- Coming up on The Whitney Reynolds show.

- Whoa, you are putting an expiration date on me.

- What would you say your living legacy is right now?

- Loving people, working with them, helping them with their problems.

- It's not every day that they send four women, older women, to Italy, to make a big movie.

- The Whitney Reynolds Show is made possible by Together at Peace, a foundation supporting hopeful bereavement care for the world by inspiring people to find ways to live with, honor, and share the unique love they carry.

Spreading the light that still shines bright, together at peace.

Children's Learning Place, dedicated to empowering young students with the confidence to overcome present and future challenges to promote a brighter future for all.

Kevin O'Connor Law Firm.

When it comes to your injuries, we take it personally.

Joeperillo.com, where you can browse their selection of pre-owned luxury vehicles.

Based in Chicago, shipping all over the country.

Simple Modern, drink ware with unique styles for adults and kids, take us with you.

"The Adventures of Harry Moon" book series for kids, focusing on becoming your best self with themes of friendship, anti-bullying, and responsibility at harrymoon.org.

Kevin Kelly, Fumay Claire, Midwest Moving and Storage, Mike Dyer, Brendan Stedunski, and by these funders.

(uplifting music) - Living past your expiration.

Now that's a crazy thought.

But today we meet people that are not only living past, but living in.

(uplifting music) (audience applauds) (uplifting music) (audience applauds) - So we had to fight to get those drugs, and that was a fight.

- You literally had to fight to get-- - You literally had to prove to them, please don't kill me, please put me on this drug and let me try this, I'll sign any waiver you want me to.

Months of red tape.

And with a growing tumor, you don't have months.

- I was on the anchor test delivering the news, while my husband was all alone at home having a massive seizure.

Then the devastating news, your husband has brain cancer.

- You know, this is a very aggressive tumor.

It grows very fast.

You know, and you should have some time with your family.

- That's when the doctor, the oncologist said, when I asked like, "what's the lifespan?"

To which he said 12 to 14 months.

- Yeah, that's when it hit, that's when I think it really hit me.

- Yeah, that's when it hit us.

- Yeah, you know, like in a movie, when you get that, that tunnel ring, you're just like, whoa.

You are putting an expiration date on me.

- Nick was just 38 years old when his personal hourglass was shaken.

He was a former firefighter who was used to risking his life for others, but now he was the one needing help.

- The next thing I remember was my right leg in the air, and I was staring up.

That's all I remember from that day.

- I had no idea what it was gonna be.

I never in a million years imagined anything that was going to be forever.

They had told you you had a, they found a large mass on your brain.

we think it's glioblastoma, but we need to do a MRI to be sure.

His hemorrhaging was getting worse and he was unconscious.

He just slipped into unconsciousness.

They had to intubate him.

And I think at that point the surgeon was like, we gotta go in, this is an emergency.

So they had to go in, there was no choice.

It was causing so much swelling.

I felt like I am now in charge of this man's life.

And I just told the doctor, I said, you do everything you can to save him.

I said, because if you feel like you need to go in, then you need to go in, then let's do it.

- So to know you're in the driver's seat of life or death.

That's mind blowing.

How did you get past the surgery of opening up the brain?

- It brought out a side of me that I knew was there, but never really needed to get out.

And it was sort of like, I am this person's connection to everything right now.

I am his mouthpiece, I'm his power of attorney.

I'm his medical decision maker.

I'm everything right now.

So it's not about boohoo in the corner, it's not about that.

It's about making the right decision.

- He went into surgery, and as Diane explained to us, it was successful.

They removed the tumor.

However, this was the start of his uphill battle with cancer.

This surgery left his left side temporarily paralyzed.

- I didn't believe him.

I really didn't believe him.

I had to use the restroom one day and I fell.

'Cause I tried getting out, and then they had to strap me down.

When they strapped me down, they found out I was fighting.

So my physical therapist said, how was he moving his right side?

- Like he was pulling his straps.

- Yeah.

- So after a little bit of time, my physical therapist, do you want take a walk?

Yeah, of course, let's go.

