Summits Podcast

Epi 93: Pediatric Cancer Research with IU School of Medicine’s Dr. Nur Damayanti

September 9th, 2025  |  58 mins 47 secs

apxa, bali, beatcancer, braincancer, cancer, cancertreatment, caregiver, community, funding, hero, heroesfoundation, indiana, indianacancercommunity, indianapolis, indonesia, inspiration, japan, lab, masters, oncologyresearch, pediatriccancer, pediatriccancerawareness, pediatriccancerawarenessmonth, pediatriconcology, phd, podcast, prevention, purdue, quantumchemistry, rarecancer, research, showursummits, story, summit, summits, summits podcast, summitspodcast, support, taiwan, tumor, unitinginagainstcancer, whatsurcancerstory, whyheroes

In episode 93 of the Summits Podcast, co-hosts Vince Todd, Jr. and Daniel Abdallah are joined by Dr. Nur Damayanti, cancer researcher at IU School of Medicine. Tune in as Dr. Damayanti shares the personal cancer diagnosis that changed the trajectory of her career and the Heroes Foundation funding that is supporting her project to study new treatment methods for children with rare brain cancers.

Learn more about recent Heroes Foundation gifts: https://www.heroesfoundation.org/the-heroes-foundation-has-awarded-nine-exciting-indiana-cancer-projects-with-223500-in-funding/

Epi 53: Zak Keefer shares his family’s cancer story

May 23rd, 2023  |  27 mins 38 secs

athletic, beatcancer, braincancer, cancer, caregiver, colts, community, communityhealth, dad, dougboles, englishpaper, foundation, gbm, glioblastoma, golf, hero, heroes, hoosier, hse, ims, indiana, indianapolis, indianauniversity, indy500, inspiration, irsay, iu, jimirsay, journalism, journalist, lfgin23, memory, native, nfl, pacers, pga, podcast, showursummits, sports, sportswriter, story, summit, summits, summits podcast, theathletic, therapeutic, tonyhulman, whyheroes

In episode 53 of the Summits Podcast, co-hosts Vince Todd, Jr. and Daniel Abdallah are joined by Zak Keefer, NFL writer for The Athletic, Indianapolis Colts insider for WISH-TV, and adjunct professor of journalism at The Media School at Indiana University.  Tune in as Zac shares the inside of being a sports journalist and the cancer diagnosis that changed his family forever.  “You can’t change what happened, but you can live every day to make your dad proud.”

Epi 30: Amy Kirsh and her two-time Melanoma journey

May 31st, 2022  |  31 mins 33 secs

beatcancer, biopsy, braincancer, cancer, caregiver, carmel, carmelhs, chicago, community, hero, indiana, indianapolis, indianauniversity, indy, indy500, inspiration, iu, lungcancer, may, mdanderson, melanoma, memphis, metastasis, northcentralhs, northwestern, petscan, scanxiety, showursummits, skincancerawareness, spf, stage3, stage4, story, summit, summits, summits podcast, summitspodcast, vanderbilt, vandy, whatsurcancerstory, whyheroes

In episode 30 of the Summits Podcast, co-hosts Vince Todd, Jr. and Daniel Abdallah are joined by Amy Kirsh. As we close out Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month, tune in as Amy shares her two-time journey with Melanoma and what she learned through the experience.

As we head into summer months, protect yourself! When it comes to sunscreen – apply liberally and often. Let’s #beatcancer together.

Subscribe to the audio version of the Summits Podcast
https://summitspodcast.fireside.fm

Find out more about the Heroes Foundation
https://www.heroesfoundation.org

Find out more about The Brookfield Group
https://thebrookfieldgroup.com

Discover Platform 24 co-working
https://www.platform24.co

What’s your cancer story?

Hosted by cancer survivor and philanthropist Vince Todd, Jr., Chairman and Co-Founder of the Heroes Foundation, and Heroes Foundation Board Member Daniel Abdallah, the Summits Podcast is a place for people to share their stories.

Everyone has a cancer story.

From battling a deadly disease to caring for a loved one, when we rise up and face life’s greatest challenges, we see with a new vision, feel with a greater passion, and think with a deeper perspective.

Along the way, paths cross, journeys intersect, and missions converge.

For Vince Todd, it was his own cancer diagnosis that led him and his wife, Cindy, to launch the Heroes Foundation to provide meaningful support to cancer patients, education to promote cancer prevention, and resources to advance research for a cure.

What started with friends and family grew into a community. The Summits Podcast is an extension of that community.

Our stories are what bring us together.

Artists, athletes, doctors, business people - we’re all family members, community leaders, and activists.

Everyone has a story. Anyone can inspire. No one battles alone.

Join the conversation.

Epi 28: Melanie Brewer on the importance of community and communication

May 5th, 2022  |  33 mins 39 secs

beatcancer, bendavis, braincancer, braingang, cancer, caregiver, carmel, chrisstapleton, community, fightorflight, gbm, glioblastoma, hero, indiana, indianapolis, indianastate, indy, inspiration, obx, outerbanks, showursummits, story, summit, summits, summits podcast, tennesseewhiskey, westside, whatsurcancerstory, whyheroes

In episode 28 of the Summits Podcast, co-hosts Vince Todd, Jr. and Daniel Abdallah are joined by Indianapolis native Melanie Brewer. Tune in as Melanie shares her and her husband’s journey with glioblastoma. From family and friends who stood by their side in difficult times, to the conversations she wishes she would have had with Marc, Melanie breaks down the importance of communication and community for cancer patients and their loved ones. The experiences she faced push her today to be a strong voice for someone else. “If one day someone needs me, I’ll be there.”