Women’s Health, Early Cancer Detection & Grief with Natalie Herbick
RAW Season 2, Episode 23
RAW Season 2, Episode 23: Cancer, Grief & Advocacy — Natalie HerbickWhen Loss Becomes a Lifeline: Natalie Herbick on Grief, Early Detection & Women's Health
When Natalie Herbick walks into a room, you feel it — the warmth, the presence, the kind of groundedness that only comes from having survived something real. Most people in Cleveland know her as the face of New Day Cleveland, Fox 8's morning show. But what happened off-screen — losing her mother to ovarian cancer, receiving her own breast cancer diagnosis, and turning both into a life's mission — is the story that matters most.
In this episode of RAW, Ali sits down with Natalie for a conversation that is equal parts raw grief and radical hope. They talk about what the medical system gets right and what it misses, why early detection isn't just a statistic but a lifeline, and how healing really happens — not just in doctor's offices, but through faith, community, nervous system safety, and choosing to keep showing up.
"Grief is the price of loving something deeply — and that love is still a gift.”
— Natalie Herbick | RAW S2E23
Meet Natalie Herbick!
Natalie Herbick is the host of New Day Cleveland on Fox 8 and one of Northeast Ohio's most recognized voices in early detection cancer advocacy. After losing her mother to ovarian cancer and navigating her own breast cancer journey, Natalie became a tireless advocate for women knowing their bodies, demanding better screenings, and standing firmly in their own healthcare decisions.
She's also the emcee of the Thrive Conference on July 11th, a women's health event alongside Root Cause Integrative Health. Get your tickets at healconference.org — use code cheeky for 20% off through July 3rd.
Connect with Natalie:
@natalieherbick | Heal Conference
In This Episode
The Weight of Losing a Parent to Cancer
Natalie's mother died from ovarian cancer, and the grief that followed was not quiet or linear. Natalie describes how that loss became the lens through which she now sees everything — her health decisions, her advocacy work, her sense of purpose. "Grief is the price of loving something deeply," she says. "And that love is still a gift." This reframe doesn't erase the pain; it honors it while refusing to let it be the final word.
Her Own Breast Cancer Diagnosis — and What She Didn't Expect
What makes Natalie's story particularly powerful is that she tested negative for the BRCA genetic markers associated with hereditary breast cancer. Many women hear "you don't have the gene" and exhale with relief — but Natalie's experience is a reminder that genetics are just one piece of a complex picture. Early detection, consistent screening, and knowing your body remain essential regardless of what any single test shows.
Dense Breast Tissue: The Under-Discussed Risk Factor
Dense breast tissue is one of the most underdiagnosed factors in breast cancer risk — and one of the most misunderstood by patients. Standard mammograms can miss tumors in dense tissue because both appear white on imaging, making supplemental screening (ultrasound or MRI) critical for many women. Natalie speaks plainly about this gap in standard care and why women need to ask their providers specifically about breast density — not wait to be told.
Self-Advocacy Inside the Medical System
One of the most consistent threads throughout this episode is the call to advocate for yourself — even when it feels uncomfortable, even when you're told everything looks fine. "You have to be your own advocate. No one knows your body like you do." Ali echoes this from her own experience: prevention is a daily practice, not a once-a-year appointment. The episode makes a compelling case that passivity inside the healthcare system is a risk in itself.
Grief as a Portal to Purpose
Both women reflect on how loss — of a parent, of a version of yourself, of the life you thought you'd have — can be transformative when allowed to move through you rather than be buried. The episode doesn't romanticize grief, but it does honor it as a teacher. Natalie's advocacy was born from her pain, and that's not a cliché — it's a lived reality that shapes everything she does. The question, as both Ali and Natalie frame it, is whether you let grief stop you or whether you let it redirect you.
The Whole-Body View of Health
Ali and Natalie both reject the idea that health is simply what you eat or which supplements you take. This episode makes the case for a fuller definition — one that includes stress management, nervous system healing, mindset, movement, faith, gratitude, and meaningful connection. "Health isn't just what you put in your body — it's how you live, process, connect, and heal." For women navigating cancer risk, recovery, or grief, this integrative lens isn't a luxury. It's essential.
