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Terry Tucker is a motivational speaker, former college athlete, basketball coach, cancer warrior, and author of Sustainable Excellence. Diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of melanoma at the age of 51, Terry has endured over 13 years of treatment and continues to fight stage IV cancer. His message is rooted in the belief that adversity can be used as fuel for purpose, and that emotional honesty is part of true strength.

Segment Summary:
In this deeply personal and emotionally grounded conversation, Terry and host Kali explore the emotional side of living with a terminal illness—negotiating with grief, depression, and fear while still choosing to show up for others. Terry shares how, in the early days of his diagnosis, he bargained with God just to see his daughter graduate high school—and how that kind of personal mission gave him something powerful to fight for.

As he continues treatment to this day, Terry reveals the surprising way he overcomes moments of sadness and self-pity: by turning his attention outward, offering connection and comfort to others who are just beginning their own battles with cancer. He also shares a memorable social psychology experiment that proves just how deeply we can connect with someone through three meaningful questions—and why we don’t go deep enough with each other anymore.

Key Topics:

• Emotional bargaining and grief after receiving a terminal diagnosis
• Why setting a personal purpose can change your fight for survival
• The therapeutic power of helping others in the same struggle
• Using conversation and curiosity to connect beyond surface-level talk
• How small moments of kindness can pull you out of isolation
• The importance of vulnerability and emotional support during cancer treatment

Guest Contact & Resources:
Sustainable Excellence: Ten Principles to Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life
MotivationalCheck.com
Follow Terry on Instagram: @sustainableexcellenceauthor

Find out more about Kali and the show HERE: https://humanityoffame.com/

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Terry Tucker is a former NCAA Division I college basketball player, a girls’ high school basketball coach, and a stage IV cancer warrior who has been battling an ultra-rare form of melanoma for over 13 years. Despite being told he had two years to live, Terry has transformed his journey into one of inspiration, hope, and strength—sharing his story to help others face adversity with purpose and courage. He is also the author of Sustainable Excellence: Ten Principles to Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life.

Segment Summary:
In this powerful opening segment, Terry shares the moment his life changed forever—the shocking cancer diagnosis that came from a friend and doctor, and the emotional toll of hearing he had a rare, terminal disease with no known cure. But instead of succumbing to fear or despair, Terry reveals how he mentally reframed his prognosis, drawing on his background as an athlete and coach to stay focused, goal-driven, and mentally strong.

From hearing, “You have two years to live,” to deciding to rewrite his own story, Terry’s perspective on purpose, mindset, and what truly drives survival is both humbling and incredibly motivating.

Key Topics:

• The unexpected discovery of a rare melanoma on the bottom of his foot
• What it was like to be diagnosed by a friend—and the weight of that conversation
• The mental shift from “death sentence” to “life sentence”
• How athletic discipline and personal values shaped his fight
• The importance of long-term goals and emotional motivation in healing
• Why mindset matters more than medical odds

Guest Contact & Resources:
📘 Sustainable Excellence: Ten Principles to Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life – available wherever books are sold
🌐 MotivationalCheck.com – Terry’s blog, resources, and speaking info
📣 Follow Terry on Instagram: @terry.tucker.1

Let me know if you'd like this adapted for a full episode, or if you’d like a thumbnail or caption to go with this one. Terry's story is incredibly powerful—we can make this hit hard in all the right ways.

Find out more about Kali and the show HERE: https://humanityoffame.com/

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In this deeply emotional edition of Kali Kommentary, host Kali reflects on the tragic death of former LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy, who was found dead in what has been reported as an alleged suicide—just days before a scheduled grand jury hearing for a fatal hit-and-run case. He was only 24 years old.

What begins as a headline quickly becomes a layered conversation about pain, pressure, accountability, and the cost of silence. Kali raises the difficult questions: Can we mourn the loss of one life while still acknowledging the life that was taken? Can grace and justice coexist in the same breath? And do we sometimes weaponize or withhold empathy to prove a point?

This episode invites listeners to sit with the emotional complexity of real-life consequences, not just for the victims, but for the families on both sides—and for those of us watching from the outside, quick to comment but often slow to understand.

Key Topics:

• The tragic timeline of Kyren Lacy’s death and its legal context
• Public reactions: Empathy vs. judgment, and what those responses reveal about us
• The emotional weight of labels like “good kid” vs. criminal accountability
• Exploring the instinct to run from pain or punishment
• The dual impact on multiple families in fatal accidents
• How social narratives either humanize or erase the complexity of grief

What say you? Can grace and justice exist in the same space? Is it possible to hold space for two truths at once? Drop a comment—whatever side you fall on, just don’t forget the humanity in your message.

