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The Space Between is the podcast where strength and vulnerability meet for families navigating life with cancer.
Hosted by Amri Kibbler, a cancer survivor and parent, each episode offers honest stories, expert insights, and heartfelt support for those balancing treatment, caregiving, and parenting - often all at once.
If you're walking this path, you’re not alone. This is your space to feel seen, find connection, and heal.
[00:00:00] Gina Lamanna: I know we nourish our body with good foods and we move our body, which is very important. But what are the other things like clear the chaos in your life. Clear the noise, right? You know, downsize. Take inventory of the people that are in your life. Take an inventory on like what no longer serves you.
[00:00:20] Amri Kibbler: Hi, I am Amri Kibbler, and this is The Space Between. I'm a cancer survivor and a mom.
[00:00:25] Amri Kibbler: And while those roles don't define me, they have shaped who I am. I created this space to share honest stories, expert insights, and meaningful support for families navigating life with cancer. If you're balancing treatment, caregiving, parenting, or just trying to hold it all together, you are not alone.
[00:01:13] Amri Kibbler: Today we're starting with a powerful story about an unexpected partnership and the many ways that love can still show up. I'm gonna be joined by my dear friend, Gina Lamana. She's the founder of The Fondle Project and her ex-husband, Steve. Not long after separating, Gina was diagnosed with cancer and together they faced a new kind of challenge, how to co-parent through this crisis.
[00:01:37] Amri Kibbler: What unfolded was the story of showing up, staying open, and reimagining what family could look like? It's honest, it's tender, and it's full of so much wisdom. I'm so excited to be able to bring this to you today. So let's get started. You have inspired a lot of women to get back to dating after their cancer journey after surgery when they're not feeling confident, and I would love for you to just talk a little bit about that.
[00:02:05] Amri Kibbler: What was it like for you to get back to dating? How did you work up the confidence? 'cause your story is really powerful.
[00:02:11] Gina Lamanna: There are a handful of things going back to. The act of self-love, right? Doing all the things that made me feel alive again or feel whole, right? Getting dressed every day was very important.
[00:02:25] Gina Lamanna: Doing the things that made me feel good as, as far as body movement, infrared saunas, acupuncture, meditation, breath, all those things are an act of self-love and your healing within, right? As you know, there was also a stage post, um, I had six surgeries in 13 months, so lots of scars. On, on my body. And so yeah, it was definitely very hard to get naked with somebody new after my long relationship.
[00:02:54] Gina Lamanna: You know, I was with that guy for about four years and then we had to unfortunately break up 'cause the long distance and whatnot. But I found myself, wow, this is going to, this is new. Here I am. I think I was 42 at the time. Divorced two daughters, host. Reconstruction and whatnot. Like, how am I gonna a lot, it's a lot.
[00:03:15] Gina Lamanna: How am I going to get naked again? So I knew I had to work on myself, like, let me at least work through some of this. And, you know, um, I had to face my fears. I, there was a stage about, let's say six to nine months that I dated much younger men, that it really helped me, you know, and. That just definitely boosted my confidence when you have a really young, cute guy interested, right?
[00:03:44] Gina Lamanna: And I was very transparent, very clear with them. Like, Hey, this is just fun. Let's just have a good time. Let's go dancing. Let's flirty and let's have all the, you know, so that was really helpful. Gave you a little sparkle. It definitely gave me a little sparkle, but then I realized like, who, what am I doing here?
[00:04:01] Gina Lamanna: Like this isn't really going. Very far, but it was definitely a stepping stone. But I think for me what was really important was, number one, getting dressed every day and reminding myself that, that I'm beautiful and strong. That, again, continued my mantra was, this does not define who I am. Cancer does not define who I am.
[00:04:20] Gina Lamanna: Even though there was a handful of men at the time when I was single, get putting myself out there. When I was very transparent with them, they were extremely turned off so that that didn't help. But I had just, just to continue, just come back to myself and be like, okay, they're obviously not the right person for me.
[00:04:39] Gina Lamanna: You know, this does not define who I am. I am worthy. I am worthy of love. I am worthy of all the things. So that really helped me. And then just again, surrounding myself with my girlfriends and just putting myself out there. It took some time, I'm not gonna lie, as you know, it took me some time. It wasn't like I was.
