The Light of Life

Another 20+ year reunion! Kimmie was one of Naomi's caregivers at an after school day care back in the 2000s! Kimmie shares a powerful story. Kimmie, who is now 40, was only 21 years old when she rode in the ambulance with Naomi in 2008 after Naomi, age 5 at the time, experienced a massive stroke. Kimmie shares how a medical crisis experience of being the caregiver inspired her to work with childr...

Nathan needed a liver transplant - and quickly! His liver was beginning to fail. Nathan shares how stressful a medical emergency is when you have little time to process and prepare for a big operation. Nathan describes the hard truth of recovering from surgery - it is difficult. Nathan's Instagram: @2ndchancesfilm

Claire and Naomi go back TWENTY PLUS YEARS! Growing up together on the same block. Claire shares a very important and personal story. Claire developed anorexia at only twelve years old. She was very conscious about body image and restricting food. At fifteen, Claire began drinking alcohol as another coping mechanism. She wanted to "fit in" and shares that's how a lot of teenagers perceive being so...

Jeff has been working in healthcare for 20+ years. Jeff was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory response syndrome after exposure from mold. Jeff also discusses being diagnosed with CVID and needing injection infusions with plasma. Jeff and Naomi talk about how you can perceive your illness as negative but make something positive out of it. Much like what Naomi did with this podcast! Jeff's Podcast...

Pam shares what it is like to live with Dyscalculia, a learning disability similar to Dyslexia but with numbers and math. Pam shares since she grew up in a different time period, there was no testing available when she was a kid. Because of this, she didn't truly discover she had dyscalculia until after she got married and went to college. Pam shares important advice to take advantage of today's t...

WARNING: ***This episode contains details of sexual assault.** Dylan shares her story of going through depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Depression and anxiety got very bad while she was in college and it wasn't until she sought help where she realized that she had PTSD dating all the way back to when she was only fourteen and a minor. Dylan shares how devastating it is that sexual violence is so com...

Kerre was diagnosed with Wilson's Disease in her 40s. Wilson's Disease is where the liver cannot disintegrate copper and copper builds up in the liver, making it potentially fatal. Kerre received her liver transplant just 6 months after being diagnosed with Wilson's Disease.

Melissa has a daughter who was diagnosed with Epilepsy just one month after her first birthday. Epilepsy is a brain disorder where the electrical circuits in the brain are cut short, causing regular seizures. Melissa shares the emotional challenges that come with being a parent of a very young child with Epilepsy. Melissa also shares she is beginning to work on forming a charity in her homeland of...

Caden Nelms developed Spinal Muscular Atrophy when he was very young. He has endured 20+ operations in his life and describes how his disability has impacted him. Caden shares powerful advice on learning how to accept your disability. You can find Caden on Instagram! @obviously_its_caden

Amy is a physician assistant who has experienced Premenstrual Syndrome - an extremely common condition for women and menstrual cycles. Amy helps more women who have experienced PMS to better manage symptoms.

Hannah shares her story being diagnosed with Addison's Disease. Hannah discusses how songwriting has helped her cope. She also shares the challenges that come with fighting a diagnosis.

Natasha is a nurse that specializes in mental health disorders. Natasha courageously shares her experience struggling with depression. She also shares how difficult it can be to stay strong while helping many mentally ill people at once.

Irene was in a car crash that left her with debilitating chronic pain. After being dismissed by numerous doctors, she finally found an answer. Irene's advice is to not give up even when people tell you, "There is nothing more we can do." Irene has heard it and Naomi has heard it.

Kat is a songwriter and music teacher who has written songs about mental health. Kat shares her experience being diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder from a young age. She emphasizes how music has greatly impacted her acceptance of her OCD. Follow Kat on Instagram to keep up with her music releases! Kat's Instagram: @katbutton_songwriter

Makena Metz is a poet who is also an advocate for disabilities. Makena shares her experience being diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in her femur during the pandemic. Because the cancer was in her leg, she needed to use a wheelchair. Makena is passionate with poetry and art and has used that as coping mechanisms to help her get through difficult times.

Rebecca Thompson's #1 mission has been to help people. She discusses her career as a physician in medicine as well as her experience being a patient as she suffered three miscarriages. Naomi talks about having empathy for doctors as well, adding how stressful all of her medical crises must have been at a young age. Rebecca's website: www.rebeccanthompson.com

Suzette Simon is a comedian who also survived breast cancer. Suzette shares how her mother also went through breast cancer and that she was determined to survive. Suzette gives advice on how sometimes, a second opinion isn't enough and that there will be times you need to get a third, fourth, and fifth opinion until you find a hospital that will listen and properly diagnose you. Suzette explains t...

Boots Knighton was 42 years old when she was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect!!! Boots shares her journey being diagnosed in the summer of 2020, the height of the pandemic. It was very difficult time because her mother also was just diagnosed with cancer. Boots was diagnosed with 3 different defects and has just undergone her second open heart surgery. She shares how she persevered and tri...

Sari Lopez's son Jordan was born with a congenital heart defect. After his second open heart surgery at three months old, Jordan suffered an irreversible brain injury after the breathing tube was not inserted in his left lung correctly. This caused obstruction of breathing for the entire ten hour surgery. Jordan was dead for over an hour as doctors tried to resuscitate him. Due to his brain injury...

Dale is returning to the podcast! You may remember Dale from "Understanding Schizophrenia with Dale". This week, Dale shares quite an update as how he has been diagnosed with 9 different personalities. Dale believes he was misdiagnosed with Schizophrenia the whole time. Check out Dale's podcast, Dew and Drew Conspiracy on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@DEWAnDrewConspiracy

Eric suffered a catastrophic injury playing football in high school. He describes the whole event was very traumatizing and gives advice on how to reach out for help, especially with PTSD.

Rand shares his story walking through the Appalachian Mountains with his brother after both suffered serious traumatic events. Rand's brother lost his wife and Rand was recovering from alcoholism. Rand's website: randtimmerman.com

Hipolito shares his journey to a healthier life after reaching 20 stone in weight. In pounds, that is 280!! He realized he had to address his trauma to heal himself and become healthy again. Hipolito's message to everyone is "Never give up".

DISCLAIMER: Please consult your doctor first if you have questions about coming off prescription medications. This week's episode Kevin discusses how your lifestyle impacts your health. How often do you exercise? What is your diet like? Are you taking care of your mental health?

Bruce is a medical doctor who was part of the breakthrough of proving fibromyalgia is a real disease. Bruce emphasizes how much doctors rely on federal funding for scientific research and technology advancements. Since medicaid has been cut from federal funding, it's a very scary time. Not only have millions just lost healthcare coverage, multiple hospitals will get shut down because of the amount...