Freak Cast! Everyday people just like you, that have faced and walked through tough things and have come out on the other side. Our special guest for this episode is Tracey Johnson. Tracey inspires me & so many others. She is an example of perseverance & pressing on through whatever we face in life. She was First diagnosed with breast cancer in Oct 2013 when they found a lump in her breast discovered in a routine mammogram. Pathology came back positive for triple negative breast cancer. A very aggressive and rare cancer. No family history of it. Had a bi-lateral mastectomy and 2 reconstructive surgeries. Underwent “Red Devil” chemo. Re-diagnosed in 2017. It returned on her rib. Underwent a major rib resection surgery, removing a section of three of her ribs. Then 35 sessions of radiation. Re-diagnosed in Oct of 2020. This time it was metastatic triple negative breast cancer, meaning it has spread to other places. Surgery is not an option. She has endured 7 brain radiation treatments, a trial treatment, & will always be on some form of chemotherapy or treatment. But her faith, attitude, & outlook are amazing. You will learn a lot from this interview, but most of all you will be inspired to move forward through whatever you may face in life. She says “BUT GOD!!!!!!!!!!!” Join in, listen, & share!Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77

New Episode of The Freak Cast! Our special guest on this episode will be Coach David Spurgeon! He says this about himself and his family, “A normal man, and family, that lost a child and has faced hell on earth.”He and his wife Kathryn’s daughter Elyse was diagnosed with a rare form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Elyse and her parents battled this form of pediatric cancer for 10 months, before she passed away.Listen in (and share with others that might benefit), as Coach Spurgeon shares their story/battle with childhood cancer, and all that they faced together as they walked beside their daughter Elyse every step of the way.He will also be sharing about the foundation they have set up in Elyse’s honor, www.elyseswarriorfoundation.org. They founded this organization to aid families who need to relocate, as they did to Seattle, in order to receive the best treatment for their child. It is also established to raise funds for pediatric cancer research.Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77

Our Guest on The Freak Cast for Episode #6 is Anna Nicole Kuykendall. Anna's late husband Craig was diagnosed with FTD (frontotemporal degeneration). This is an aggressive, incurable, and awful disease that destroys the brain cell by cell. (Go to www.AFTD.org for more information)Anna shares her story about her, & her late husband's, journey with FTD, and this is an episode that you don’t want to miss. She not only sheds light on this rare illness, but she also gives us a perspective on what it’s like to walk through a diagnosis like this as a family. You will be challenged to live life to the fullest as well as face it as it comes. She, and her girls, are some of the most amazing, strong, faith based people you will ever meet, and as they look back they can see purpose in the pain, the hope that they have found through their faith, and a love for one another that is deeper than ever before. Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77

Join in as we talk with Clay Drake! Clay is also a Multiple Myeloma Warrior. He was diagnosed in 2015 & is an incredible example of faith, strength, & encouragement.He Loves his family, Loves people, serves his community, works hard to bring awareness to Multiple Myeloma, and has an incredible story!!Clay's joy is infectious and everyone that comes in contact with him is impacted by his smile and love for life! This is gonna be a great discussion about how we met, his Multiple Myeloma Story, and much more! Follow Clay on Instagram @clayndukensugarYou don't want to miss this one!Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77

Join in as I chat with Harper's Dad, Chad Stephenson, as he shares about their family's journey and battle with a very rare form of cancer. Chad and Jai's daughter Harper was diagnose with a form of cancer that effects less that .1% of the population at the age of 2 years old. You will hear how this family had to navigate several years of chemo, scans, procedures, and ultimately a surgery that quite literally was a life and death moment this family faced together. While Chad and Jai are thankful that Harper is now CANCER FREE & a very active young lady, they acknowledge the painful journey so many other parents have had to walk who didn't get the same outcome. That leads to a very raw discussion about God, Why things happen as they do, Answers we don't have, and much more. We believe you will identify with the struggle of facing tough moments and hopefully encouraged to move forward through whatever you may be facing as you listen in on our conversation. Chad and I go way back, so it is a fun conversation too.Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77

Our guest on Episode 4 of the Freak Cast is Albert Bennett. Albert was diagnosed with Grade 3 #Oligodendronglioma Brain Cancer over 2 year ago! He had been struggling with headaches, and they soon became simply unbearable. His wife Julie took him to the ER, and they found out that there was a tumor on the front right side of his brain that required immediate surgery. After the tumor was removed, it was identified at Oligodendronglioma, a very rare form of brain cancer that is considered terminal. Albert was given 5 years to live, but he didn't let that diagnosis cause him to lay down and quit. He began a pursuit of a holistic health conscious approach that included a drastic change in diet, juicing, and now 2 years later he feels great and has had clear scans.  His faith in Jesus and passion for life will inspire you and anyone that you share this podcast with too. Albert's Story is incredible, so join in as we talk through his journey, treatment, and where he is today!Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77

Join in as I reflect on my one year Stem Cell Transplant Anniversary\Birthday, talk about my amazing nurses, how to revisit our past with purpose, and looking forward to 2024. After being diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, Steven had 16 weeks of treatment, harvested his stem cells, and then had high dose chemo therapy and was given my 4 million of his stem cells back to battle this disease. A year later, his cancer number is 0 and he is in a much better place. Every Story Matters and in this episode Steven shares a little bit of his story with you, as well as some great information about how awesome nurses are in our healing and recovery and how powerful healing from the past is for your health and future too.  Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77

Sydney Shelton was diagnosed with a cancerous mass in her colon in 2020, right during the height of Covid. Months were spent navigating appointments, lockdowns, and figuring out a diet that didn’t set off pain, and trying to push past the pain to continue going to work. After running tests and having a procedure with a local gastroenterologist, it became alarmingly clear that she had colorectal cancer and the only solution would end of being surgeries and months of chemotherapy treatments.That was over 3 years ago, and today Sydney continues to def Fight Like a Freak. In this episode, Sydney shares her journey with an authenticity that is bound to encourage anyone that has battled anything in their lives, but especially those that have had to face a Cancer diagnosis. But, this episode is also great to encourage Caregivers to know how much your loved one needs you, but also how much you need to care for yourself. Sydney also gives some great insight to family & friends as to what to say, how to listen, as well as be an help and encouragement too. Listen, Follow, and Share with others that you know could benefit from our conversation, because Every Story Matters! Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77

Lacy Starnes theme is "Not Today!" She adapted that theme from Game of Thrones. "What do we say to death? Not Today!" Why is this her theme? In the fall of 2022, she went to the doctor with abdominal pain. 5 doctors, 1 sonogram, 2 CT scans, 1 petscan, and 1 biopsy later—on December 8, 2022, she got the call no one wants to get, while sitting in her  office at school. It was Cancer. Stage 3, Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma, a very rare form of blood cancer. After months of treatment and a Autologous Stem Cell Transplant, she is currently in remission. Listen in, and share this podcast with others,  as Lacy shares her journey\story with us on the FreakCast. We will compare Stem Cell Stories, learn more about this rare cancer, and be encouraged and inspired as we hear more about the battle she has fought as well as the battle that is still ahead.Follow Steven Carroll on Instagram, TikTok, and X @stevencarroll77 Subscribe for Blog Posts & Future FreakCast Updates at www.fightlikeafreak.com Support us https://gofund.me/c1a878c7Venmo @steven-carroll-10CashApp$stevencarroll77