I started walking, he came back, the next day we walked a little more.

We had a COVID outbreak, so they didn't, they wouldn't let us out of our rooms.

So me, just programmed the way I am, I tried to walk myself.

Fell down again, I was strapped down again.

I got up and I said, something's not right.

And the physical therapist is like, where, where?

And I said, you know, my right buttock, we have to do this surgery when you're awake.

Opening me up alive, awake, was the most painful thing I've ever felt.

And after that, I was ready to go.

- Yeah, after that he's like, I'm gonna walk.

I'm gonna run, I'm gonna jog, he was ready.

'Cause he had, he had just powered through, he powered through, and he started walking almost immediately after that.

And regained 90% of the right side by the time he got out of the hospital.

Which was not four months later.

- 17.

- 17 days later.

- They said, this is, okay, you got your movement back.

But usually, this is what's probably gonna happen with you, is once we start radiation, you will be re-paralyzed.

All the symptoms come back.

So what they did is, instead of like doing the tumor site, they treated around the resectioned area.

- When did you find out that there was this alternative therapy that's actually here?

- So when we got the first 12 to 14 month, okay, Nick had to, it didn't matter what hospital you go to, had to go through what's called standard of care as we all know it, chemo and radiation.

He had to go through that regardless, right.

And he actually came out of it with flying colors.

And he didn't get sick or lose his appetite or, I mean, he was just a phenomenal patient.

The reocurrence, so the reappearance of tumor came in September.

- Yes.

- And so when it came back, the plan of action at our current hospital wasn't the plan that we wanted.

- Nick and Diane learned about a new treatment, one that offered hope.

- When we looked at the tumor under the microscope, it was clearly neoplastic, it was a cancer, it had a lot of aggressive features.

It was obvious that the thing had been growing quickly and was invading the brain.

If it was just looking at it under the microscope, we really wouldn't have been able to offer anything other than this is a high grade tumor in the brain, a high grade glioma.

And that would've been pretty much it.

But these days, thanks to the advanced molecular testing we are able to do, we were able to detect a specific molecular alteration, a fusion between two genes, an abnormal fusion between two genes that predicted, or at least suggested, that the tumor might be sensitive to a specific drug, a very specific drug that isn't normally given to just any brain tumor.

And that's indeed what turned out to be the case.

The fusion is called FGFR3-TACC3.

It's like, okay, if we block FGFR3, it's a protein in the cell that can make it become aggressive.

If we can block that part of this process, maybe we can control tumor growth.

And originally it was shown to work in the laboratory, and so it was brought into clinical trials.

And a lot of patients with this specific molecular alteration do seem to respond.

So by the time we got to Nick's case and saw that fusion, we had enough experience as a field to say, you know what, I think we may have a potential here.

So of course I notified the treating neuro-oncologist right away.

I said, hey, we've got a targetable fusion, which we don't often see in these cancers, but in this case we did.

- The drug that he wanted to use was what they call off-label.

So we had to fight to get those drugs.

And that was a fight.

- You literally had to fight.

- You literally had to prove to them, please don't kill me, please put me on this drug and let me try this.

I'll sign any waiver you want me to.

So that was a lot of red tape, months of red tape.

And with a growing tumor, you don't have months.

So the doctor put him on a very good, very strong chemotherapy treatment again, different than what he was already on.

- The doctor that we left wanted to put me on a drug that was basically, you know, this will give you two to three months, and kind of see you later.

Again, I'm like, no, I'm not doing that.

So it was such a good thing that I stayed with what we thought would work.

And this is why people are like, man, cancer is difficult.

It is difficult.

- Yeah, there are like decisions that you make, and if you make the wrong one, it could change everything.

What if you are alone going through this?

I mean, that just broke our hearts.

So that was the reason, that was the sole reason, and it was all Nick's decision, for him to go public with his story.

- People hear cancer and they look at you, and they're like, oh.

I'm like, no, let's have a drink, let's smile.

Let's have fun.

I'm not saying I'm disappearing tomorrow.

But don't be down, it's okay.

