Amanda Blackwood

Survivors - Stories of Hope Live On.

Weekly conversations with authors of trauma survival and true crimes not in the headlines - There are thousands of people who have survived traumatic experiences and have written about them. It’s time to put a spotlight on all those incredible people. Stay tuned for some of the most amazing people you’ve never heard of, and maybe a few you have!*The thoughts and opinions of guests are not the thoughts and opinions of the host. Support the podcast a variety of ways! https://pensight.com/x/detailedpieces

Author

Amanda Blackwood

Category

True Crime

Podcast website

www.growthfromdarkness.com

Latest episode

Feb 25, 2025

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Episodes

S5 E26 Daryl Dittmer's Journey From Addiction to Awakening—A Story of Resilience and Transformation 25.02.2025

In this episode of Survivors: Stories of Hope Live On , I dive into the powerful journey of transformation with our guest Daryl Dittmer who has risen from the depths of addiction and dysfunction to embrace a life he never thought possible. From a turbulent past marked by alcohol and drug abuse to a 30-day inpatient treatment at 19, he shares how self-inflicted trauma reshaped his existence. Discov...

Daryl's Journey: From Addiction to Awakening— airs TOMORROW! 24.02.2025

From a turbulent past marked by alcohol and drug abuse to a 30-day inpatient treatment at 19, he shares how self-inflicted trauma reshaped his existence. Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode!

S5 E25 Dr. Kelly Bohnhoff beat the odds and helps others. 18.02.2025

From early childhood, Kelly experienced a deep devotion to vulnerable children, teens, adults, and families and spent 35 years serving as an RN and Trauma therapist in the community. But she had to fight for her life to get there. Get this author’s book: All S5 books https://www.amazon.com/shop/detailedpieces/list/IVJ5YU6UP2ZS?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsfdetailedpieces_XM98DDTECZN8434J9GCS F...

Coming up TOMORROW 17.02.2025

"I wanted to keep my mother health, my father happy, and my siblings safe." - Dr. Kelly Bohnhoff That's a LOT of responsibility for a 10-year-old.

S5 E24 Martin Bodek wrote his grandfather's journey across 5 armies in an impossible war. 11.02.2025

He's mostly known for writing Haggadah parodies, but his most recent book chronicles his Grandfather's WWII memoirs as a survivor of four armies, being present for the largest land invasion in human history, and the final battle of WWII in the European front. He avoided cannibalism, poisoning, and a 1600 mile walk home, all to have a career as a chef. You don't want to miss this one. ...

Coming up TOMORROW! 10.02.2025

The story he has to share is incredible - and almost unbelievable - but every word is true.

S5 Ep23 Morgan McCarver's entire spine was fused when she was fourteen and could no longer dance. 04.02.2025

SUBSCRIBE FOR THE VIDEO PODCAST! When Morgan McCarver was young, her mother began to notice a distinct curvature of her spine. By the time she was a teen, her love of dance was no longer something she'd be able to participate in. She needed to find a new creative outlet. Her story of withstanding pain and persevering with passion will inspire even the most hopeless of souls. Get this author’s...

S5 Ep22 Rev. Dr. David Chotka's life changed when he connected with his bully. 28.01.2025

He was bullied relentlessly while in college for his beliefs, but Rev. Dr. David Chotka didn't let that deter him from his path. But he almost let it stop him from making the biggest difference in the life of the man who bullied him. SUBSCRIBE FOR THE VIDEO PODCAST! Get this author’s book: https://www.amazon.com/shop/detailedpieces/list/IVJ5YU6UP2ZS?ref_=aip_sf_cur_spv_ofs_d Connect with this...

S5 Ep21 Imagine a literal blow to the head is what it takes to start healing. Laura Renner lived it. 21.01.2025

Laura Renner is a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) charge nurse who suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2021, which only added to her list of major health scares over the previous four years. This prompted her to dig deeper into her past and led to the realization that she had complex trauma and needed help. She’s now turned it into a hilarious story of hope and survival for others.  SUBSCRIBE...

S5 E20 Her parents were slave labor in WWII. Why aren't we talking about that more? 14.01.2025

Oksana's parents were both 'conscripted' into being slave labor for the Nazis. They weren't in a concentration camp, so we've never heard of them. But there were more people forced into slave labor during the war than were killed in camps. This is a side of the war rarely (if ever) discussed. It's time that changed. Get this author’s book: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/shop/detai...

S5 E19 Reverend Cheryl Kincaid talks about the connection between Charles Dickens and Christianity! 07.01.2025

Dispel the ideas that you might have of Charles Dickens from that "one" movie and learn from someone who spent a literal LIFETIME researching his life and connections to politics and the church. Reverend Kincaid truly fell in love with Dickens when quite young, but a much more personal connection was made later on when she realized who Tiny Tim really was: HERSELF. Get this author’s book...

Victoria = Victorious. 02.01.2025

Don't miss the full episode, available now!

S5 BONUS! Victoria Volk, Grief Master. 01.01.2025

Victoria = Victorious. She's a the owner of The Unleashed Heart, LLC, is an Advanced Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, Self-Published Author, Reiki Master, Certified YouMap® Coach, Certified Biofield Tuning Practitioner, and End-of-Life Doula. BUT she also is a major trauma survivor with a roller coaster of a life to share. Get this author’s book: https://www.amazon.com/shop/detailedpieces/...

