My Daughter's Cancer Changed Everything
When Andy’s daughter was four years old, she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent two years of treatment. Plans could disappear overnight — a vacation cancelled instantly because a fever sent them back to the hospital. The family learned to live day-by-day. That experience reshaped how Andy values presence, ordinary mornings, and the gift of being able to do something you love. 'When that gets taken away from you, you realize how important it is. I wish there was another way.' He doesn't romanticize what his family went through — he acknowledges plainly that suffering is not the lesson he would choose. But it became a profound teacher anyway.
Key Lessons
- • Adversity can strip away illusion and teach people to appreciate ordinary life.
- • Presence is not passive — it requires active choice in a distracted world.
- • The people who’ve been through the hardest things often carry the deepest gratitude.
Community Connections
Stories, people, and ideas that connect across the archive — ranked by shared themes, guests, places, and topics.
Related Episodes
(4)From Nursing to Missions: Joan Collett’s Story
Joan Collett
From Career Pivot to Community Staple: The F'kosh Bakery Story
Brent Knudson
The Heart of Lehi: Stories of Education, Autism Support & Community History
John Jay Harris
Generations of Elegance: The Legacy of Lehi's Bridal Center with Julie Rafiner
Julie Rafiner
Related People
(4)Andy Hadfield
Head Football Coach, Lehi High School · Business Owner · Lifelong Lehi Resident
Paige Albrecht
Lehi City Council Member, Attorney, Community Advocate
Phil Hanks
Grandson of Ephraim Hanks · Mission President (Samoa) · Temple President (Samoa) · Church Education System Leader · Stake President · Senior Missionary (Ukraine, Freiburg) · Lehi Resident
Wylene Benson
Realtor, RE/MAX Lighthouse · Real Estate Investor · Breakthrough Mentor
Related Stories
(4)The Players Who Barely Played
Andy Hadfield
Grief Turned Into Safety Work
Charlene Freestone
Cancer, Purpose, and the Hardest Lesson
Paige Albrecht
William Hadfield's Christmas Package — A Small Kindness That Changed Everything
Lara Bangerter
Related Quotes
(4)"I wish there was another way."
— Andy Hadfield
"Be where you’re supposed to be, doing what you’re supposed to be doing."
— Andy Hadfield
"The process is what makes you who you are."
— Andy Hadfield
"I've had people sit in my office in tears because their kids can't afford anything here."
— Mark Johnson
More from Andy Hadfield
Andy Hadfield
The Coach Who Never Planned to Coach
Andy Hadfield's coaching journey began almost by accident. A friend — the head basketball coach at Lehi — asked if Andy would casually help out. What he thought would be 'popping in once or twice a week' turned into leading the sophomore basketball team. When that coach retired after one year, Andy thought his brief coaching chapter was over. Football players on his team introduced him to Coach Larson, who invited Andy onto the football staff after learning he'd played college ball. Andy said yes. He ended up coaching both basketball and football simultaneously for six years before committing fully to football — and eventually inheriting the head coaching role when Coach Larson retired.
Andy Hadfield
The Players Who Barely Played
Some of Andy's closest relationships are with players who almost never saw the field. They weren't physically gifted enough to start — there was always someone better ahead of them. But they showed up every day, sacrificed, worked hard, and refused to quit. 'Playing time and stats and college recruiting don't mean the season was a success. The effort you put in — that’s the story.' Andy describes putting his arm around these players and saying: 'This is just going to teach you to be a better person. You didn’t quit, and that matters.'
Related Stories
Charlene Freestone
Six Children, One Minivan, and a Wooden Box
At a child safety checkpoint in 2021, Charlene helped a family with six children in a seven-seat minivan. One child was on a secured wooden box. The family had daisy-chained lap extender belts through the outer car seats. Charlene and another technician spent over an hour arranging new seats, only to learn the mother was pregnant and needed room for a newborn. They had to start over completely. The experience became a career turning point.
Charlene Freestone
I'm Back, But This Time I'm Helping
Charlene's son was born with needs requiring surgeries. A nurse with child passenger safety training helped her family during the car seat oxygen test. Exactly 12 years later, Charlene began working with Intermountain at Utah Valley Hospital — on the exact anniversary of her son's discharge. Looking at her badge, she thought: 'I'm back, but this time I'm helping people here.'
Charlene Freestone
Grief Turned Into Safety Work
Charlene mentions a man in his 50s who became involved in child passenger safety after losing his daughter in a car accident. He used his grief constructively, becoming a volunteer for Zero Fatalities and eventually a certified CPST. He's also trilingual, making him an invaluable resource for families facing language barriers.