Ashlee Cramer 

PATIENT ADVOCATE ACTION COLLECTIVE MEMBER

Ashlee Cramer, a former professional dancer turned early childhood educator and entrepreneur, became a full-time cancer caregiver in 2014 when her husband, Patrice, was diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma. Balancing caregiving, parenthood, and financial responsibility, she remained by his side until his passing at home in hospice on May 12, 2016. In 2019, she became a certified "Happy for No Reason" trainer, inspired by the bestselling book by Marci Shimoff. Despite profound personal loss, she maintained a positive, energetic outlook and sought to share it with other.

When her son, Michael, was diagnosed with Hepatosplenic T-cell Lymphoma in July 2020, she left her career behind to become his full-time caregiver. Their journey led to the creation of Michael and Mom Talk Cancer, a podcast, blog, and social media presence dedicated to inspiring and supporting others, particularly within the cancer and rare disease communities.

Together, they lead support groups—Michael for survivors and Ashlee for caregivers—while he continues treatment for life-threatening complications, including chronic graft-versus-host disease. Ashlee remains committed to her mission, shifting her "Happiness" workshops toward cancer survivors and caregivers. She is currently writing a caregiver guide, and her children's book on Michael’s diagnosis is set for release in summer 2025.