Talaya Dendy

Cancer doula | Wellness advocate | Founder, navigator, and podcast host

Talaya Dendy is pioneering a new model of care for cancer patients that centers emotional resilience alongside medical treatment. As a cancer survivor who is now thriving, Talaya transformed her own experience of fear and isolation into a calling: to support others navigating the overwhelming realities of diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Through her enterprise, On the Other Side, she offers non-medical cancer navigation, emotional wellness support, and education to patients, caregivers, and survivors across Minnesota and beyond.

She hosts a top-rated podcast, Navigating Cancer TOGETHER, and serves as a health and wellness coach and community research partner. Talaya is recognized for her exceptional ability to connect with others, listen deeply and equip and guide people to navigate challenges. Her calm, confident leadership style fosters trust and openness, making her especially effective in supporting others through emotional and complex issues.

With the Bush Fellowship, Talaya will pursue a National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching certification, travel to areas known for exceptional longevity and low rates of chronic disease, work with a coach to expand her leadership skills, strengthen her healthcare networks and champion holistic, personalized care for cancer patients and survivors.

How have you used your influence to create change? 

Through my role as a community partner with Allina Health/Courage Kenny and the Minnesota Cancer Clinical Trials Network, I’ve leveraged my influence to help drive change toward more inclusive cancer care. I served as a tester and recruiter for a digital care-referral app through the University of Minnesota that helped identify and address unmet social needs among patients. Participants reported an average of 4.5 unmet social needs; through use of the app, 39% of those needs were successfully addressed. My contributions were instrumental in the development of a tool that is making a tangible difference in the lives of cancer patients in the Twin Cities area. 

What further change are you trying to create?

I am dedicated to establishing the cancer doula role as a key component of comprehensive cancer care. I want to ensure emotional and social support are widely recognized and accessible. When individuals receive support that acknowledges and cares for them fully, beyond their diagnosis, it significantly enhances their outcomes and fosters holistic healing. Human beings develop cancer, but we are not cancer!