The CARTI Hopecast

In this final, special episode of The CARTI Hopecast , host Adam Head sits down with Yara Robertson, M.D., F.A.C.S., Medical Director of Surgery at CARTI and a fellowship-trained breast surgical oncologist whose life changed when she moved from the operating room to the patient chair. For years, Dr. Robertson dedicated her life to treating breast cancer; working long hours, prioritizing patients a...

In this episode of The CARTI Hopecast , host Adam Head sits down with Katherine Wolf—author, speaker and advocate—whose life changed in an instant when a massive brain stem stroke at age 26 reshaped everything she thought she knew about her future. At the time, Katherine was a young mother with a six-month-old son, newly married, and living a healthy, active life. What followed her sudden collapse...

In Part 2 of this conversation, Harrison Scott Key moves beyond the events that shaped his story and into the deeper question of how we respond when life breaks in ways we never expected. Picking up where Part 1 left off, Harrison reflects on what it truly means to “fight” for a marriage—not through control or force, but through humility, restraint, and the difficult choice to stay present when wa...

In Part 1 of this conversation on The CARTI Hopecast , Adam Head sits down with bestselling author, professor and writer, Harrison Scott Key, whose work explores some of life’s most painful realities through the unexpected lens of comedy. Harrison is the author of The World’s Largest Man , winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor, and How to Stay Married , a deeply personal memoir about betr...

In this episode of The CARTI Hopecast, host Adam Head sits down with Dr. Paul Abney — clinical psychologist, educator, and former professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences — whose life took an unexpected turn when he transitioned from teaching future physicians to becoming a patient himself. For decades, Paul trained medical students to understand that diagnosis is not merely clinical data,...

In this episode of The CARTI Hopecast , Adam Head sits down with Colleen Nick, mother, advocate, and founder of the Morgan Nick Foundation. Colleen’s daughter, Morgan, was six years old when she was taken from a Little League baseball field in Alma, Arkansas in 1995. What followed was a life forever altered, and a decades-long journey marked by unanswered questions, enduring hope, and relentless a...

In this episode of The CARTI Hopecast, host Adam Head sits down with Abigail Wells, a poet, athlete and advocate whose life changed dramatically at age 13 when she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. What began as a sore ankle during track season quickly became a life-altering diagnosis. After chemotherapy failed to stop the cancer, Abigail was faced with an unimaginable decision: continue treatment...

Every one of us faces moments that change us. Moments that test our strength and reshape our stories. On the CARTI Hopecast, we share these moments. Stories of resilience, courage, and perseverance. From those turning unimaginable grief into a mission of healing to survivors finding purpose after the storm. These are the stories that inspire and connect us all. Each conversation offers a glimpse i...

This special episode of The CARTI Hopecast serves as a poignant recap of the season, weaving together the profound lessons expressed by individuals who have confronted unimaginable challenges yet persevered with remarkable resilience. We delve into five significant narratives that illuminate the transformative power of hope and the strength found in adversity. Each story encapsulates a moment of p...

In this episode of The CARTI Hopecast, host Adam Head welcomes Steve Straessle, head of Catholic High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, and a respected columnist and community leader. Known for his unwavering presence and belief in the potential of others, Steve reflects on the role of mentorship, loyalty, and living a life of intentional service. From his unexpected start in education to decades o...

In this episode of The CARTI Hopecast, host Adam Head sits down with Jennifer A. O’Brien—author, caregiver, artist, and widow of a hospice and palliative care physician. When Jennifer’s husband, Dr. Bob Lehmberg, was diagnosed with stage IV kidney cancer, their shared life of service took a heartbreaking turn. What followed was a season of love, loss and radical presence. Jennifer chronicles that...

In this episode of The CARTI Hopecast, host Adam Head sits down with Jason and Sarah Palik, parents to three children—including their youngest daughter, Iris, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome before birth. What followed was a year marked by medical complexity, emotional upheaval and unexpected grace. From the moment they received Iris’s prenatal diagnosis, the Paliks faced challenge after chal...