Find out more about Kali and the show HERE: https://humanityoffame.com/

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In this raw and thought-provoking edition of Kali Kommentary, Kali unpacks the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man deported to El Salvador despite a U.S. Supreme Court order barring his removal. What followed wasn’t just a political misstep—it became a powerful commentary on labels, fear, and the unsettling gap between legal rulings and political agendas.

Through sharp questions and candid analysis, Kali challenges us to think about how quickly a person can be reduced to a word—“terrorist,” “criminal,” “MS-13”—even without proof, and how those labels can override justice. Is Garcia’s case a legal “error,” or a warning about what happens when court orders are ignored and human lives become pawns in political negotiations?

This episode is more than commentary—it’s a call to re-examine how much power we allow political figures to have over truth, over justice, and over people’s lives.

Key Topics:

• The deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and the Supreme Court’s ignored ruling
• How language like “terrorist” and “criminal” shapes public perception
• The political ping-pong between the U.S. and El Salvador—and the human cost
• What happens when court rulings are treated as suggestions
• Can citizens truly demand accountability from those in power?
• The tension between facts, fear, and speculation in public discourse
• Why desensitization through humor and headlines is dangerous

🗣️ What say YOU? When justice is ignored, what recourse do we have? Drop a Fan Mail at the top with your take—but don’t forget the humanity in your message.

Find out more about Kali and the show HERE: https://humanityoffame.com/

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Dr. Jessica Edwards is a board-certified family medicine physician and health policy expert, as well as the founder of Zahra Medical, a hybrid care platform focused on accessibility and affordability. With real-world experience in both medicine and motherhood, and deep insight into U.S. health policy, Dr. Edwards is a trusted authority for demystifying complex healthcare topics—especially when it comes to public funding, pharmaceutical influence, and social equity.

In this myth-busting episode of The Humanity of Fame, host Kali and Dr. Jessica Edwards break down what people think they know about Medicare and Medicaid—and what’s actually true. From misunderstood budget cuts to the eye-opening fact that 30% of Medicare’s budget goes to pharmaceutical costs, this conversation exposes the lobbying, legislation, and miscommunication that shapes national healthcare conversations.

Dr. Edwards also highlights how most of Medicaid’s spending doesn’t even go to who people think it does—with large chunks allocated to end-of-life care and neonatal intensive care for sick babies. She discusses how misinformation affects voting, how policies harm the most vulnerable (including pregnant women in states like Texas), and how oversimplified narratives allow devastating decisions to pass under the radar.

Key Takeaways:

• 30% of Medicare’s budget goes to pharmaceuticals, mostly due to legislation that prevented price negotiation
• Only about 50% of Medicaid funding supports women and children—the rest is heavily weighted toward nursing homes and neonatal care
• State efforts to cut Medicaid often ignore their own reliance on federal funding
• Misleading headlines lump all funding together, leaving voters unaware of the human cost of budget cuts
• In states like Texas, women often can’t access Medicaid until 20 weeks into pregnancy, missing critical early screening and care

Guest Contact:
🌐 ZahraMedical.com
📣 Follow Dr. Edwards for fact-based, no-fluff commentary on U.S. healthcare reform, patient advocacy, and public health education.

Find out more about Kali and the show HERE: https://humanityoffame.com/

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Dr. Jessica Edwards is a board-certified family medicine physician, health policy fellow, and the founder of Zahra Medical—a telehealth-focused practice committed to making quality healthcare more accessible. With a background in public health advocacy and lived experience as both a provider and parent, Dr. Edwards is a fierce voice for healthcare reform rooted in equity, practicality, and compassion.

In this eye-opening segment of The Humanity of Fame, host Kali and guest Dr. Jessica Edwards challenge one of the most accepted norms in the American healthcare system: that good insurance is tied to employment. Dr. Edwards discusses how this outdated model creates unequal access to healthcare—particularly for lower-income workers, gig laborers, and families working outside traditional corporate jobs.

Drawing from her health policy fellowship and referencing the book Healing America by T.R. Reid, Dr. Edwards compares the U.S. system to countries like Germany, where universal basic coverage is guaranteed to all, and upgrades (like concierge services or elective surgery) can be paid for separately. The takeaway is clear: healthcare in America doesn’t have to be this broken—there are better models out there.

