Never Ever Give Up Hope

When Ray Hartjen was diagnosed with multiple myeloma - cancer, it was the first thing he thought about when he woke up, and pretty much the last thing he thought about before he nodded off to sleep. It occupied his thoughts most of the day. "I've got cancer!"     After his diagnosis in 2019, Ray became a cancer fighter every day of the week that ends in a 'y'. Along with the soundtrack of life con...

Paralyzed from the neck down while playing college football in 1970, Ken Kunken was led to believe the best he could hope for was a career selling magazine subscriptions over the phone. But he battled back from the depths of depression and despair to become an award-winning assistant district attorney. Some men see things as they are and say, "Why?" Ken dreamed of things that never were and said,...

Dr. Fidele Sebahizi's powerful story of courage and perseverance will inspire you to create your own life from the ashes, no matter what giants are in front of you. Dr. Sebahizi   was born and raised in a poor village in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His life was rough. He experienced lots of terrible things, including escaping a genocidal killing at least twice. When he arrived in the United...

Dr. Fred Moss felt disillusioned with the conventional approaches to mental health, particularly the over-reliance on medication. This sense of hopelessness fueled his determination to find alternative ways to help people, and it ultimately led to the creation of his unique approach to mental health and well-being through creativity and self-expression. Today, Dr. Moss will share the importance of...

Martina Gruppo was horrified to realize how this had happened to her.  She felt numb at the deceit and the stolen time out of her life. Her goal was to change the image of a hysterical, spiky harridan her husband had painted her out to be, leaving her in a crying, crumpled heap. Martina's story may resonate with many of you who have been victims of narcissistic abuse.       Martina Gruppo's work e...

 "I wasn't adopted, but I remember hugging my mother at the age of four and never seeing her again for decades. When she held me in her arms once again I was thirty-nine years old."   For years, all Abigail Dominguez knew about her mother was her legal name, date of birth, and how she met her father.    Abigail's story of growing up without knowing where or who her mother has left a profound empti...

On August 26, 2020,    Christopher Cochran's son received a terminal diagnosis, and on September 1, 2021,  his son, Christian, died.  Christopher's interview will touch your heart but more importantly will motivate you to see life from a different perspective - full of hope - no matter what you may be going through. At the core of who Christopher is are the roles of a father, husband, and a friend...

There were times in Courtney Koh's life when she could have given up.  One time in particular was when her father left the country because her mother did not want to live with him anymore. Then her brother left so he would not have to deal with the situation - he was a meth addict and she has not heard from him since. Courtney is a Korean-American with a wide range of experiences, personally and p...

When the pediatrician placed the measuring tape around her infant's head and noted, "His head is a little small," Joanne De Simone knew that motherhood wouldn't be as she had dreamt.  After a devastating diagnosis, she was not prepared to raise a child with life-limiting brain malformation – and then her second child was diagnosed with autism. Joanne De Simone is a graduate of Hunter College with...

When Kim Rehir was in the hospital, paralyzed from the hips downwards, she felt like she had lost her power, dignity, and humanity . This totally shifted her perspective on what she valued in life.    Kim is a 60-year-old mother of three who was diagnosed with MS ten years ago and decided to ignore her doctor's advice and muscle her way back to a happy life. Last year she became European Champion...

For much of Janet Sherlund's young life, she felt helpless.   She thought it possible to discover who she really was or find a way to fill the big, black hole at her core. She believed finding her birth mother would heal the deep loss and grief, but with absolutely no information, and before the era of DNA testing, she was helpless to do so and thought her only choice was to live with the pain.  T...

On Aug. 23, 1987, 26-year-old Selonia Reed was found dead in the parking lot of a gas station in Hammond, Louisiana. Nearly forty years after her death, on Jan. 30, 2023, her husband Reginald Reed was sentenced to life in prison for her murder.   But that's far from the entire story.       In this interview, Reggie Reed shares his tragic and unbelievable story that promises to keep you on the edge...

At twenty-two, Jennifer Cramer-Miller was thrilled with her new job, charming boyfriend, and Seattle apartment. After she received a devastating autoimmune diagnosis, she soaked a hospital pillow with tears and grappled with words like "progressive" and "incurable." Unwillingly, she crossed over from thriving to kidney failure. Her chances of survival hinged upon the expertise of doctors, the gene...