In this episode of The CARTI Hopecast, host Adam Head talks with Jeremy Swearingen—husband, father, attorney, and cancer survivor. At the peak of his personal and professional life, Jeremy noticed what seemed like a minor irritation in his eye. That small symptom turned out to be a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. What followed was a journey marked by uncertainty, fear, resilience and perspect...

In this episode of The CARTI Hopecast , host Adam Head sits down with LaKisha Johnson—educator, author, speaker, and mother of five—to share her remarkable journey of love, loss, and living forward. After losing her husband Eric to complications from sickle cell disease and pulmonary hypertension, LaKisha faced the challenge of raising five sons while navigating grief, financial strain, and identi...

In this episode of The CARTI Hopecast , host Adam Head welcomes Thomas Cheney—athlete, contractor, father, and survivor—whose life changed forever after a devastating car accident in 2020. Just one day before his brother’s funeral, Thomas fell asleep at the wheel, resulting in a crash that would take one of his legs, shatter the other, and alter the course of his life. What followed was a journey...

In this moving episode of The CARTI Hopecast, host Adam Head welcomes Tonya Stripling, a mother of four who walked through a seven-year journey of caregiving, grief and growth after her husband Eric was diagnosed with glioblastoma. Tonya reflects on the shock of Eric’s diagnosis, the complexities of parenting through anticipatory grief and the emotional toll of watching a loved one change physical...

In this episode of The CARTI Hopecast , host Adam Head sits down with Jill and Brad Sullivan, founders of While We’re Waiting , a retreat ministry that provides support and community for grieving parents. After losing their 16-year-old daughter, Hannah, to glioblastoma, Jill and Brad found themselves navigating a grief so profound that it reshaped every aspect of their lives. Through deep reflecti...

In this episode of The CARTI Hopecast , host Adam Head sits down with Gaylen McGee—renowned auctioneer, storyteller, and cancer survivor. From making his first auction bid at just four years old to becoming one of the most sought-after auctioneers in Arkansas, Gaylen’s journey has been anything but ordinary. But in 2017, his life took an unexpected turn when he received a prostate cancer diagnosis...

In this episode of The CARTI Hopecast , host Adam Head sits down with Lindsey March—a mother, wife, and breast cancer survivor—who shares her deeply personal journey of resilience, healing, and redefining life after diagnosis. Diagnosed with breast cancer at 39, Lindsey opens up about the emotional toll of navigating treatment while raising three young boys, the impact of support and community, an...

In this episode of The CARTI Hopecast , host Adam Head sits down with Becky Russell—clinical educator, mentor, and a mother who has endured unimaginable loss. Becky shares her journey of grief after losing her daughter, Jae Lynn, in a tragic accident and later facing her own battle with stage IV lung cancer. Through profound personal reflection, she discusses how she found resilience, purpose and...

In this episode of The CARTI Hopecast , host Adam Head sits down with Jay Brenneman—clinical psychologist, leadership coach, and author of Take a Larger Way: Reflections of a Dementia Caregiver . Jay shares his deeply personal journey of caring for his wife, Janene, as she navigated dementia—a journey that tested his understanding of grief, vulnerability, and identity. Through raw and honest story...

In this episode of The CARTI Hopecast, host Adam Head sits down with Agalia Baker, MSN, FNP-BC-Ret—retired nurse practitioner, cancer survivor, and author of If Cancer is a Gift, Can I Return It? . Agalia shares her deeply personal journey of facing a cancer diagnosis that upended her life and reshaped her identity. From navigating the emotional chaos of treatment to challenging the language we us...

Every one of us faces moments that change us. Moments that test our strength and reshape our stories. On the CARTI Hopecast, we share these moments. Stories of resilience, courage, and perseverance. From those turning unimaginable grief into a mission of healing to survivors finding purpose after the storm. These are the stories that inspire and connect us all. Each conversation offers a glimpse i...