Ditch the Lump
The support they found in a chemotherapy lounge should not stay inside it. One reunion. Four women. A private support system made public.
Watch the full pilot episode
The place expected to hold fear became a place of connection.
Chemotherapy lounges are often associated with uncertainty, discomfort and dread. For Jessica Hare, Stéphanie Bastien, Robyn Funnell and Megan Britz, the experience was changed by the relationships they formed during treatment. The nurses affectionately called them the Gaggle.
Through humour, honesty, companionship and shared understanding, the women created a support system that helped carry them through chemotherapy and the wider cancer journey. The Gaggle stayed connected after treatment through regular conversations and reunions.
The insight was not that chemotherapy became easy. It was that community changed how the experience was carried.
“What we have here is one in a million.”
Four women. One shared space. A connection that continued after treatment.
The Gaggle formed during chemotherapy and remained connected after treatment through regular conversations and reunions. Jessica Hare hosts the conversation. The nickname came from the nurses who treated them.
Recreate the room. Reunite the women. Share the support.
The pilot brought the Gaggle together physically after many later conversations had taken place online. The seating arrangement echoed the chemotherapy lounge where the relationship began. The set was not decoration, it was part of the story.
The seating arrangement echoed the chemotherapy lounge where the relationship began.
The pilot brought the Gaggle together in person, hosted by Jessica Hare.
Support, honesty and humour that had existed privately became a public conversation for patients, survivors, families and caregivers.
The pilot did not only tell the story. It established the brand.
One episode introduced everything Ditch the Lump needed to exist as a brand rather than a single piece of content: Jessica Hare as host, the Ditch the Lump purpose, its emotionally honest tone, a focus on breast cancer lived experience, the role of community and support, and a format capable of attracting an audience and aligned sponsors.
The podcast was both the content and the launch mechanism for Ditch the Lump.
Make the support visible and accessible.
Share lived experience that patients, survivors and families can recognise.
Create space for honest discussion about diagnosis, treatment, recovery and life after cancer.
Make the Gaggle’s experience useful beyond the original group.
Connect audiences around shared experience through the podcast and supporting content.
A credible format capable of supporting future conversations and aligned sponsorship.
One deeply personal conversation became a multi-platform campaign.
The full pilot episode on YouTube is the anchor asset every other format points back to. The same conversation was released as an audio episode on Podbean and the major podcast apps, cut into captioned social clips for Instagram and four YouTube Shorts, and carried a consistent Ditch the Lump identity across cover art, thumbnails and social.
Early reach for a deeply personal story.
Reporting period 25 May 2026 to 30 June 2026, just over one month from public launch.
Platform metrics are reported according to each platform’s measurement methodology and are not added together to produce the overall totals. Sources: YouTube Studio, TikTok Analytics, Meta Business Suite, LinkedIn Analytics, podcast analytics, Looker Studio and Google Analytics.
The response showed why the conversation mattered.
“What an incredible group of women. How brave to share your stories with us. I hope this helps show others that you’re not alone in your journey.”
“Such a beautiful raw episode Jess, love the authenticity of it.”
A pilot designed to continue.
Ditch the Lump was created as a repeatable podcast format capable of supporting further conversations about survival, healing, trauma, family, support and life after cancer. The pilot established the host, tone, production format, audience proposition and content system. Further episodes are planned subject to aligned sponsorship.
Explore the work.
Ditch the Lump shares lived experience and personal perspectives. It does not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.