MORTAL AND STRONG - The Podcast

**Trigger Warning - Sensitive conversations discussing end of life reflections.** In this one-off episode we revisit Voice No. 1 from the 2024 campaign. The decision to revisit Amy's journey at this point was after careful consideration with Amy, who is also a Trustee for the Mortal And Strong charity. This episode was filmed from a Norfolk hospice where Amy is currently in the final weeks of her...

This is a special episode - a recording of an interview with Dr Liz Murray on how Mortal And Strong came to be, and where it is heading and the vision of the team. A special one-off as we reach 50 of the 100 Voices in the 2024/25 Scars of Gold health awareness campaign. 7 months since the first podcast episode was released we are now half way through our first campaign. Mortal And Strong is a regi...

Welcome to our latest episode interviewing another beautiful and inspiring Voice - Jules Stone. Jules Stone is not only a Voice but also one of our artists. Here she shares her journey of being diagnosed with breast cancer not once, but twice. In her 40's Jules was diagnosed with primary breast cancer (triple negative, DCI) and after having treatment, not longer after reaching the 5 year all clear...

Another beautiful soul sharing her story with us - the adorable loving Siobhan. Siobhan shares with us her recent journey of being diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer just 3 years ago and how despite initially being a primary diagnosis, within months of finishing the treatment a recurrence to the lymph nodes quickly became metastases to her liver. Siobhan has spent the last 3 years going...

Introducing our next interview with Voice number 47 of 100 and the gentle, lovely soul Sophie. Sophie was just 22 years old when she was diagnosed with stage 4 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma a type of blood cancer. It took over 9 months to get a diagnosis and by this time Sophie had a 15cm tumour growing on the inside of her chest. After going through chemotherapy, radiotherapy Sophie then got married and...

Introducing the next Voice from the 100 Scars of Gold campaign; the wonderfully optimistic and bubbly soul that is Kathryn H. Kathryn's story is another incredible story of how someone has overcome facing their mortality at a young age and finding a way to live life to the fullest. Kathryn has only ever known what it is to live with a chronic condition, having started her journey as a patient at j...

Introducing the incredible health advocate for menstrual health and our latest Voice - Gabz. Gabz is one half of the pair who founded the charity Menstrual Health Project. In this episode Gabz talks with Dr Liz about her journey of chronic illness which began as a teenager as she began puberty around age 10. As like so many women with Endometriosis, Gabz was put straight onto oral contraceptive ta...

Honoured to have a very special guest as our latest Voice - Team GB Retired Paralympic Gold Medalist in rowing (Beijing Paralympics) 2008- Helene Raynsford. Helene has a truly rare perspective on navigating not only multiple very complex health conditions and living life as a wheelchair user at a young age, facing breast cancer, an ileostomy with a stoma...but how she used her mental training to w...

In this particular episode we are delighted and honoured to have not just one but two Voices sharing their story. All the way from Miami, Florida (USA), Bethany and Hannah are the forces behind the American charity Heartcharged, and are infamous for their advocacy work on all things cardiac. They are both sisters and were diagnosed as teenagers with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). Hannah was 14...

Another wonderful interview with not only Voice No. 41 but Emma R is also one of our artists for the upcoming exhibition. Emma is sharing her very moving story of how she went from being a carer two children with complex needs, to having a very major brainstem stroke at the age of 41. Whilst driving on a 70mph motorway Emma had a stroke and was initially dismissed as having a panic attack. After 6...

Honoured to have another incredible Voice sharing her story with us and this is a unique story raising the awareness of the dangers of environmental triggers causing life threatening disease. Sarah has an interstitial lung disease called Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis as a result of over a decade exposure to a small amount of mould in her house. After living for just over a decade in a housing assoc...

Another insightful voice with the wonderfully articulate and fierce Diabetes Type 1 advocate Faye. Faye was diagnosed as a baby at just 16 months old with Type 1 diabetes which is an incurable endocrine disorder whereby the body can not produce its own natural insulin. We talk about the lack of awareness in the public (and associated stigma) of the difference between Type 2 and Type 1 diabetes. Ty...

