"Put It In The Freezer" — Fertility Preservation, Cancer at 14, and What Comes Next
When Vivienne Connor was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin's Lymphoma at fourteen years old, her family faced two conversations almost simultaneously — one about cancer treatment, and one about her future fertility. The decision had to happen fast, before chemotherapy could begin.
In this episode of Life on Pause, Vivienne and her mom Meg share what it was like to navigate fertility preservation during one of the most overwhelming moments of their lives — including Christmas Day appointments, daily hormone injections before school, and a fourteen-year-old watching her own egg retrieval on a projection screen in real time. Dr. Yifei Liu, IVF Lab Director at Penn State Health, walks us through what actually happens in the lab, what the success rates look like for young cancer patients, and why a cancer diagnosis does not mean fertility preservation is out of reach.
Four years later, Vivienne is a Penn State freshman and marathon runner. The eggs are still there. And the conversations are just beginning.
This episode is part of our National Infertility Awareness Week coverage and AYA Cancer Awareness Month — because for adolescent and young adult cancer patients, these two realities are deeply connected.
Life on Pause is produced by Penn State Health and supported by Four Diamonds. New episodes monthly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Watch the full episode on YouTube
