Still Me: Retreat for the Newly Diagnosed (Virtual)
Retreat for the Newly Diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer
February 16, 2026 | 12:00–1:30 PM EST
A Stage 4 cancer diagnosis can feel like the ground has shifted beneath you.
The questions.
The fear.
The shock.
If you’ve been newly diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer, you may be wondering: What just happened? Who am I now? How do I even begin to process this?
That’s why Stage4Hope is hosting Still Me: Retreat for the Newly Diagnosed, a therapist-led virtual experience designed specifically for individuals navigating the early days of a Stage 4 diagnosis. This is a free online event.
A Space to Pause, Process, and Breathe
Still Me is a 90-minute virtual retreat created to help you:
- Process the emotional shock of a late-stage diagnosis
- Steady overwhelming emotions
- Learn practical coping tools
- Begin rebuilding a sense of stability
- Connect with others who understand
This is not a medical seminar.
It is a guided emotional reset.
You don’t have to have the right words. You don’t have to be “strong.” You just have to show up.
Led by Dr. Sharon May
This virtual retreat is led by Dr. Sharon May, Ph.D., LMFT, an internationally recognized therapist and author with decades of experience helping individuals navigate trauma, grief, and life-altering diagnoses.
Dr. May creates a calm, compassionate environment where participants can:
- Make sense of their emotional reactions
- Learn grounding techniques
- Begin reframing fear into resilience
- Feel seen and supported
Her approach combines clinical expertise with deep empathy—offering both structure and space when you need it most.
Who Is This Retreat For?
This retreat is specifically for:
Individuals newly diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer
Those in the early weeks or months of an advanced-stage diagnosis
Patients feeling overwhelmed, numb, anxious, or emotionally unsteady
Anyone needing a safe place to process and begin coping
Whether your diagnosis was days ago or a few months ago, this space is designed for you.
Event Details
Still Me: Retreat for the Newly Diagnosed
📅 February 16, 2026
⏰ 12:00–1:30 PM EST
💻 Virtual Event
You can attend from the comfort of your home. All you need is a quiet space and an internet connection.
Why “Still Me”?
A Stage 4 diagnosis can make you feel like everything about your identity has changed.
But underneath the fear and uncertainty, you are still you.
This retreat helps you begin reconnecting with that truth.
You are more than a diagnosis.
You are still you.
You Don’t Have to Walk This Alone
At Stage4Hope, we believe emotional support is just as important as medical treatment. Our virtual retreats, support groups, and training events are designed specifically for those living with advanced-stage cancer.
If you are newly diagnosed, this is your invitation to pause, breathe, and take your first step toward emotional steadiness.
👉 Reserve your spot today and join us for Still Me. This is a free virtual event.
We look forward to holding space for you.
Bear Shadow Music Festival Stage 4 Hope
Bear Shadow Music Festival Partners with Stage 4 Hope to Support Families Facing Late-Stage Cancer
Music has a powerful way of bringing people together—and this spring, that connection will mean real hope for families facing late-stage cancer.
The Bear Shadow Music Festival, held May 29–31, 2026, in the heart of Highlands, has chosen Stage 4 Hope as its official charity partner. As part of this partnership, proceeds from Friday’s pre-festival benefit concert will go directly to Stage 4 Hope to help bridge the gaps patients and families face after a late-stage cancer diagnosis.
A Benefit Concert with Purpose — Friday, May 29, 2026
The festival weekend kicks off with a special Friday night benefit concert on May 29, featuring Grammy-winning headliner The Infamous Stringdusters. Every dollar raised from this concert will directly support Stage 4 Hope’s mission—providing practical resources, emotional support, and community connection to those navigating life after a late-stage cancer diagnosis.
Late-stage cancer often comes with unexpected challenges that go beyond medical treatment—financial strain, emotional isolation, caregiver burnout, and gaps in support once treatment plans are set. Stage 4 Hope exists to meet families in those moments, offering encouragement, education, retreats, and access to resources when they are needed most.
About Bear Shadow Music Festival
Now celebrating its 5th year, Bear Shadow is a three-day music festival set against the stunning backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Located at Base Camp—just five minutes from downtown Highlands—the festival blends incredible live music with immersive daytime experiences that highlight the connection between music, mind, body, and nature.
With warm spring temperatures, breathtaking mountain scenery, and a thoughtfully curated lineup of Grammy-worthy performers, Bear Shadow has become a must-attend event for music lovers seeking more than just a concert—it’s a full weekend experience designed to inspire and restore.
