A Joyful Life After Cancer
- Jen Arnold, 49, star of TLC’s “The Little Couple” is finding plenty of joy in her life after cancer, sharing photos from her spring break vacation with her husband and kids.
- She also recently celebrated 15 years of marriage with her husband, Bill Klein, and is embarking on her new and exciting career path with Boston Children’s Hospital.
- Life after cancer may look different, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
- Stage 2 melanoma survivor Jay Klay says cancer changed his life for the better: “It inspired me to be the absolute best version of myself, and to no longer let fear control my life.”
Arnold and her husband Bill Klein, 48, were the stars of "The Little Couple" a TLC series that followed their lives as newlyweds who both happened to be under 4 feet tall. The show also documented Arnold’s battle with a rare cancer after she was diagnosed in 2013.
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“Spring break time in St. Pete… good to see family,” she wrote in her caption.
The photos showed Arnold cuddling up next to Klein, as well as her two kids having some fun.
But that’s not all Arnold has been up to. Despite rumors of a potential split, she recently celebrated 15 years of marriage to Klein.
“What a remarkable 15 years it's been… and yet you continue to surprise me, inspire me, love me and care for me,” Klein wrote in a sweet Instagram post. “I can't thank you enough for each and every story we've created together and all that we have yet to create.”
Thriving as a Cancer Survivor
In addition, Arnold and her family recently moved from Florida to Massachusetts after she accepted a new job at Boston Children’s Hospital as program director of immersive design systems.
She also serves as the host of Boston Children's Answers: Kids' Health a podcast for “families who want to know a little bit about everything when it comes to raising healthy kids.”
“I’m super excited. It’s my first time doing a podcast so you can tell me how we do,” she reportedly said ahead of the first podcast episode’s release on January 24, 2023. “But I’m hoping, more importantly, that it helps all of us parents provide the best care that we can for our kids.”
Celebrating Life After Cancer Like 'The Little Couple'
Jen Arnold was diagnosed with stage 3 choriocarcinoma, a fast-growing type of rare cancer that forms in the uterus where a fetus develops, according to the National Library of Medicine. And there are so many different ways to celebrate life after cancer.
For Arnold, that means enjoying a new career path, educating others and, most importantly, treasuring each and every moment with her family.
For fellow survivor Jay Klay, that means following his dreams with less self-doubt.
After a 2017 discovery of stage 2 melanoma in three different areas of his body, Klay knew his future was uncertain.
"I was told that there was an 85% chance that my family and I would most likely have to start the preparations for my passing," he told SurvivorNet.
"It was as if all the life, all the air, all the joy had been completely sucked out of my body."
Thankfully, Klay defied the odds, and his surgery proved effective in treating his disease. But Klay was changed on the other side of his cancer journey.
Receiving a clean bill of health gave him the "light switch moment" he needed to seriously pursue the career he wanted.
Follow That Fire: Life After Cancer Will be Different, That Doesn't Have to be a Bad Thing
"I had not been following my dreams. I had been letting fear keep me from what I ultimately wanted out of my life," he said.
"I was given a second chance at life. And at that moment I knew I would not take that for granted.
"I could no longer let fear, self-doubt, or the unknown stop me from what I was meant to do on this earth."
Today, he is a successful actor and model who has walked the runway for Hugo Boss, ADIDAS and Iceberg; shot with multiple fashion magazines; and featured in various music videos, commercials and advertising campaigns. His next goal: a role with Marvel Studios.
"If it wasn't for cancer, I would have never achieved such greatness," he said. "Cancer not only saved my physical being, my life, but it inspired me to be the absolute best version of myself, and to no longer let fear control my life."
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