[00:04:59] Gina Lamanna: You know, it's all a process, right? It's all a process. I really had to start healing and I think I just had to, you know, it's that saying, right? You in, in order for someone to truly love your love, you, you have to love yourself. So I had to find that love for myself again and stop blaming me for my cancer diagnosis.
[00:05:18] Gina Lamanna: So it's definitely been quite a journey.
[00:05:24] Amri Kibbler: I remember a story you told me one time about, I think it was an ex-boyfriend, or maybe it was just a good friend of you and you're like, who's gonna want this? Yes.
[00:05:32] Gina Lamanna: It was my ex-boyfriend who, yes, we were together for a handful of years and he came to see me many times during all my post-surgery reconstruction, healing.
[00:05:42] Gina Lamanna: And it was right after my last surgery, my deep flap surgery, and he came over and we were chatting and. He was single too. And he knew. He knew me very well and I was like, he was like, G be, you just need to get out there. You just need to face your fears. And I remember looking at him standing up. I literally lifted up my shirt and showed him all my scars, you know, on my abdomen and my everywhere around my nipples under like just scarred.
[00:06:13] Gina Lamanna: And I was like, who is gonna want this on top of. Divorce and all of this. And he just looked at me and he was like this, again, reminding me, this is a, does not define who you are. You are awesome. You're incredible. You got so much to offer. Like you're a love, like you just are reminding me that all the beautiful things, right?
[00:06:36] Gina Lamanna: Like just you are whole as as you are, and any man that cannot, who does not want to be a part of this and be by your side is just not worthy of your love. And I was like. And then I remember when I finally put myself out there, it was a young man I met and we're still, we're actually still very good friends.
[00:06:55] Gina Lamanna: He has since moved from LA to Florida. He was 34 at the time. And we had a, our first date, it was like an eight hour date and I think it was at the seventh hour I sat, I'm like, this is going really well. And I wanted to tell him. So I told him like, just so you know, this is what I've been through. And we came home and he was the first man.
[00:07:16] Gina Lamanna: That I disrobed and got naked and I left the light lights on. And it was a big step. A very big step for me. It's a huge step, huge step. And we dated for about six months and he adored me as I was and he was amazing. And obviously the relationship ended 'cause he's young and whatever, but we still remain, you know, good friends.
[00:07:39] Gina Lamanna: And he, in a way, I've told him like he was my angel. I needed that, that one again, that, that confidence, that stepping. So like, okay. And then obviously there was a few toes along the way after that, but,
[00:07:51] Amri Kibbler: but we don't remember the toads. It's just, you remember all of the people who were there that supported you and helped to build you up.
[00:07:58] Amri Kibbler: And now you have an amazing partner that you've been with for, I can't even believe it's been, has it been two years now? No, almost five. Five years. Seriously. How did, I think it
[00:08:07] Gina Lamanna: was two years. And Charlie's the cutest. It's okay. Charlie's amazing And funny, funny thing about Charlie is we met during the pandemic, we were about very casual and it was about six months in and I finally told him, he had no idea I I, after the fact, he thought, you know, my scarring was like C-section breast reduction.
[00:08:33] Gina Lamanna: What have you. And he, and again, we were very casual and when I told him, I was like, I'd just like to let you know I've been waiting for the right time. You know, now we're getting a little bit more serious and spending more time together, but I just wanna know, I, I, I went through breast cancer and I am how many years out?
[00:08:50] Gina Lamanna: And he was like, I like you even more. And he was just such a love and just, you know, embraced me and he was so supportive and compassionate and. And he's been a, a get, he's been a great supporter of The Fondle Project. He was the one that came up with the name Fondle. He was our DP on the campaign, and he, he helps me with some content and he's just been, he's my rock as well.
[00:09:14] Gina Lamanna: He calms me. He, he minimizes the chaos in my life. So that is beautiful because he knows how important, as, you know, minimize the stress and he'll kind of be like, bring me to ground zero. Which has been very helpful and part of the healing.
