My Why: Honoring Phenyx and the Individuals and Families Who Inspire Our Mission

We all have a “why”—a reason we get up each day, fight through the noise, and commit to a mission bigger than ourselves.

For me, the answer is simple—yet layered. My “why” is Phenyx Andolsek. And all of the Phenyx’s out there—including the ones who didn’t make it, and the ones who will be diagnosed in the future.

I went to high school with her father, Jason—an amazing human—who married an equally amazing woman, Nicole. Nicole trusted her intuition, that deep mother’s knowing that whispers: keep looking, keep researching, there are more answers. When their daughter was diagnosed with cancer, our entire friend group rallied around them. What followed was a living testament to faith, persistence, and the belief that healing can take many forms.

A Rocky Beginning

Phenyx’s story began with challenges. Born with complications that required three major surgeries before she was a year old, she spent her first eight months with a colostomy bag. Despite these early struggles, she grew into a thriving, vibrant child—an “A” student, a soccer player, and a little girl full of light.

A Rare and Unexpected Diagnosis

At just 10 years old, everything changed. After her parents noticed sudden changes in her vision, an MRI revealed a diagnosis no family is ever prepared to hear: Mesenchymal Chondrosarcoma (MCS)—an extremely rare cartilage cancer. The tumor had formed at the base of her skull, pressing against her sixth and fourth cranial nerves.

To put this in perspective:

• MCS makes up less than 1% of all chondrosarcomas, which themselves are rare.

• When it occurs at the base of the skull or invades the brain’s protective layers (the meninges), it accounts for only 0.15–0.3% of all primary intracranial tumors.

• Since first described in 1959, only a few hundred intracranial cases have ever been documented worldwide.

In other words, the odds of Phenyx receiving this diagnosis were nearly unimaginable—and the prognosis was poor.

Phenyx underwent surgery, but it did not remove all of the tumor. Faced with devastating statistics, Jason and Nicole chose a different path—one rooted in research, so-called “alternative” therapies, and relentless advocacy for their daughter’s health.

Choosing a Different Path

That distinction matters to me. I no longer look at cancer as a “fight.” We don’t fight ourselves. We learn from ourselves—and from what the body is showing us—and then we figure out how to heal.

Jason and Nicole sold their home, traveled to specialists across the country, and built a “cancer healing team” that included leaders in integrative and metabolic approaches, including Dr. Nasha Winters.

Phenyx’s therapies included high-dose vitamin C, mistletoe IVs, ketogenic nutrition, CBD oils, ozone, infrared saunas, ion baths, supplements, and a complete elimination of processed foods and sugar. Every detail of her care was intentional—from the water she drank to the food on her plate.

Back in 2017, most of these therapies were incredibly difficult to find. There were so many unknowns, and everything was expensive. Take something as simple as testing whether Phenyx was in ketosis—the strips cost $6–8 each, and on top of that, she had to be constantly poked. It wasn’t easy. But she hung in there. And slowly, signs of progress began to appear. Her cancer markers dropped, and her parents—once consumed by fear—began to see something stronger take its place: hope.

Today: A Bright New Chapter

The photo above was taken of me and Phenyx at her graduation party in June 2025. Today, I’m so proud to say she is 18 years old and beginning her freshman year at Idaho State University, studying Early Childhood Education. She is charting her own course, building her own life, and showing the world what’s possible when a family refuses to give up.

Why Phenyx Is My Why

For me, Phenyx embodies everything this work is about. She reminds me that behind every diagnosis is not just a statistic, but a child, a family, and a story worth rewriting.

And yet—her story also reveals a painful truth. Every single therapy her parents pursued was paid for out of pocket, because insurance doesn’t cover most integrative or “alternative” treatments. We live in a sick-care system, not a health-care system. Without their persistence, courage, and community support, Phenyx might not be going to college today.

As a mother, I cannot imagine the thought of losing a child. And yet, too many families face exactly that reality.

Cancer rates are rising dramatically:

• In the U.S., nearly 2 million new cancer cases are expected in 2025 (American Cancer Society).

• Cancer is now the leading cause of death by disease in children under 15.

• Cases are appearing at younger and younger ages, a trend experts increasingly link to lifestyle, environmental, and metabolic factors.

And yet, even in this landscape, there are doctors and practitioners who know there are more options—hundreds of therapies that can be profoundly effective when implemented at the right time, in the right way, and with the right guidance. These are labeled “alternative” therapies, but I ask myself: why are they “alternative” and not primary?

That is why I do this work.

Phenyx is proof that hope is not naïve—it is necessary.

When I think about why I push forward in building better systems, better technology, better education, and better support for patients and families, I think of her. Her story is a reminder that behind every statistic is someone who is loved, someone who deserves the same opportunities and chance for survival.

Phenyx is my why.

Join Us at the Metabolic Health Day Conference & Butterfly Ball

Join Cindy Kennedy, MTIH co-founder, Phenyx Andolsek and her mother, Nicole, at the Metabolic Health Day Conference, October 9–11, 2025, in Tucson, Arizona, and at the Butterfly Ball Gala on October 10. Together, we will honor remarkable individuals like Phenyx who embody resilience and hope.

• 🗓️ Oct. 9–11 | Tucson, AZ

• 🎟️ Save $100 on in-person conference tickets with code EMPOWER (by Oct. 1)

• 💻 Virtual option available (discount does not apply)

• 🦋 Butterfly Ball tickets purchased separately

👉 Register now

❤️ Donate