S5 E18 Maggie Daniels lost her mom on her 26th birthday and unleashed her grief on paper. 31.12.2024

When Maggie lost her mother it was after a long bout of mental health issues that left Maggie with some C-PTSD, but a longing heart to see her mom again. It's obvious that Maggie truly adored her mother, and miraculously was able to differentiate between her mother's love and her mother's mental illness. Now a film maker, poet, author, and more, Maggie is on a mission to spread the mes...

Night Before Christmas - TWO VERSIONS 24.12.2024

I'm doing something a bit different for Christmas Eve this year. Last year I read the traditional "Night Before Christmas" poem written by Clement Clarke Moore on December 23rd of 1823. The original poem remained anonymous until 1837 when it appeared in the New York Book of Poetry credited to Clement Clarke Moore - a wealthy Manhattan biblical scholar who lived from July 1779 to July...

S5 E16 Rev. Cheryl Kincaid had to fight her past so others could have a better future. 17.12.2024

Come be inspired, LISTEN TODAY!  ⁠ ⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/7cyzuDPEQe5OwZIsWfQbUI⁠ Get this author’s book: Karrie’s Thorn ⁠https://a.co/d/adxkOPz⁠ A Forgotten Door Called Home ⁠https://a.co/d/adxkOPz⁠ Hearing the Gospel Through Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol” ⁠https://a.co/d/adxkOPz⁠ The Little Clay Pot ⁠https://a.co/d/adxkOPz⁠ Find this guest online:  ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel...

S5 Ep15 How many times did Laurie Reddington have to die before she gave up the life she lived? 10.12.2024

She’s had more near-death experiences than almost anyone I’ve ever talked to, but she also has a heart for sharing, the history of Sedona, and a Masters in Mental Health Counseling. Laurie Reddington is a force of nature, and she’s  here to share her story.  Find this guest online:  www.intuitivementalhealthcounselor.com www.sedonasacredpaths.com www.facebook.com/laurie.reddington www.linkedin.com...

S5 E14 She's a Mama on a Mission - to heal herself and other. 03.12.2024

Emily Cleghorn has a fire burning in her soul to make the world a better place and it’s not hard to see why. If someone had told her that she would use the trauma that she was enduring in her childhood to inspire and lift others up, she would have laughed you off. Now she's a POWERHOUSE! Get this author’s book: ⁠https://a.co/d/5qm6f6j⁠ Find this guest online:  ⁠home.mendedmamalife.ca⁠ TRIGGER...

S5 Bonus: A man with a gun, a desire, and desperation. How did Tash Doherty survive? 01.12.2024

Tash came face to face with a desperate and armed man one night in a park and was determined to do more than survive. She absolutely planned to negotiate her way out of being raped, too. How did she do it? Listen to her tell the story. Get this author’s book: S5 books https://www.amazon.com/shop/detailedpieces/list/IVJ5YU6UP2ZS?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsfdetailedpieces_XM98DDTECZN8434J9GCS...

S5 E13 June K Collins lost her child when he was two. Now she helps countless others with loss. 26.11.2024

Her son was just a little over two years old when he passed peacefully in his sleep, but that didn't stop the tragic events from tearing apart June K. Collin's life and marriage. The loss of her only son threw her into a crisis of faith, a deep depression, and anger. How would anyone recover from something like that?  This interview will impact your life in ways unimaginable. Come be inspi...

S4 E12 Stacy was the town gossip, a struggling wife, and worried mother. Now she helps others. 19.11.2024

When Stacy Kaye got pregnant, she became the subject of hateful gossip and rumors. Things seemed like they would get better when she married, but things between them turned sour. When she was told her daughter might have a brain tumor, everything crumbled. Now she's found strength in her faith and has become inspiration to so many others! Get this author’s book: https://a.co/d/hLISzFQ Find thi...

Jack Daly was nearly blinded while in the military! 12.11.2024

Check out the full length episode. It just landed yesterday!

S5 Veteran's Day Special - Jack Daly talks about laughing and lasers. 11.11.2024

He spent 20 years as a US Navy Officer, and during that time he went through something that, according to the US Military, "never happened." Hear Jack tell the story like only he can. Get this author’s book: ⁠https://laughoutloudbook.com⁠ All Season 5 books https://www.amazon.com/shop/detailedpieces/list/IVJ5YU6UP2ZS?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsfdetailedpieces_XM98DDTECZN8434J9GCS F...

S5 E10 Alice Readman lost an entire future one fateful night. Her story will shock you. 05.11.2024

Alice was laying in bed one night, dreaming of the life set before her when her entire world changed. All it took were the words of someone else. Things slid downhill drastically from there, but Alice knew there was a happy ending in store eventually. She'd have to fight for her life to get there. Get this author’s book: https://a.co/d/8o56yWG Find this guest online:  https://a.co/d/8o56yWG ht...

S5 Bonus! Yahne Sneed fought back against a world fighting her. 01.11.2024

Yahne has encountered numerous trials in her life, each offering valuable lessons for her growth in wisdom and maturity. Her journey has been filled with challenges, but she has continually fought against the odds, emerging as a testament to resilience and strength. Now she dedicates her life to helping others find that same strength within themselves. Get this author’s book: https://www.amazon.co...

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