[00:09:30] Amri Kibbler: You've actually had some amazing men in your life. Yes. So the, the
[00:09:35] Gina Lamanna: ladies who are going through this, you can find love, you can, it may take some time, but just remember to love yourself, do the work, focus on you.
[00:09:47] Gina Lamanna: 'cause you are number one, you are a priority, especially if you have children. And the love will be there. You will find someone, you will find a partner. It, it happens. I mean, there was a time where I didn't think it would because of everything I've been through and some of the toads I'd met along the way, but there are men and women out there that are, that are ready and willing and want to love you.
[00:10:12] Amri Kibbler: And you're right, it's self-love. 'cause it, it's kind. It's so hard to get to that space too. But you have to work through it and find a space where you can really accept yourself and love yourself to be able to move forward. So I wanna hear more about Fondo Project. Can you tell us about your mission, everything about it, how you started it, what is like, what are you doing?
[00:10:34] Gina Lamanna: Oh gosh, yes. That's the big question. So much. There's so much. Well, the Fondle was born was birth what? We launched it in June of 2023, and I've been fashioned for 30 some years as a fashion stylist and an entrepreneur. And after my diagnosis of breast cancer, I reno. I met many women on this journey and I recognized that we had one common thread, and that common thread was we all lost our confidence.
[00:11:03] Gina Lamanna: And we lose our self-esteem because as you know, our body goes through so many transformations from whether it's losing your breast reconstruction, losing your hair, weight, gain from drugs, just you know, everything. And I came up with an idea and thought, how can I spotlight some of these incredible women that I've met along the way that have supported me on this journey and make them feel alive and beautiful and empowered?
[00:11:31] Gina Lamanna: You know, I actually lost my confidence and self-esteem. As you know, too, after my diagnosis, after multiple surgeries and whatnot, I didn't really recognize myself. So I struggled for quite some time, and it took me about two years to really work through that and heal and whatnot. So I really wanted to create a campaign of sort of sharing these stories of resilience and strength and beauty to remind.
[00:11:58] Gina Lamanna: Each and every one of these women that cancer does not define who we are and that we are beautiful and strong. And June of 2023, we've launched this incredible campaign and it was shot at Milk Studios by the incredible beauty and fashion photographer, Kate Powers. Everyone came together and donated their time.
[00:12:19] Gina Lamanna: It was just, it was so amazing and so beautiful how, how everyone just came together to support my vision and to create this incredible campaign. We had seven female fashion brands that I sought all the women in, and it was for that month of June, a percentage of sales from each one of these brands We donated to three different breast cancer organizations, which was a huge hit.
[00:12:42] Gina Lamanna: Again, it was a small idea, um, that I wanted to create, but ended up making such a big impact when we launched that. Honestly, I had no idea what my next move was. And as you know, I was running my, my studio and I had my clientele and I was a stylist and I, you know, just trying to take care of myself and I really didn't know what I wanted to do, but recognizing the impact that it made with women all over the play, all over the country, I was like, okay, I guess my next step is.
[00:13:18] Gina Lamanna: You know, pursuing a possible nonprofit. So I kind of was back and forth with that. And then I had the opportunity, as you know, to be on the Drew Barrymore show, and that's when it kind of solidified everything. 'cause she gave us $10,000 and I was like, okay, well I guess this answers my next, like where I am, what I should be doing.
[00:13:36] Gina Lamanna: This is my new purpose in life, let me move forward. So that was about a year ago. So since then we have been just creating partnerships, expanding our community. I kind of went on a tangent here. I apologize. But the Fondo Project's mission is educating, empowering women about breast health and knowing their body and knowing they're normal.
[00:13:55] Gina Lamanna: I wanna encourage all women, empower all women to slow down, make themselves a priority. 'cause as you know, as I mentioned earlier, I found my cancer. It was my own advocacy. You know, I followed my intuition and I think it's so important as women, as founders, as mothers to really. Slow down. Take care of yourself, make yourself a priority.
[00:14:19] Gina Lamanna: So there's an education, right? There's a preventative piece. Like what? What do you do to take care? Take care of yourself? Like what does that look like? Mind, body, and spirit, right? Emotionally, all of those things, right? I know we nourish our body with good foods and we move our body, which is very important.