Key Takeaways:

• The flaw in tying health insurance to full-time, white-collar employment
• Why equal access to basic healthcare benefits everyone—regardless of job title
• How countries like Germany successfully provide universal healthcare with optional add-ons
• The economic and ethical downsides of America’s “good job = good coverage” culture
• A reminder that better systems already exist, and we can learn from them

Guest Contact:
🌐ZahraMedical.com
Follow Dr. Edwards for real-talk insights on health equity, patient empowerment, and policy solutions.

Jessica Edwards MD, Humanity of Fame, job-based health insurance, universal healthcare comparison, Germany healthcare system, Zahra Medical, health policy reform, U.S. healthcare inequality, gig workers and insurance, healthcare tied to employment, Healing America T.R. Reid, better healthcare models, basic coverage for all

Find out more about Kali and the show HERE: https://humanityoffame.com/

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Dr. Jessica Edwards is a board-certified family medicine physician, founder of Zahra Medical, and a former health policy fellow. With a career spanning telehealth innovation and community care—and personal experience as a parent navigating the U.S. healthcare system—she offers an unfiltered perspective on how profit-driven policies and administrative overhauls have impacted patients, providers, and public trust.

In this compelling segment from The Humanity of Fame, host Kali and Dr. Edwards trace a timeline that begins with the 9/11 attacks and ends in the era of private equity takeovers in healthcare. What started as a push for better access to digital medical records has, over the years, spiraled into a system where profits often outrank patients.

Dr. Edwards breaks down how well-intentioned policy—like electronic health records—was co-opted by corporations, leading to a mass exodus of seasoned physicians, declining patient outcomes, and the rise of impersonal, business-run healthcare. She also highlights the dangerous influence of corporate reps, conflicts of interest, and how money—not medicine—became the driver of the system.

Key Takeaways:

• The post-9/11 push for digital medical records and how it opened the door for privatization.
• How doctors were financially penalized or forced out for not complying with rapid policy shifts.
• The 2008 ban on doctor-owned hospitals and its ripple effects on healthcare quality.
• Why private equity acquisition led to a 25% drop in patient satisfaction scores.
• The recurring theme: “Follow the money.” How profit motives continue to disrupt care.

Guest Contact:
🌐 ZahraMedical.com
📣 Follow Dr. Edwards for evidence-based insight, policy awareness, and advocacy around patient-first healthcare.

Find out more about Kali and the show HERE: https://humanityoffame.com/

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Dr. Jessica Edwards is a board-certified family medicine physician, the founder of Zahra Medical, and a health policy expert with a strong background in both traditional clinical care and telehealth innovation. As a mother of a child with autism and a health policy fellow, Dr. Edwards combines medical authority, lived experience, and deep empathy—making her a trusted and relatable voice on topics like vaccine safety, public health misinformation, and parent-centered care.

In this candid, informative clip from The Humanity of Fame, host Kali invites Dr. Jessica Edwards to address a question on the minds of countless parents:
“What would you say to parents who are worried about vaccines but still want to protect their children from preventable diseases?”

What follows is an engaging, science-backed breakdown of exactly what’s in vaccines, why those ingredients are there, and how they help your body build protection without triggering a full-blown illness. Using accessible language and analogies (including a hilarious one involving “Big Shirley from the hood”), Dr. Edwards demystifies ingredients like adjuvants, preservatives, stabilizers, and trace proteins.

She also offers a grounded reminder: while hesitancy is real and valid, the science is sound, and vaccines undergo years of rigorous development and review before reaching the public. Whether you’re a parent with questions or a provider guiding patients through concerns, this segment is essential listening.

Key Takeaways:

• What vaccines actually contain (and what they don’t)
• Why antigens, adjuvants, and preservatives are necessary for effectiveness and safety
• The real deal on formaldehyde, egg protein, and aluminum in trace amounts
• The vaccine approval process: how long it takes, who oversees it, and what has to happen before public use
• How to responsibly use tools like ChatGPT and PubMed to research your concerns—and the importance of talking to your doctor

Guest Contact:
ZahraMedical.com
Follow Dr. Jessica Edwards for more evidence-based healthcare guidance and support for parents navigating autism, chronic care, and health equity.

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Find out more about Kali and the show HERE: https://humanityoffame.com/