Why This Partnership Matters
By choosing Stage 4 Hope as its charity partner, Bear Shadow Music Festival is extending its mission beyond music—using the power of community to make a tangible difference in the lives of people facing late-stage cancer. The Friday benefit concert allows festival-goers to enjoy an unforgettable night of music while directly impacting families who need hope, connection, and support.
Learn More & Get Involved
To learn more about the Friday pre-festival benefit concert and how Bear Shadow Music Festival is supporting Stage 4 Hope, visit the official event page here:
👉 https://bearshadownc.com/stage4-hope/
Whether you’re attending for the music, the mountains, or the mission—your presence helps bring hope to families walking one of life’s hardest journeys.
To learn more about events like this, upcoming retreats, trainings, and supportive opportunities, join the Stage 4 Hope community and receive alerts about experiences and resources you may be interested in.
AI in Lung Cancer Treatment
How AI Is Improving Lung Cancer Treatment: New Tools, Real Impact
See how AI is helping guide immunotherapy decisions, combine imaging for deeper insights, and support earlier detection—bringing more personalized lung cancer care.
Three Ways AI Is Moving Lung Cancer Care Forward
1) AI that predicts immunotherapy response in advanced NSCLC (Deep-IO)
A validated deep-learning model called Deep-IO may help doctors better predict which patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) will respond to immunotherapy—using routine pathology slides from tumor biopsies. In the study discussed in a Physician’s Weekly Q&A, researchers trained the model on hundreds of thousands of image “tiles” from 958 patients (US + EU cohorts, 2014–2022). The model showed meaningful accuracy for predicting response (reported AUCs varied by cohort) and, importantly, it may help identify non-responders more specifically—potentially sparing patients ineffective treatment and side effects. The article also notes that combining Deep-IO + PD-L1 performed better than either marker alone in that validation setting.1
2) “Connecting the dots” across cancer images (Emory)
A separate Emory report highlights how AI is being used to combine different kinds of cancer images—from microscopic tissue slides to CT scans and even epigenetic data—so researchers can build a more complete picture of how a tumor behaves. In four studies (focused on head and neck cancers), one team used an AI platform called VISTA to transform standard H&E slides into “virtual IHC” to help identify tumor-associated macrophages that are otherwise difficult to see. Another approach adapted a swin transformer into a multimodal framework (called SMuRF) that helped integrate 2D pathology images with 3D radiology, supporting predictions about survival and even which patients might benefit from chemotherapy. A fourth effort linked slide images with epigenetic patterns using pathogenomic fingerprinting, aiming to improve risk assessment. Emory’s researchers also emphasize the need to be cautious and thoughtful before moving these tools fully into clinical practice.2
3) What this means for lung cancer patients right now
Together, these developments point to a near-future where AI can support:
- More personalized treatment selection (who is most likely to benefit from immunotherapy)3
- Smarter risk and prognosis tools by combining radiology + pathology + other data4
- Earlier detection and faster pathways to care, especially as imaging AI expands in real-world settings5
It’s also important to keep the balance: experts continue to flag challenges like bias and fairness, the need for diverse multi-site datasets, and careful clinical validation before widespread adoption.6
More examples of AI in cancer research and care
- NCI’s HistoTME model (NSCLC + immunotherapy): An NCI team described HistoTME, which analyzes digital pathology images to learn about the tumor microenvironment and improve prediction of immunotherapy response—supporting biomarker discovery and more personalized immunotherapy strategies.7
- AI-driven early lung cancer detection (Bristol Myers + Microsoft, Jan 20, 2026): Reuters reports a collaboration using FDA-cleared radiology AI algorithms through Microsoft’s Precision Imaging Network to help clinicians detect lung nodules earlier and expand access in underserved communities.8
- AI + breast cancer screening at scale (EDITH trial, UK): A UK government announcement describes a large NHS trial (~700,000 participants) evaluating AI to support mammogram reading and potentially reduce the need for a second specialist reader.9
- Multimodal AI for recurrence risk (AACR, Dec 10, 2025): AACR describes an AI model combining digitized pathology slides with molecular + clinical data to improve long-term recurrence risk stratification in early breast cancer.10
- AI to speed oncology drug research (AstraZeneca + Modella AI, Jan 13, 2026): Reuters reports AstraZeneca agreed to acquire Modella AI to boost quantitative pathology and biomarker discovery for oncology R&D.11
AI is a supportive tool
AI isn’t replacing oncologists—it’s becoming a powerful support tool that can help doctors see patterns humans can’t easily spot, match patients to therapies more precisely, and potentially reduce trial-and-error in treatment. If you or someone you love is living with lung cancer, it may be worth asking your care team about biomarker testing (like PD-L1), available clinical trials, and how new imaging or pathology tools are shaping treatment decisions.12
Resources for Living With Stage 4 Cancer
Whether you’re navigating treatment options, seeking emotional support, or trying to make sense of a new diagnosis, Stage 4 Hope is here for you. Become a member of our community to gain access to trusted resources, as well as online support and more.