There are really good doctors out there.

That's why we have to get this word out.

I feel bad for people who don't have the access to these great doctors, these new technologies, these genetic testing, methylation.

There's so much that people are not aware of.

We need to get it out.

- Well, and you're doing just that.

And Diane, where is your emotional state at right now?

- It's funny because one of the things I've said to Nick, really, throughout our marriage, and I think that whenever we hit one of these hurdles and have to get over an obstacle, we have to get over, I always turn and say to him, we didn't get this far just to get this far.

We still have a journey.

And that journey is going to continue and we're gonna be strong together and fight.

And that's how I feel.

I feel empowered through him to keep fighting.

(uplifting music) - Nick is still in the fight for his life, and our thoughts are with him and his wife.

Well, now we turn to a movie that reminds us there are always such things as second chances.

And these ladies are not only getting it in the movie, but this is actually part two.

Let's take a look.

- 'Cause we couldn't believe that we were all in Italy.

I mean.

- Down to Jane Fonda, who you would think, who's done everything under the sun, no, she couldn't believe she was there.

She was having an adventure at the same time as making this movie.

It's not every day that they send four women, older women, to Italy to make a big movie.

So we really, there was so much more gratitude than even would normally be there.

Because, you know, until we got on the plane, we were like, is this really gonna happen?

Are we doing this?

(telephone rings) - Hello, you've reached the home of the retired and gifted.

(bell chimes) Where are you?

- I'm in a church.

- What?

- Are you serious?

- We're looking for a venue for the wedding.

- Bill Holderman and Erin Sims didn't stop with one.

Yet when they brought "The Book Club: The Next Chapter" to life, it was a much harder page to turn.

Yet they did it.

And that's similar to the characters in the movie.

We followed them down a journey that pushes past roadblocks, and discover as long as you keep going, it's not the end.

(upbeat music) - It's too bridal.

- It's not bridal enough.

- Gorgeous.

- I think that these actresses, Jane, Mary, Candace, Diane, everyone always says, they're so inspiring, they're so amazing, they are, but they're more than that.

Because it hit me suddenly when we were in Italy.

I was like, we're having a 14 hour day, it's 105 degrees.

They're not complaining.

They're working, they're not scared.

I mean, obviously they didn't wanna get COVID, but they were willing to take the chance, take the risk, work hard, be vulnerable, like still, now.

And they were having a new experience.

And that's when you realize, okay, what we're trying to say in this movie is true.

That if you're willing to take-- - Keep kind of like challenging yourself, you do get to keep having great experiences and new life experiences.

And they're unapologetic about their age.

You do not see that very often.

I think sometimes the outside world looks at y'all or looks at the cast, and everybody just assumes like, they knew that was gonna happen.

They knew a second movie.

You know how hard it is to do a second movie and have it be successful?

- We do.

- You're like, actually, we know that very well.

Did you ever doubt that it would come to life?

- Yeah.

- Definitely.

- Well, 'cause we scouted for the sequel in 2019, so before, and then the pandemic happens.

And at the beginning we all thought like, okay, how long is this gonna, I mean, it dragged out for a minute.

So we definitely started to question, are we ever gonna be able to get this cast back?

Italy was a hotbed for the pandemic, if you recall.

The movie was set there.

Are we ever gonna be able to actually get to, you know, it's an older cast, are we gonna be able to go shoot in this place that we wanted to?

I mean, there was, the doubts were, beyond just the normal filmmaking doubts, which are, it's always, you're always wondering like, are we gonna be able to do this, can we pull this off?

- How did you push through those thoughts?

- We had each other.

- With complete grace and ease, with no stress whatsoever.

We, I mean-- - You know, I don't know.

When we thought we were gonna go make it in LA, and then that didn't happen, 'cause schedules were too crazy, and it got pushed a year.

And, you know, you just never know what's gonna happen one year later, I remember being like, holy moly, okay, so we're not going anywhere for a year.

And we're used to moving around, you know?

I'm sure there's a lot of people that felt that way.

