Share this Story

Case Study: funding for complementary therapy

Paul Schneider is a three-time cancer survivor and the host of Hear the Roar – a podcast dedicated to sharing stories, insights, and support for anyone affected by cancer. Through his own journey, Paul brings honesty, hope, and a relatable voice to important conversations around life, treatment, and resilience.

“The Orange Foundation has provided a level of ‘peace of mind’ that I desperately needed. They really care.”

How did you learn about The Orange Foundation and the support it offers?

I discovered The Orange Foundation and the cancer story of Emma Aindow-Gregory online. I got in touch with Michael to feature on my own podcast – Hear the Roar – and additionally, The Foundation was able to support me with some complementary therapy.

What is your own experience with cancer?

I’m a three-time head and neck cancer survivor. The most recent diagnosis was stage 4 in 2020, and I’m currently dealing with metastatic cancer, which was discovered in April 2024. Head and neck cancer is the name given to cancers that start in places like the mouth, throat, brain or larynx. It covers quite a few different areas, but put simply, it means that a cancer has originated in that part of the body.

How has your diagnosis affected you?

Apart from the obvious life-affecting ways I’ve been impacted, such as financially and career, which have both taken irreversible hits, the toughest and most challenging ways it’s affected me is emotionally and mentally. I am a very strong minded guy anyway – life has taught me to be. My last two diagnoses have pushed the mind strength required to heights that I never knew I could manage.

The journey has also taught me (mostly via my own research) that in order to heal, better or beat your prognosis, that responsibility lies with us – the cancer patient. Whilst the medical/pharma world can do amazing things, they can mostly only ‘treat’ as opposed to cure. If you want to cure or improve then we must apply our own efforts and work hard on our mind, our soul, spirit and body.

How has the complementary treatment that The Orange Foundation has supported made a difference to you? 

I am being supported with a course of hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapy at the Soma Clinic in Buckinghamshire. The therapy is a gentle and non-invasive treatment that involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurised chamber, which helps the body to absorb much higher levels of oxygen than usual. 

This oxygen boost supports the body’s natural healing processes by improving circulation, encouraging tissue repair and reducing inflammation. For people like myself living with cancer, hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapy is often used as a complementary therapy to support wellbeing alongside conventional treatment. It can particularly help with recovery after radiotherapy or surgery, helping damaged tissues heal and boosting energy levels. 

Simply put, without The Orange Foundation’s support in funding treatment, I wouldn’t have been able to get so much, so quickly. The Foundation has provided a level of ‘peace of mind’ that I desperately needed. They really care. The Orange Foundation epitomises the meaning and value of true care.

For those who haven’t heard it yet, how would you describe your podcast, Hear the Roar, and your listener base?

I’m really proud of what my podcast has achieved. It has had several thousand people listen, in more than 40 countries. It just confirms how global cancer is. Hear The Roar – Cancer Stories and Interviews covers all things related to cancer, providing inspiration, education, and benefits to anyone linked to cancer – including patients, survivors, and their support networks.

The podcast is available on most platforms, including Spotify, Apple and Amazon. It features interviews with patients, survivors, families, medical professionals and pioneers, charities and support groups and more. Each and every episode is aimed at literally anyone that is directly or indirectly affected by cancer such as medical workers, spouses, family members etc.

Find Paul’s Hear The Roar website and podcast information here.