[00:14:36] Gina Lamanna: But what are the other things Like clear the chaos in your life. Clear the noise, right? You know, downsize, take inventory of the people that are in your life. Take an inventory on like what no longer serves you. You know? So it's about educating women, really reminding women to stay on top of their screenings, to perform their self exams.
[00:15:00] Gina Lamanna: Fond your breasts, not just once a month, not just once a year for your annual screenings, your annual OB GYN appointment. Like really get to know normalize conversations about boobs. Then the other part is really helping women on this journey heal and thrive. As you know, as a cancer survivor, when we're in it, all we wanna do or we are in survival mode.
[00:15:24] Gina Lamanna: Mm-hmm. We're going through it. We are surviving. We're trying to survive. We're trying to, you know, fight. We're fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting, and the people that surround us during that time, whether it's delivering meal trains or helping us with our kids with carpool, those are all beautiful gestures and we welcome them and we want all of them.
[00:15:45] Gina Lamanna: But what about a year later? I'm on the other end. I'm eight years out. Honestly, I am healing every day. Okay. And I know you are too, but what does that look like? There are so many women with a cancer diagnosis that they're on the other side and they don't have the resources. They don't have the community, they don't have the ability to have acupuncture to help them.
[00:16:10] Gina Lamanna: Maybe it's infrared saunas. Maybe if you're like a more holistic, maybe you wanna take a holistic approach, but you don't have the financial means or the resources to. Have those, those modalities in your life. So this is where Fondle comes in. We're raising money not only to expand our community and create these beautiful community events and campaigns and share powerful stories, we really wanna help women on this journey to really thrive.
[00:16:36] Gina Lamanna: I want you to thrive and what that looks like. Maybe it's maybe you want a beautiful wardrobe. For me, getting dressed every day really helped me heal. I had access to beautiful wardrobe and all these amazing brands I was able to work with to wardrobe me. So there's different ways, and we have, um, we're helping a woman right now, again, going back to acupuncture.
[00:16:56] Gina Lamanna: All she wants and needs and cannot afford is acupuncture. She's got joint pain from all the drugs. It's just, you know, so we want to be able to provide those resources and those holistic modalities to help women on the show to really thrive.
[00:17:13] Amri Kibbler: I teamed up with Stacy Igel and Elyse Ryan to create S.E.A. Waves of Support healing selenite bracelet sets. You keep one and gift the other to someone facing cancer or life's challenges. A powerful reminder, they're not alone. Learn more at seawavesofsupport.com. That's so beautiful, and you're right. Even so I'm two years out from my second diagnosis, and there's so many things that I'm so lucky that I can afford to do, like going to acupuncture and having time, making time to do my meditation and having a partner who supports me and being, being able to get to those things.
[00:17:51] Amri Kibbler: But you're right, there's so many people that don't have the access to that, and it's such a powerful part of what you're doing with The Fondle Project. And you know what I think. Also makes The Fondle Project so different than anything I've seen out there is that you have created this like beautiful chic, elegant.
[00:18:11] Amri Kibbler: Campaign so that it doesn't feel like it's like pink washed or you know, it, it gives back this feeling of like what you would really want to have as a woman before you got cancer, like the kind of life that you wanted to lead and all of the different things you wanna have. And I think it allows you then to feel like.
[00:18:31] Amri Kibbler: More of your own personal self-worth and your confidence coming back because you're able to be a part of something that's so beautiful and seeing all of these women that you're bringing together and like the events that you're doing and the cooking classes and all of the different special things.
[00:18:47] Amri Kibbler: There's just a beautiful bond of love and giving back and sharing that's happening there that really kind of, it shows through in the content that you're making for these women and the education that you're doing. And it's so powerful.
[00:19:02] Gina Lamanna: Thank
[00:19:02] Amri Kibbler: you.
[00:19:04] Gina Lamanna: I think it's very important. I think again, the, the idea for this campaign was a modern, like more elevated too, right?