Another wonderful voice and the vivacious and bubbly soul that is Michelle C. Michelle shares her story of primary cancer and as with every one of our voices, her story offers very poignant insights into breast awareness. It was through the fantastic rare opportunity that a brilliant nurse took the opportunity during a routine smear to have a discussion about breast examination with Michelle. More...

Here we have another insightful and poignant episode with the wonderful human that is Laura W. Laura is a leading volunteer behind the Nipple Innovation Project (Nip) charity and has a very unique story to share. Laura first experienced a rare cancer as an infant, developing Sarcoma of the uterus. After growing up not expecting to have any cancer recurrence, she then went on to not only develop an...

Introducing our latest Voice to the campaign - the beautiful, energetic and full of humour Stephanie. Stephanie shares her story of being a nurse working as a senior sister in the NHS in her 20's who was just beginning her full life of being a mum to four boys, newly married when her world was turned upside down when she received two major diagnosis's in quick succession. In her 20's Stephanie was...

Here is another incredible Voice in the campaign - Sarah Doherty sharing her journey to being diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) at the age of 27 after having several episodes of optic neuritis. MS is an autoimmune condition that attacks the brain/spinal cord/nervous system causing demyelination - a neurological condition which manifests differently for each person and affects women more than...

Introducing Roisin - another unique Voice to the campaign sharing several poignant reflections and experiences on her journey to secondary breast cancer. Roisin was 34 weeks pregnant when diagnosed with primary breast cancer ager 32. Her journey shares a rare viewpoint of how the early days of having a new baby were conflicted by the immense fear of having a mastectomy with a 6 day old baby and ha...

Introducing Voice No. 33 - Lucy Thompson; the incredible strength that is the founder of the charity Nip (Nipple Innovation Project). In this episode Lucy is talking to us as a Voice - sharing her journey with some very rare conditions and discussing topics very rarely spoken about but that may resonate with so many people. Firstly Lucy shares her experience of being born with a congenital hip dis...

Voice No. 34 is the wonderfully articulate Alex who shares a very important perspective on how breast cancer helped her re-evaluate what she wanted from life. Every interview we share offers a different outlook on how facing one's mortality at a young age can propose different challenges or messages of hope. Alex's story is another invaluable bank of life lessons; how there is not enough emphasis...

Another brilliantly articulate and lovely Voice - the humble and inspiring soul that is Meera. Meera shares how she went from being a dentist to navigating her journey with Multiple Myeloma and shares the unique insight into navigating the journey of cancer whilst being a new mum. Meera began having chest and back pain whilst pregnant and her symptoms were so vague and initially dismissed as pregn...

*This episode was recorded 'on the road' as part of the campaign travelling the country to capture the 100 Voices and their stories. Introducing another Voice to the collection - Sarah B sharing her very complex journey with EDS, POTS, MCAS and Breast Cancer. It took Sarah over 15 years to finally get her diagnosis of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), which is known as a 'zebra disease'. The term zebr...

Another really important episode in the series, with the wonderfully articulate and witty Mandy. Mandy is one of Mortal And Strong's ambassadors and Voices, sharing her story of primary breast cancer in her 30's whilst a mum of two boys. Every one of our stories has a unique insight into health awareness, and Mandy's is no exception as she was diagnosed with mucinous carcinoma which is very rare a...

Our latest episode of Mortal And Strong - The Podcast is the lovely Pam who is our furthest-travelling Voice. Pam found MAS from Australia and was visiting her original hometown in the UK and travelled to share her story with us. Pam's journey to being diagnosed with secondary lobular breast cancer is a very unusual one and one in which is so important to raise awareness of. When Pam first noticed...

Introducing our latest Voice to the campaign, a wonderfully intelligent, witty and supportive woman who is passionate about supporting other women and using her art to resonate with others. Meryl is Voice no. 27 and is sharing her journey with a recent diagnosis of primary breast cancer, facing the self identity challenges after having a single mastectomy and the emotional thought processes behind...

Another extremely topical, important conversation addressing so many women's health issues that affect so many but still remain taboo. Kate B is our next Voice to share her story, and such a rollercoaster of a journey exploring so many aspects of what women go through; endometriosis, adenomyosis, secondary infertility, IVF, miscarriage. We are humbled to have Kate be raw and honest with us about t...