Katia Conte on Loss, Resilience, and Helping Families Survive Childhood Cancer

This episode is one of the most personal conversations on the podcast, as host Luba Patlakh opens up about losing her own mom to cancer and how that loss shaped her view of advocacy and leadership. Luba sits down with Katia Conte, founder of the Daniela Conte Foundation, who shares the story of her daughter Daniela's four year battle with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive childhood cancer. Katia walks through the moment everything changed, the years of treatment, relapse, and resilience, and the heartbreaking decision to keep fighting even when answers ran out. The conversation covers what real support looks like for a family in crisis, how the Daniela Conte Foundation helps cover rent, bills, and medical costs for families in active treatment, and how Katia turned unimaginable grief into a mission that has already helped hundreds of families. For anyone who has wondered what genuine support looks like for a family facing a child's serious illness, or who is looking for a way to help, this conversation will stay with them.

Learn more about the Daniela Conte Foundation here: https://www.danielacontefoundation.org

Connect with Luba on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lubapatlakh/

Get a copy of Bobo Wears a Bowtie: bobowearsabowtie.com

Luba's website: lubapatlakh.com

The Confident IEP Parent ebook: theconfidentiepparent.com

Join the Parental Pathway: https://www.skool.com/the-parent-pathway/

00:00 - Introduction to the episode and why this conversation is personal for Luba

01:55 - The day everything changed, pumpkin picking and the first signs something was wrong

04:00 - Rushing to the hospital and the diagnosis no parent is prepared for

07:44 - What it feels like to hear the words "your child has cancer"

10:52 - Starting chemo immediately and the realities of treatment

17:21 - The cancer relapses and the family faces a harder road

20:56 - Daniela's final battle and the days leading up to her passing

22:33 - How grief became the spark for the Daniela Conte Foundation

30:36 - How the foundation supports families financially and emotionally during treatment

44:18 - Advice for anyone who feels called to start something meaningful after loss