SatNaving Life

At just 41 years old, Finbarr Daly was fit, active and doing everything he thought was right for his health. Then one evening, while out for a run, he suddenly collapsed. He had suffered a heart attack. In this episode of SatNaving Life, Finbarr speaks to Carol McGirl about his experience of heart disease, from his first heart attack and multiple stents to a second heart attack and, years later, a...

He lost his home. He lost contact with his children. He almost lost his life. For years, alcohol took everything from Francis Shiels. What started as a way of coping with childhood trauma slowly became an addiction that cost him his relationships, his family, and his sense of who he was. In this moving episode of SatNaving Life, Francis speaks to Carol McGirl about growing up in a home affected by...

A heart attack can happen when we least expect it. Knowing the signs and knowing what to do could make all the difference. In this educational episode of SatNaving Life, Carol McGirl takes us through the cardiovascular system and explains in simple terms what happens during a heart attack. She also explains what to do if someone becomes unresponsive and stops breathing, including when to start CPR...

At just 25 years old, Chris Redhead entered treatment for addiction. It was the start of a journey that would change his life. In part two of his story, Chris speaks to Carol McGirl about recovery, facing the feelings he had spent years trying to hide, and understanding the pain behind his addiction. He shares how he rebuilt his relationship with his family, learned to accept help, and started to...

At just 18 years old, Chris Redhead lost his father. In the grief that followed, alcohol became a way to numb the pain. But what started as a way of coping soon began to take over his life. In part one of this powerful SatNaving Life conversation, Chris speaks to Carol McGirl about losing his father, his struggle with addiction, homelessness, and some of the darkest moments of his life. Chris shar...

It was a beautiful summer's day and Dzintra McConnon was enjoying an ordinary swim with a friend when something in the distance caught her attention. A teenage boy was disappearing beneath the water. Within minutes, a regular day at the lake had become a race against time. In this powerful episode of SatNaving Life, Dzintra speaks to Carol McGirl about trusting her instincts, raising the alarm, an...

The messages stopped, and the calls went unanswered. Then came the phone call that changed Julieanne Lynch’s life forever. In part two of this powerful SatNaving Life conversation, Julieanne speaks to Carol McGirl about the devastating days following her daughter Kelly’s disappearance, the moment she learned Kelly had died, and the heartbreaking journey that followed. Julieanne shares the unimagin...

One ordinary goodbye at the front door, then a phone call no parent should ever receive. What followed left Julieanne Lynch searching for answers, fighting for justice, and living with a loss no family should have to face. In this emotional episode of SatNaving Life, Julieanne speaks to Carol McGirl about her daughter Kelly, a much-loved daughter, sister, granddaughter and friend, and the devastat...

He was only three years old. Drinking litres of water. Losing weight. Clinging to his mum. Everyone knew something wasn’t right and what Ruth noticed early may have saved her son’s life. In this episode of SatNaving Life, Carol McGirl speaks with Ruth and her son, Fiachra, about his diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes at just three and a half years old and the challenges, fears, and resilience that follo...

Just a normal bank holiday Monday. Then one question changed everything: “Where’s Therese?” What followed was a race against time, a fight for life, and moments no family could ever prepare for. In this deeply emotional episode of SatNaving Life, Melinda Hickey speaks to Carol McGirl about the day her 18-month-old daughter was pulled lifeless from a garden pond - and the extraordinary chain of eve...

He told his dad he’d walk home. 45 minutes later… his life was gone. What happened that night changed Barry Aughey’s life forever. In this deeply powerful episode of SatNaving Life, Barry talks to Carol McGirl about the moment no parent should ever face - losing his 16-year-old son, Luke. This episode blends real-life experience with practical tools to help you recognise when someone is struggling...

Welcome to SatNaving Life - the podcast that helps you navigate whatever road life puts you on. Some days feel bright and easy. Others feel stressed, overwhelmed, or just plain heavy. No matter where you are, we all move through different “roads” in life, and each one teaches us something. In this podcast, Carol McGirl, a qualified nurse and health and safety trainer, speaks to people who’ve faced...