[00:19:12] Gina Lamanna: Because pink does represent breast cancer, breast cancer survivors, and breast health, which is amazing. And it's about research, and I think research is very, very important. But. What about there's a gap between treatment and healing, right? Like there's so many amazing organizations out there that focus on the research and rides for chemo and retreats and all those things, which are great, but again, I wanted to really help these women just feel alive again, what that looks like.
[00:19:44] Gina Lamanna: And even though there's a lot of these things are available online, you can go online, you can go to YouTube and and learn meditation, but. Again, some women, they're so deep that maybe it's de they're so depressed, they just mm-hmm. They don't know how to access this information or what that first step is, and they don't have somebody to help them get from A to B.
[00:20:04] Gina Lamanna: So, I really want to target my demographic is the younger generation, because unfortunately, as you know, women are becoming, uh, you know, are being diagnosed at a much younger age. You know, the youngest girl in my campaign was 24. There was a young girl, Miranda who, Miranda McKean, I think her last name is.
[00:20:23] Gina Lamanna: It was diagnosed at the age of 19. Many women are being misdiagnosed or dismissed because of their age. So The Fondle Project, although I can't take credit for the name, I really wanted to kind of have the younger generation lean into like, Ooh, what is that? Like? It's sexy. It's, you know, it's black and white.
[00:20:43] Gina Lamanna: Like, oh shit, I need to. Feel on my boob. Like, let me become, it gets your attention. It gets your attention. It grabs your attention. Like what is that? So it's, you know, we've come a long way and I'm really excited, but there's a lot of unknowns and I'm a bit nervous because a nonprofit is a, it's a whole new, it's a lot and it's a lot.
[00:21:05] Gina Lamanna: It's a lot. And fundraising is, is challenging, you know, especially in this current state of our. Of our country and whatnot. But I think it's very important to build the community and create a safe space for women. What I've recognized since we've launched and have had hosted many private events this past year, is that women really crave this safe space to talk about their sexual health breasts, just women's health, everything.
[00:21:37] Gina Lamanna: You know, and, and women are really leaning into learning, learning how to properly perform a self-exam and to touch their breasts. And so that's been very, um, refreshing to see that women are very receptive. Like, okay, like, shit, I don't know how to perform a self-exam. I rely once a year and she, my doctor just fills me for, you know, two minutes.
[00:22:01] Amri Kibbler: Not even two minutes. It's like 30 seconds. And I think you, you have done an excellent job of that. You, you even, you've gotten me doing it. I do it in the shower almost every day. I'm like, okay, wash, wash, check the rest. There's the right one, there's the left one. Okay, we're good. And it's become a part of my daily.
[00:22:19] Amri Kibbler: And it's because of you. I,
[00:22:21] Gina Lamanna: I really wanna encourage, like make it part of your routine. Because look, you should do it once a month if anything, but you're once a month, four or five days later, say you say you perform yourself exam on April 1st, on April 6th, your boobs can be very different. Our hormones fluctuate.
[00:22:38] Gina Lamanna: Our breasts changes all the time. So I think if we can create some kind of routine, maybe it's once a week or when you're, if it's when you're brushing your teeth or taking a shower or getting dressed, cop yourself a feel and just, just move around and just pay attention. This is not to instill for you.
[00:22:55] Gina Lamanna: This is, this is allowing you to know you're normal. 'cause you know knowledge is power. Pay attention. You may be very lumpy and bumpy, and that's normal. Awesome. Note it down. But if you notice any changes, pay attention, watch it for a month, two months, something changes or gets bigger, or there's discharge or scaling or a rash, then you gotta bring that to your doctor's attention, regardless of a normal screening or not, right?
[00:23:22] Gina Lamanna: So it's really just we pay attention to our weight gain, we pay attention to all these other things. Pay attention to your breasts. Know what is normal.
[00:23:31] Amri Kibbler: Yeah, knowing your body is your biggest tool for staying healthy. 'cause we see our doctors so infrequently, they only have what, 20, 30 minutes with us. So it's up to us to know what is our normal, and to be able to keep track of if something, anything in your body.
[00:23:47] Amri Kibbler: It feels different. When it feels different. Like you said, note it. Keep track of it. Maybe it goes away and you never hear from it again. Great. But if it continues to be something that's different, that's when you need to take it to your doctor. And I feel like I'm in the shower anyway, like it's the perfect time.