We weren't used to just like being in our home and not traveling and not being out there and being with people.

You know, 'cause making movies is a big collaborative experience, not the writing part.

But once you get out the door, like.

- Yeah, the socialization of that for us, it's like, it's important.

- So it was like, okay.

And then when it was looking like we really were gonna go to Italy, you know, it was still COVID.

Are people gonna change their minds, can we get insured?

Will the women do it, will they get on the plane, it was like.

- Is there gonna be a cert?

I mean, it was up to the last minute.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

- But even the Los Angeles version, when we were talking about that, I was so excited to get the cast back together.

So it felt like, okay, fine, we will compromise a few things.

But at least we get to bring this group of friends back together.

And so when we had to push another year, it really felt like, oh boy, this might not happen.

- And it did happen, and one of the things-- - It did happen.

- I really walked away from was this, it's not over until it's over.

Like, you just keep going.

And that's even to getting you to taping.

But even the plot line in the movie, did you see that unfolding twofold.

- Yes.

- I mean, there was a lot of meta elements to the making of this movie.

And that's certainly one of them.

But being in a city where we're traveling ourselves and having these experiences, and, you know, everything that we were experiencing off-camera, we would bring on to screen.

- Well, thank you both so much for stopping by.

(upbeat music) And now we sit down with Sister Jean and find out her secret to longevity.

Sister Jean, I am so excited to be with you.

And we're actually on campus.

This is where miracles happen.

- Always, every day.

- Tell us.

You are 103.

What is your secret to longevity and that smile?

- Well, they told me that I eat well, I sleep well.

And hopefully I pray well.

But the gene comes from my dad's side of the family.

My dad died when he was 95.

He had six sisters and two brothers.

And they all died between the span of 90 and 95.

So when I reached 95, I thought I'll probably go to God now.

Because nobody had lived that long.

And then each year I keep adding a year.

- What do you tell yourself on your birthday?

- I wake up in the morning and say happy birthday.

And then at the end of the day when I go to bed, I say your birthday's over, the el stop is named after me.

In the el stop Plaza for my hundred third birthday.

- Sister Jean keeps going and inspires others to do the same.

Her smile became well known around the nation during the 2018 Final Four men's basketball games, as she cheered on and prayed for her Loyola Ramblers.

- People all around the world know about Sister Jean.

Has that settled in?

- Yeah, but it doesn't make my head get big.

- And when the team was in the hype, when you were making the headlines, people were seeing you, what was that like for you?

'Cause you had been with the team for so long.

- It was just so exciting that we got to the Final Four.

Every game getting there was almost like a miracle.

- It's amazing to think what you've done after you've turned 100, tell us about the book.

- The book is very alive, I think, because of the questions, the way Jeff Davis asked them.

And he pushed me hard, but gently, that's the way I have to say it.

- What is your favorite chapter?

- That's hard to say.

I was happy to recall the stories that I did, because I think they have a great impact on people, because everything in there is for real.

- I mean, you are one that encourages, and it's through a lot of the life you have lived.

- It's fun, it's fun for them to come in.

And I say to them, did you read the book yet?

Yes, Sister Jean.

- What would you say your living legacy is right now?

- Well, I like to think of it as loving people, working with them, helping them with their problems, and just being myself and trying to teach them to be themselves and to love God.

(upbeat music) - Why is it online that people said you were retiring from rapping?

- 'Cause I said once I was gonna retire, but, you know, the news cycles are very slow and they're disparate.

So it might have got published over here and not over here, and then it published over here.

- But you're not.

- I am eventually.

I'll be forced to, but that's like 40, 50 years from now.

- He's known as a rapper, but he is extending his career to so much more.

We caught up with Lupe Fiasco after watching him wrap a different type of performance on stage, yet still with a mic.

He was a keynote speaker at NeoCon's event of the year for the commercial design industry.

You pivoted in so many different ways.

Would you still say first you're a rapper?

- I'm definitely a rapper first.

Like I put that on my social media tags, rapper, first.

My jacket at MIT has rapper on it.

If you ask what I do as a sport, I'm rapping.

