FRIEND FOR LIFE: Cancer support team moving forward with new chapter

By RUSS BROWN • Photos By Kathryn Harrington

Sheri Donahue and Monica Hodge took significantly different paths to the Friend for Life Cancer Support Network, but both are an integral part of the Louisville nonprofit organization that has helped cancer patients and their loved ones since 1988.

 Donahue was hired in 2025 as Executive Director to replace Judy Kasey Houlette, who served in the leadership role for more than 25 years. Hodge, meanwhile, has been serving as a Peer Navigator (aka volunteer) for almost 20 years, starting in 2007, three years after being treated for breast cancer. She was honored with the 2024 Friend for Life Bobbie Marrs Daniels Award for outstanding service.

In welcoming Donahue in a Friend for Life (FFL) newsletter, board chair Kristen Mellinger wrote that Donahue's arrival marks a new chapter -- both an end and a new beginning, with gratitude for the past and optimism for the future.

Donahue brought a fascinating and diverse background that seems to have very little in common with her latest undertaking, but one she says has served her well in her new capacity. An engineer by education, she spent 20 years working for the U.S. Navy on weapons systems and intelligence programs. After that, she moved into cyber security, first at Humana, then starting her own firm. For 12 years she also served on InfraGard's national board of directors, a 501(c)3 public-private partnership between the FBI and the owners/operators of the nation's critical infrastructure.

"That experience built real muscle in nonprofit governance, coalition leadership, and operating across complex, multi-stakeholder environments," Donahue explained. "It taught me how to move large organizations forward and how to build partnerships that serve a mission bigger than any single entity."

She developed an interest in cancer support through losing her younger brother in 2023 to colon cancer at 54 and her and her father's experience through his treatment. 

"No credential or title prepared me for this work the way my brother's illness did," Donahue said. "We watched him endure the physical toll of the disease. But what was hardest to witness was the emotional battle -- the fear, the isolation, the weight of not knowing what came next. Knowing how alone he felt even with family around him gave me an understanding of what cancer patients and their families need.

"Not just information or logistics, but someone who truly understands the emotional and psychological weight of a cancer diagnosis. That personal experience is what makes me a better leader for Friend for Life, and it's what drives me every single day."

Hodge has dealt with cancer on several levels and is certainly no stranger to a caregiver role, having cared for her husband Roger, who was ill for many years, and her daughter, Stephanie, when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Hodge was first introduced to FFL when she was contacted by a volunteer during her own treatment for breast cancer.

"That compassionate call changed my life and my outlook on how to fight cancer and navigate my journey during surgery and chemo treatments," she said. "The organization helped take the fear and feeling of isolation away. No one should walk this journey alone. They walked with me every step of my year-long battle and I am forever grateful for their support. I was so moved that I made a promise to myself that if I survived I would give back by volunteering to work with this group."

Hodge describes her extensive approach as a volunteer this way:

"To listen with your heart, as well as your ears, to someone who's been placed in your pathway to help them walk the journey with someone who's gone before them in receiving such devastating news. To be present, whether in person, by phone or email, to offer strength, hope and encouragement so they don't feel alone and afraid."

Like Hodge, well-known sports radio personality for ESPN and U of L basketball analyst Bob Valvano is a cancer survivor. He learned about the organization when he was invited to be the keynote speaker for the annual "Evening With Friends" event in August.

Cancer advocacy has long been deeply personal for Valvano, the younger brother of legendary NC State basketball coach Jim Valvano, whose battle led to the creation of The V Foundation. That legacy hit home in a profound way when Bob was diagnosed with stage 4 chronic lymphocytic Leukemia in 2021. He fought the disease into remission the same year.

"I was unfamiliar with that group, but quickly came to appreciate what they do, especially as a cancer survivor myself," Valvano said. " It is inspiring and the patient's emotional makeup is instrumental in the fight. To have someone who has been through it and can tell you what to expect is immeasurably helpful. 

"We all want some reason to hope when we are fighting this, and to have someone be able to explain the how's and the why's, and not just the what's, is very powerful. I hope we can partner on some projects going forward."

Valvano says he is doing well. He continues to work raising money for KENTUCKIANA FRIENDS OF V in the local fight against Cancer and serves on the board of the V Foundation. He will call about 55 college basketball games on ESPN Radio and the Cardinals' radio network this season. He is also starting a weekly radio show on Blast Radio in November, which will then be available as a podcast as well. His first guest will be former UK and NBA star Dan Issel.

As she has settled into her Executive Director responsibilities -- with the help of Assistant Director Lori Beth Miller -- Donahue said her goals involve three core dimensions.

First, she listed raising awareness so that support seekers know about FFL before they need it. "They shouldn't have to search for us in the middle of a crisis; our name should already be familiar."

Second, building the volunteer community and providing training after a thorough screening. Every Peer Navigator completes a comprehensive application detailing their cancer experience, is interviewed and must provide references. "People who come to us are vulnerable, and they deserve to know the person on the other end of the phone is thoroughly prepared to support them."

And third, securing the resources that allow FFL to provide its services free of charge, including partnering with other cancer support organizations so patients can receive referrals when they don't have the right peer match. Financially, Donahue noted that Friend For Life recently received a "significant estate gift" from Kelly and Joel Gollar. "We are honoring the legacy donation by investing those funds in tools and resources that help our Peer Navigators serve our support seekers even better."