Allan had hit rock bottom after eight years of trying and failing. He had never felt more miserable. But a phone conversation with my daughter got me thinking differently. Coach Allan is a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer, a Precision Nutrition Level II Master Health Coach, and a Functional Aging Institute (FAI) Certified Functional Aging Specialist. He has ear...

Several times throughout Carrie Pierce's life especially the last three years – there were moments of despair.  Without any warning, as she and her mother were moving to Idaho to start a new life, her mom went into kidney failure overnight. She was diagnosed with a highly advanced multiple myeloma.  You may be able to relate to the trauma and the strength it takes to push through, stay focused, an...

At two years old, Alan Lazarus lost his father in a car accident. Twenty-four years later Alan was in a near-fatal car accident and questioned his life choices as he reached an all-time low. Through his search, he found the answers he needed and how this turned into helping multitudes of people find meaning and purpose.  Alan saw a scary pattern in the world. He worked in Industrial Automation as...

The year  2018 marked a pivotal year in Steven Foster's life a m id despair and loss . He watched as his marriage dissolved, his thriving church slipped through his fingers, and a promising book deal crumbled before his eyes.   Steven was at rock bottom teetering on the edge of giving up entirely. Yet, in that dark hour a word pierced through the chaos, "You're right on schedule!"     He had walke...

After more than a decade on a merry-go-round, nine long-term treatment visits wondering if he would ever get it right, Bill Nielsen realized that we can misuse anything externally to fill a void internally. Drugs and alcohol are merely symptoms.   "No more Band-aids on bullet wounds."  This was a statement made by today's guest, Bill Nielsen. He will share his years of experience as a high-functio...

Julie McLaughlin was 18 and pregnant - labeled as a 'good Catholic girl' from a good family.  She sang in a group at church and was president of the Catholic Youth Organization. She was embarrassed, ashamed, and felt helpless. That was during an era when teenage pregnancy was not easily accepted. The lesson she learned from that experience has supported her throughout life.     Julie is a retired...

Cynthia Encinas-Concordia's abusive husband of 23 years died of a massive cardiac arrest just four months after his second restraining order .  The worst part was any contact was blocked by his family and she was blamed for his death. Cynthia lived in that dark bubble for six years. She stopped engaging with people because of fear of rejection, failure as a mom and wife, depression, and lacking va...

During Ann Bancroft's first cancer treatment, which consisted of two surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation, she reached the point of being too weak to lift a light wastebasket or to walk further than a few yards.  She was bald, her skin looked gray, smelled like chemicals and her mouth tasted like metal. It felt as if her life was draining away, and she could not imagine a time when she'd look an...

Yvette Walker left a failed marriage to a man with bipolar disorder but emerged to find joy greater than she had hoped for.  She is an author, speaker, journalist, and educator who knows how to experience joy in all circumstances.  Yvette's podcast,  Positively Joy,  has been an inspiration to many, especially those who relate to loss, a failed marriage, and disappointment.    Yvette's story is a...

Narcissists are masters at creating a perception of perfection to the outside world so no one believes the victims.  Dana Diaz was a victim who often felt hopeless during her childhood and as an adult.  It made Dana feel stuck. And she felt dead inside as well.   When she became physically ill as a result of the chronic stress of abuse, she felt a responsibility to create awareness about the effec...

Are you feeling panicked about your child's future? How will your child survive school with low literacy? Do you question: How will they survive school? Or life? Lois Letchford has stood in your shoes. Her young son,  Nicholas, failed first grade . The prognosis was dire. Replacing the despair, Lois took on his teaching to find her son was not 'slow' Nicholas went from 'failing' first grade to a P...

Being the target of an organized crime hit, narrowly escaping an abusive cult, and battling breast cancer has caused Kendra Petty to wonder, "How much can one person take?" More, life replied. Much more. Here is a story of survival unlike any you have heard: Kendra Petty began life by enduring years of childhood abuse, culminating in a stunning breakout from a cult led by her parents that nearly c...