And I think that's there's nothing to be ashamed about that or feel a certain, especially at this point, like, you know, 50 years, where we are, what we've done, the spaces that we're in, the things that we've contributed, the things we've innovated, expanded on, across all forms, from technology to architecture to other spaces and places.

- Are you still creating music?

- Absolutely, yeah, I think the core, again, it all feeds back into the music.

You know, how can I improve this?

But then how can I challenge myself to think outside the musical box?

You know, and what does that look like?

You know, what does it look like for a rapper to now design a space?

You know, what does it look like for rappers to design a pair of shoes?

What does it look like for a rapper to design a bottle?

What does it look like for a rapper to design a camera?

And what are the needs or the things that need to kind of, that aren't existing in pre-existing kind of technology.

Even music technology, which isn't based on, like, well we're gonna make this for rappers, we're gonna make a guitar for rappers.

You know, nobody thinks about that, right, but what if you had to, right.

- That's one thing that's really interesting about you, is you're very, like, even from your lyrics, thought provoking, and now you've taken it to this next realm.

What would you say is probably the biggest inspiration that is pushing you forward?

- Just knowledge.

If you just have to personify knowledge or objectify knowledge into a singular thing, like, it's always the pursuit of that.

Wanting to know more, you know, wanting to experience as much of this world and what it has to offer while you still have breath and life in your body is always my drive, you know.

So as much as I can, you know, take advantage of the opportunities that are given to me, no matter what they are, you know, like no matter what it is, so if it's NeoCon, yeah, I'm coming, right.

- I'm coming.

- If it's MIT, yep, I'm coming.

- Yeah, so you're saying a lot of yeses.

- But my story's a little bit different, maybe too deep to get into here now, but I have the talent and the work ethic to push through.

and I got my record deal while I was kind of still in high school.

- Which is crazy.

- So it of it kind of proved myself right off the bat.

But there was that motivation of like, there is no back, And when there's no back, there's only forward.

- Right, and forward, you have Yale and MIT, what's next?

- So for me, it's less about what's next.

And it's still about like what I've done, which is SOSA, which is now.

I mean for me these things are all about bringing that stuff back to SOSA, Society of Spoken Art, which is my institution and my baby.

- From 12 Grammy nominations to teaching rap theory at MIT, Lupe is an example of an artist extending his titles and one that keeps going.

- We call it the rapper mind.

Right, that ability to think, to be fast on the feet.

But that's not necessary to be quick.

But just to be able to look at the world from a total perspective, an universal perspective, and pick up on all the little nuances and details.

And then being able to incorporate all that stuff back into a universal thing to help, to add value, right.

So it's not just to be this artistic expression for the sake of artistic expressions, but for it to have use case in the world to make the world a better place.

- Live, that's what all of our guests keep saying.

And to do that you gotta keep going.

Remember, your story matters.

(uplifting music) - The Whitney Reynolds Show is made possible by Together at Peace, a foundation supporting hopeful bereavement care for the world by inspiring people to find ways to live with, honor, and share the unique love they carry, spreading the light that still shines bright.

Together at Peace.

Children's Learning Place, dedicated to empowering young students with the confidence to overcome present and future challenges to promote a brighter future for all.

Kevin O'Connor Law Firm.

When it comes to your injuries, we take it personally, Joeperillo.com, where you can browse their selection of pre-owned luxury vehicles.

Based in Chicago, shipping all over the country.

Simple Modern, drinkware with unique styles for adults and kids, take us with you.

"The Adventures of Harry Moon" book series for kids, focusing on becoming your best self with themes of friendship, anti-bullying, and responsibility.

At harrymoon.org.

Kevin Kelly, Fumay Claire Midwest Moving and Storage, Mike Dyer, Brendan Stedunski, and by these funders.

- For more information on today's program, visit whitneyreynolds.com, or get social with us.

Facebook, Whitney Reynolds Show, Twitter, Whitney Reynolds, or on TikTok and Instagram, Whitney-_Reynolds.

- Our mommy!

(soothing music)