The Thrive Conference — Community as Medicine
Healing doesn't happen in isolation. That's the premise behind the Thrive Conference on July 11th, hosted alongside Root Cause Integrative Health — a women's health event designed to bring advocates like Natalie together with practitioners and community in one room. Natalie will serve as emcee. If you're in Cleveland, this is the room to be in.
Tickets at healconference.org — code cheeky saves you 20% through July 3rd.
Key Takeaways
Early detection is one of the most powerful tools women have — but only if you're actively seeking it.
Testing negative for BRCA or other genetic markers does not mean you're in the clear.
Dense breast tissue affects mammogram accuracy — ask your provider about supplemental imaging.
Grief can become a catalyst for purpose when you let it move through you rather than around you.
You are the most important advocate for your own health — no doctor knows your body like you do.
Health is not one-dimensional. Stress, nervous system dysregulation, and unprocessed grief all affect physical outcomes.
Community is a core component of healing — not a nice-to-have.
Prevention is a daily practice, not a once-a-year appointment.
This conversation is one you'll carry with you.
Listen to the full episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and watch on YouTube.
Follow Natalie on Instagram, and grab tickets to the Thrive Conference at healconference.org — use code cheeky for 20% off through July 3rd.
Frequently Asked Questions
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A: Dense breast tissue contains more fibrous and glandular tissue than fatty tissue. On a standard mammogram, both dense tissue and tumors appear white, making tumors harder to detect. Women with dense breasts also carry a moderately higher breast cancer risk. Supplemental screening such as ultrasound or MRI is often recommended — ask your provider if this applies to you.
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A: Yes. The BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations are associated with hereditary breast cancer but account for only a small percentage of all cases. The majority of breast cancers occur in women with no known genetic predisposition. Testing negative does not eliminate your risk — consistent screening and knowing your body remain essential.
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A: The Thrive Conference is a women's health event on July 11th hosted alongside Root Cause Integrative Health. It brings together advocates, practitioners, and community around prevention, healing, and whole-body wellness. Tickets are at healconference.org. Use code cheeky for 20% off through July 3rd.
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A: Natalie Herbick is the host of New Day Cleveland on Fox 8 and a prominent early detection cancer advocate. After losing her mother to ovarian cancer and receiving her own breast cancer diagnosis, she became a leading voice for women's health awareness, early screening, and self-advocacy in the medical system.
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A: Chronic stress activates the sympathetic nervous system and elevates cortisol, which over time can impair immune function, promote inflammation, and disrupt hormonal balance — all factors linked to cancer risk and recovery outcomes. Nervous system healing through movement, breathwork, community, and mindfulness is increasingly recognized as an essential part of integrative health.
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A: Ovarian cancer is often called a "silent" disease because early symptoms — bloating, pelvic discomfort, digestive changes — are easy to dismiss. There's currently no reliable standard screening test, making symptom awareness and early recognition critical. Women with a family history should discuss risk-reduction options with their OB-GYN or a genetic counselor.
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A: Track your symptoms and bring specific observations to appointments. Don't minimize what your body is telling you. Ask directly about supplemental screenings (like ultrasound alongside mammogram) if they haven't been offered. Seek a second opinion when something doesn't feel right. Self-advocacy isn't pushy — it's protective.
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A: On RAW, whole-body health means recognizing that physical wellness doesn't exist in isolation. Stress, emotional processing, sleep, community, faith, nervous system regulation, and joy all affect how the body functions and heals. It's an integrative approach that honors both clinical science and the lived human experience.
Related Episodes
S2E15 — The War on Women’s Health ft. Emily Sadri, NP
A deep dive into hormones, perimenopause, and what the medical system has historically gotten wrong about women's bodies.
S2E17 — The Best Rx is Advocating for Yourself
Ali's solo reflection on navigating Western and Eastern medicine, fighting for her own answers, and what real preventive care looks like.
S2E22 — The Body Keeps Score ft. Jess Patz
How unresolved trauma and nervous system dysregulation show up physically — and what healing actually requires.