References:
- https://www.physiciansweekly.com/post/qa-validated-ai-model-could-guide-real-world-nsclc-decisions
- https://news.emory.edu/stories/2025/06/hs_head_and_neck_16-06-2025/story.html
- https://www.physiciansweekly.com/post/qa-validated-ai-model-could-guide-real-world-nsclc-decisions
- https://news.emory.edu/stories/2025/06/hs_head_and_neck_16-06-2025/story.html
- https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/bristol-myers-partners-with-microsoft-ai-driven-lung-cancer-detection-2026-01-20/
- https://www.cancer.gov/about-nci/organization/cbiit/news-events/news/2025/artificial-intelligence-ai-model-histotme-aids-predicting-response-immunotherapy
- https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/bristol-myers-partners-with-microsoft-ai-driven-lung-cancer-detection-2026-01-20/
- https://www.gov.uk/government/news/world-leading-ai-trial-to-tackle-breast-cancer-launched
- https://www.aacr.org/about-the-aacr/newsroom/news-releases/a-multimodal-ai-model-may-improve-recurrence-risk-stratification-in-early-breast-cancer/
- https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/bristol-myers-partners-with-microsoft-ai-driven-lung-cancer-detection-2026-01-20/
- https://www.physiciansweekly.com/post/qa-validated-ai-model-could-guide-real-world-nsclc-decisions
New Year, New Me: Self-Care with Late-Stage Cancer
New Year Self-Care When You Have Late-Stage Cancer
Reimagining resolutions through self-care, compassion, and community
The start of a new year often brings fresh energy, intentions, and the age-old question: “Am I going to make a New Year’s resolution?” For many people, this means goals around fitness, diet, or productivity. But when you’re living with late-stage cancer, your priorities — and your needs — can look very different.
Instead of “fixing” yourself, this year’s resolution can be about nurturing you — your body, your heart, and your spirit — in ways that honor your reality.
Reframing Resolutions: What Self-Care Really Means
Traditional New Year’s resolutions often focus on change — do more, do better, be stronger. But for someone navigating advanced cancer, self-care isn’t about pressure or performance. It’s about sustaining well-being in the midst of challenge.
Self-care can look like:
- Prioritizing rest and emotional renewal — sleep, gentle rhythm, space to breathe. MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Finding moments of joy and calm each day, even if they’re short. Reading a favorite book, sitting in sunlight, or simply being present with a good cup of tea. Cancer Today
- Mindful practices, like meditation, yoga, journaling, or intentional reflection — activities shown to help people living with serious illness manage stress and cultivate peace. UT Health San Antonio Cancer Center
- Engaging with community and support — connection is healing. Knowing you’re not alone matters more than you might realize. Stage4Hope
These aren’t “goals” in the traditional sense. They’re intentions of care — grounded in compassion and attuned to your strength and limitations.
Self-Care in Action: How Stage4Hope Can Support You
If self-care is about connection, renewal, and strength, then you don’t have to walk it alone. That’s where Stage4Hope’s Retreats & Training programs come in.
Our retreats — offered both virtually and in person — are designed precisely to support people living with advanced cancer through reflection, community, and emotional nourishment.
💛 Strength for the Journey — Virtual (monthly)
A 90-minute, therapist-led retreat that invites you to pause, reflect, and find support with others walking similar paths. It’s free, and all you need is your willingness to show up for yourself.
💛 Strength for the Journey — In-Person (weekend retreats)
Held in peaceful settings, these immersive weekends offer deeper time for rest, connection, and guided healing. These spaces are about renewing your spirit, not fixing your outcome.
💛 Still Me — Virtual for the Newly Diagnosed
If you’re newly navigating a late-stage diagnosis, this space gives you compassionate tools for steadiness and emotional grounding.
💛 Training for Caregivers and Professionals
Support isn’t just for patients — caregivers need strength too. Our retreats help those who care without losing themselves.
👉 Learn more or register for upcoming retreats and trainings.
A Gentle Resolution for the New Year
Instead of measuring success by what you accomplish, imagine this resolution: “I will tend to myself with kindness.”
Whether that means a quiet morning with sunlight on your face, joining a supportive community online, or simply allowing yourself to rest — that’s worthy of celebration. Self-care isn’t side-lined work — it’s foundational to your strength through this journey.
