For The Hayters: The Stories We Survive

This conversation with Jen Harper is about more than beauty. It is about culture resilience and turning pain into purpose. Jen shares her journey through childhood abandonment addiction and recovery and how reconnecting with her Indigenous identity led to the creation of Cheekbone Beauty and Canada’s first Indigenous innovation lab. We talk healing representation sustainability and the power of be...

At just ten years old, Paige lost her mom to breast cancer. The people who were supposed to protect her left her feeling alone, and she carried that grief in silence for years. Paige opens up about growing up without support, being told to get over it, turning to drinking to cope, and what it meant to finally build the family she always longed for. This episode is about breaking cycles, choosing b...

In this episode of For The Hayters, Kari opens up about her journey through toxic relationships, betrayal by her closest friend, and the weight of abandonment that began in childhood. She shares the painful truth of emotional and verbal abuse, the challenges of single motherhood, and the long road of rebuilding trust. With honesty and courage, Kari shows us what it looks like to heal through thera...

This week on For The Hayters Podcast, Noah opens up about living with OCD — not the stereotype of cleaning or checking, but the reality of intrusive thoughts of harming others. Noah shares how these thoughts began in childhood, intensified during his time in the Army, and led to multiple hospital stays before finally receiving a diagnosis in 2020. Through therapy, medication, and exposure and resp...

From the outside, Mackenzie was a student athlete and business owner with a bright future. Behind the scenes, she was fighting a silent battle with depression and suicidal thoughts. In this conversation, Mackenzie opens up about her childhood, the loss of her grandmother, the pressures of college athletics, and the weight of living in silence. She shares how journaling, therapy, inpatient treatmen...

When Nicole Perry’s son Benjamin was born, she knew something wasn’t right. But getting doctors to listen was a fight—one that took everything she had as a parent. After months of pushing for answers, Benjamin was diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s disease, a rare condition that affects the colon. Nicole didn’t stop once she had the diagnosis. She became a powerful advocate for other families, joining...

At just 22 years old, Jeri’s world was shattered when he lost his father in a tragic accident. In this episode, he opens up about navigating grief, watching his mother battle alcoholism, losing close friends too soon, and learning how to keep living with an open heart. Jeri shares what fatherhood means to him, how loss reshaped his perspective, and why saying yes to life has become his guiding man...

What happens when grief and motherhood collide? Bailee was only 20 when she lost her mom unexpectedly. Just months later, she found out she was pregnant. In this episode, she shares her journey of losing her best friend, navigating anxiety and panic attacks, meeting her sister for the first time after their mom’s passing, and finding strength in motherhood. Bailee’s story is about love, resilience...

Nicole never imagined that the moment she had always dreamed of—becoming a mom—would leave her feeling completely broken. In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Nicole shares the truth behind her journey through perinatal and postpartum depression, addiction recovery, surviving a 7-year abusive relationship, and the unimaginable grief of losing her mother just months after giving birth to h...

At just 23 years old, Danielle’s life was flipped upside down. What started as numbness in her hands and feet quickly progressed to full-body paralysis. She was dismissed by doctors, told it was all in her head, and sent home—until a spinal tap revealed the truth. Danielle was diagnosed with CIDP, a rare and chronic neurological disorder that left her unable to walk. In this powerful episode, she...

Becca was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at just 17. What followed was a decade of misdiagnoses, debilitating pain, medical gaslighting, and repeated hospitalizations — all while trying to hold onto her identity, her relationships, and her will to keep fighting. In this episode, Becca opens up about the trauma of living with an invisible illness, what it’s like to be dismissed by doctors, and how...

Haley was only 31 when she lost her speech mid-conversation. Hours later, she learned she had a brain tumor—an incurable astrocytoma that would come to define her life in unexpected ways. In this episode, Haley opens up about the invisible weight of terminal illness, how relationships shift in the face of mortality, and why she refuses to stop talking about death. With resilience, dark humor, and...

Jessica grew up in a home filled with addiction, emotional and physical abuse, and trauma that started before she could even understand it. But when she became a mother at 21, everything shifted. Determined to give her daughter a life rooted in love and safety, Jessica made a vow to break the cycle that nearly broke her. In this episode, Jessica opens up about: - Growing up in survival mode - Navi...