[00:24:04] Amri Kibbler: Why not just do yourself breast exam when you're in there? And the more that you do it, the more you really realize what your breasts feel like. And there's like, there's nothing wrong. It's beautiful. You should know what your body's like. It's that. Shame that was so prevalent. I think that's kept women from doing it and you make it kind of fun and funny.
[00:24:24] Amri Kibbler: Like I know you did a self-breast exam at one of our events, and I sit up there with you with our clothes on and we're like, look, we're doing it. Like get in there, pick your arm up,
[00:24:32] Gina Lamanna: feel around. Exactly. It's normalizing it. Right? We've introduced Fondle Fridays too, and it's kind of getting, it's gaining some momentum there.
[00:24:41] Gina Lamanna: Women are remem, it's fondle Friday, so I'm gonna fondle my breasts. I mean, it's. You know your body best. Any doctor who will tell you that, like I have this one doctor who I absolutely love and trustful heart, and he is like, he pays attention to everything that I have shared with him, even when I had my breast implant.
[00:24:54] Gina Lamanna: I know. And it's just like, you know your body best and I'm gonna listen to you. If you have a doctor that's not listening to you and not, and just is dismissing you, it's time for you to find another doctor. Because women are, we are so powerful with our intu, like our intuition is so powerful. Right. So at the end of the day, for me, it's like, it's truly, it's a form of, it's a form of self-love.
[00:25:17] Gina Lamanna: It's an act of self-love. It's being fond of who you are. Really just leaning into all of it and just knowing, knowing yourself, and knowing your body.
[00:25:29] Amri Kibbler: That's what self-care really is. That's it. It's not going and getting your nails done. It's taking care of your body, your mind, and your soul nurturing it.
[00:25:38] Amri Kibbler: Taking care of it.
[00:25:39] Gina Lamanna: Exactly.
[00:25:40] Amri Kibbler: Okay. I have one last question for you. If you could go back and speak to yourself on the day that you are diagnosed, what would you say?
[00:25:51] Gina Lamanna: I would say take a breath. I would say that I'm going to get through this, but not by doing more. By doing less. Slow down. You hear me say that a lot.
[00:26:04] Gina Lamanna: Slow down. Clear the noise, minimize the chaos, and I don't just mean the papers on your desk, you know, take inventory, which I did in my life, from clientele to friendships, to relationships, to various things in my life. Continue to listen closely to your intuition, which I'm grateful for that I say often that I'm grateful for my diagnosis because it.
[00:26:30] Gina Lamanna: It confirmed how important it is to listen to your intuition on so many levels and different things that that has happened these last eight years. My intuition just is just confirmed, so you know, all the time. I would say it's actually okay to say no. I would, I was a yes girl. I was always saying yes to everything.
[00:26:52] Gina Lamanna: And just being present, which I am now with my children, with myself, with my partners, and making myself a priority. Like that was definitely the wake up call for me. Like slow down, take care of yourself. Like your health is top priority, especially when you're a mother. I. As, as terrifying as a diagnosis of cancer is, it's the beginning of a more intentional, beautiful life.
[00:27:18] Gina Lamanna: You know? And now here I am in a new chapter in my life with Fondle, right? I have a new purpose. I continue to help women. And, you know, being a fashion stylist, it's about helping women and empowering them and make them feel confident and sexy, right? But now it, it, this is a whole new purpose saving lives.
[00:27:39] Gina Lamanna: Helping women or saving lives. Saving lives, and really helping women just tune into, you know, themselves.
[00:27:49] Amri Kibbler: Thank
[00:27:49] Gina Lamanna: you. That was beautiful. I. Thank you.
[00:27:53] Amri Kibbler: Thanks so much for joining me on this episode of The Space Between. If this show brought you comfort or a sense of community, I'd love for you to subscribe and share it with anyone who might need it too.
[00:28:04] Amri Kibbler: You can join the conversation on Instagram at thespacebetween_cancer.family and head to amrikibbler.com for more resources designed to support parents navigating cancer. Just remember, you're never alone. This podcast is here as a companion on your journey towards healing, growth, and connection.