This year, let your resolution be presence over pressure, renewal over achievement, and compassion over rules. You don’t have to do it all—you just have to honor yourself in every day you’re given. Learn more about navigating the holidays with cancer and how to be yourself at Christmas gatherings.
Prioritize Yourself This Year — You’re Worth It
Self-care isn’t selfish, especially when you’re living with late-stage cancer. Whether you’re seeking rest, reflection, or meaningful connection, Stage 4 Hope is here for you. Learn more about topics like New Year self-care with late-stage cancer by joining our community. Connect with others who understand your experience and gain access to trusted resources, upcoming events, medical updates, and invitations to supportive virtual gatherings.
Navigating the Holidays With Stage 4 Cancer
Navigating the Holidays With Stage 4 Cancer – Finding Peace & Hope
The holiday season is often described as joyful, busy, bright, and full of celebrations. But for those living with stage 4 cancer, this time of year can feel very different. Between medical appointments, treatment side effects, emotional fatigue, and the pressure to “be cheerful,” the holidays may bring a mix of hope, sadness, gratitude, and uncertainty.
If you’re navigating this season while managing stage 4 cancer, or supporting someone who is, here are a few gentle reminders and practical ways to make space for what matters most.
1. Give Yourself Permission to Feel What You Feel
The holidays can intensify emotions. You may feel joy, grief, gratitude, fear, or even all of them in the same day. This is normal.
You do not need to force holiday cheer or pretend that everything is fine. Allow yourself to feel what arises—without judgment. Your emotional experience is valid, and honoring it is an important part of caring for yourself.
2. Set Realistic Expectations
Traditions may look different this year, and that’s okay.
You don’t have to host large gatherings, attend every event, or keep up with holiday tasks if they leave you exhausted. Simplifying plans can actually create more meaningful moments with the people who matter most.
Consider options such as:
- Smaller or shorter gatherings
- Delegating holiday cooking or decorating
- Choosing experiences over expectations
- Letting loved ones know your limits ahead of time
Your energy is precious. Protect it gently.
3. Create New Traditions That Bring Comfort
If old traditions feel overwhelming or bittersweet, it may help to introduce new ones that honor where you are now.
Some ideas include:
- A quiet Christmas morning walk
- Lighting a candle for peace or remembrance
- Watching a favorite holiday movie
- Writing gratitude notes
- Sharing simple moments with family at home
New traditions are not a replacement for old ones—they’re an invitation to be present in the season as it is.
4. Let People Help You (Even If It Feels Hard)
The people who love you want to support you. Allowing them to help—with meals, errands, decorating, or simply keeping you company—can bring comfort to both sides.
If you’re not sure what to ask for, consider saying:
“I don’t know what I need right now, but I could use company.”
“Could you help with ___ this week?”
“I’d love it if you could check in by text every few days.”
Community matters, especially during the holidays.
5. Make Space for Rest and Reflection
The holidays can move fast, even when your body needs to move slowly. Make room for rest, stillness, and moments that bring you grounding.
You may find encouragement in:
- Gentle breathing
- Prayer or meditation
- Listening to peaceful holiday music
- Journaling your hopes for the season
These simple practices can help bring peace in a season that often feels rushed.
A Gentle Space for Hope This Holiday Season
If you’re looking for a supportive place to pause, breathe, and find meaning this Christmas season, we invite you to join us for our upcoming virtual retreat:
Strength for the Journey — Free Virtual Event
December 5, 2025 | 12–1:30 PM EST
Led by:
- Dr. Sharon May, Ph.D., LMFT — internationally recognized therapist & author
- Dr. Sylvia Fredj, MCC, NBC-HWC — nationally board-certified health & wellness coach
This month’s theme, “Merry Christmas,” offers compassionate space for those walking through stage 4 cancer. Together, we will reflect, connect, and rediscover joy during a season often overshadowed by treatment, appointments, and uncertainty.
You do not have to carry the holidays alone. Learn more about our upcoming virtual support.
6. Hold Onto Hope—Even in Small Moments
Hope doesn’t always look big or loud. Sometimes it looks like:
- A quiet morning without pain
- Laughter with someone you love
- A warm blanket and a favorite book
- Light catching the edge of a Christmas ornament
These small moments matter. They can be reminders that beauty and meaning are still present, even in difficult seasons.
You Are Not Alone This Holiday Season
Navigating the holidays with stage 4 cancer is complex, emotional, and deeply personal. Whether this season brings joy, heaviness, or a mix of both, know that your feelings matter and your journey is honored.
If you need connection, encouragement, or a compassionate community, we welcome you to join us at Strength for the Journey on December 5.