This week, we’re sharing Heather and Remington’s story — a raw and powerful look at parenting through medical uncertainty, unexpected diagnoses, and the emotional weight of advocating for your child. When their daughter Maylin was five months old, Heather noticed something wasn’t quite right. What followed was a diagnosis they never expected, a series of difficult medical decisions, and the unshak...

What happens when life knocks you down again and again—but you refuse to stay down? In this powerful episode of For The Hayters, we’re joined by Brittany, a 29-year-old mother of three who turned unimaginable pain into unstoppable purpose. After growing up in a home marked by addiction and losing both her siblings to substance-related tragedies, Brittany was faced with the most devastating loss of...

This week’s episode shares Rylee’s courageous story as a mother of three navigating unimaginable loss. After her husband was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive sarcoma, their lives were turned upside down. As if that wasn’t enough, a devastating house fire destroyed nearly everything they owned. Through it all, Rylee has shown an incredible depth of resilience, love, and determination to protect...

This week’s guest, Giselle, shares her story of growing up undocumented in the U.S. — a journey marked by fear, sacrifice, and deep resilience. After her father was deported when she was 12, she was forced to grow up fast. Now a DACA recipient and behavioral interventionist, she uses her voice to advocate for children and immigrants navigating similar experiences. To connect with this week’s guest...

This week’s episode is a deeply personal and emotional look at what it means to grieve someone who is still here. In 2016, Jodi’s mom suffered a massive brain aneurysm that resulted in a stroke and severe brain injury during surgery. Since then, Jodi has taken on the role of caregiver, medical POA, and daughter — all while raising her own kids, managing her marriage, and navigating the pain of wat...

This week’s episode of For The Hayters is a much-needed conversation about queer parenthood, the emotional toll of fertility treatments, and what it means to build a family when the system wasn’t made for you. Morgan aka Mamo is a queer mom, event planner, and TTC support coach who went through 14 unsuccessful IUIs before her wife conceived their daughter. Together we talk about what it feels like...

In this episode of For The Hayters, we sit down with Stephanie, a Navy veteran, mother, and survivor of anorexia nervosa. Diagnosed at 22 after years of silent suffering, she opens up about how the stress of deployment and a toxic relationship contributed to her eating disorder. Stephanie shares her journey from feeling out of control to seeking treatment, navigating the ups and downs of recovery,...

Ashlee’s story is one of unimaginable loss, resilience, and transformation. Growing up as the daughter of parents who struggled with addiction, Ashlee faced emotional trauma, instability, and deep grief from an early age. After losing both her mother and father, she continued to navigate life while raising her children, working as a social service worker, and supporting other women through trauma,...

What happens when your dream of becoming a mother turns into your darkest battle? In this deeply emotional and powerful episode of For the Hayters, Kayla Heckaman opens up about her journey through infertility, IVF, a surprise natural pregnancy—and the postpartum depression that nearly cost her everything. After years of fighting to become a mom, Kayla delivered her second son prematurely and soon...

A story of resilience, fear, and hope. Lindsey and Joe’s babymoon in Turks & Caicos took a terrifying turn when Lindsey suffered a sudden placental abruption at just 27 weeks. Their daughter, Logan Marie, was born at 2lbs 9oz, facing a critical fight for survival. With limited medical resources on the island, Joe worked against the clock to get Logan to the U.S. for life-saving care. Now, near...

Season 3 of For The Hayters is finally here - dropping Monday, May 5th! This season, we’re going deeper—into heartbreak, illness, fertility, postpartum, loss, and finding your way back to yourself. Real people. Real stories. No filters. Some come for advice, others to offer it. All show up with honesty. Can’t wait for you to hear it—this season means so much to me! New episodes every Monday. See P...

Listen in to Adrienne, the founder of WellBe, talk about her path to becoming a patient advocate to empower people in their health journey. What lead her there and her personal life experiences with Lyme Disease.   For more, visit - GetWellBe.com Share your story at forthehayters.com Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok @forthehayters Listen to season 1 of For The Hayters on Spotify or Appl...