The Survival Project

At 23 years old, Jack Brennan was forced to relearn how to walk. After a childhood diagnosis of Perthes disease, Jack spent years living with chronic pain, navigating a system that told him he was “too young” for the surgery he desperately needed. While his condition worsened, he was left trying to hold his life together physically, mentally, and emotionally. In this conversation, Jack opens up ab...

In Episode 28 of The Survival Project , Jonathan sits down with Karin O'Shea for a deeply moving conversation about living with chronic Lyme disease , years of misdiagnosis , neurological symptoms , medical gaslighting, and the fight to access life-saving treatment abroad after being failed by the healthcare system in Ireland. Karin shares how her symptoms began in childhood, how she was initi...

In this episode of The Survival Project , I’m joined by Diego for one of the most powerful and honest conversations we’ve had on the podcast. Diego shares his journey from competing at a high level in college and chasing Olympic dreams, to facing relentless injuries, severe gut issues, and a period where everything began to fall apart. From bleeding before races to living out of an attic with no i...

In this episode of The Survival Project , I am joined by Tanika for an honest conversation about Crohn’s disease, pregnancy, stress, trauma, flares, and motherhood . Tanika shares how she went from having no major stomach issues to repeated hospital visits, months of uncertainty, and eventually receiving a Crohn’s diagnosis while pregnant . She opens up about the emotional toll of living with chro...

In this episode of The Survival Project , I am joined by Tom Coleman , health scientist and sleep specialist, for a deep conversation on sleep, stress, circadian rhythm, recovery, and modern life . Tom shares why so many people are struggling with sleep, the biggest misconceptions around insomnia, why light sleep is just as important as deep sleep , and how stress, screens, caffeine, supplements,...

In this episode of The Survival Project , I am joined by Joe Forde for a deep conversation on breath-work, hypnotherapy, anxiety, trauma, and nervous system regulation . Joe shares how breath-work can help us move out of fight-or-flight, why so many people feel wired but tired, and how small daily resets can support better sleep, less stress, and greater emotional balance. The conversation explore...

In this episode of The Survival Project , Jonathan Healy speaks with Sam Yiollaris, founder of Footprints to Africa, a UK charity redistributing surplus stoma supplies to under-resourced hospitals across Africa. After her colorectal cancer diagnosis and a year living with a stoma, Sam discovered a devastating reality: while life-saving stoma surgery exists in many African countries, access to basi...

He’s joined by Liv from Salts Healthcare and Josh, a Salts advocate and Ostique Connect user, to talk about something many people with IBD and stomas experience but don’t always say out loud: isolation. They dive into Ostique Connect, a free peer-support app designed to help people connect with others who truly understand their stage of the journey, plus the community features like one-to-one chat...

Fear is part of chronic illness. Even when it’s not spoken about, it’s there. In Episode 21 of The Survival Project , I reflect on the previous ten episodes and explore the role fear has played in my own life, my diagnosis, and the stories shared by my guests. From fear of relationships, parenthood, failure, and relapse, to self-sabotage, stress, and the nervous system, this episode looks at how f...

In this episode of The Survival Project , I’m joined by mindset and nervous-system specialist Moira Geary , known for her work helping people “recombobulate” when life feels overwhelming, chaotic, or stuck. We explore why self-sabotage shows up even when we consciously want to be well, how the subconscious mind protects us through fear and familiar patterns, and why chronic illness can trap us in...

In Episode 19 of The Survival Project , I’m joined by hypnotherapist Nemara Wilde (Wilde Transformation), someone who genuinely helped change my life. Years ago, she helped me finally get off cigarettes after failing miserably for a long time, and in this conversation we unpack why habits like smoking are rarely about the habit itself. We talk hypnotherapy in a way that actually makes sense, how t...

In this episode of The Survival Project , i am joined by Dr Orlaith Kelly , Consultant Gastroenterologist and passionate IBD advocate, for a deeply honest and wide-ranging conversation about inflammatory bowel disease from both sides of the desk. We explore the realities of living with IBD in Ireland , including the financial burden patients face, why Crohn’s and Colitis are still not recognised u...

In Episode 17, I sit down with Owen Lancelot , an ultra runner and ostomate whose story goes way beyond ulcerative colitis. Diagnosed at 16 , Owen shares what happens to your mind when your body starts betraying you: the anger, the loss of fear, the reckless coping, and the brutal cycle of meds, steroids, and hospital stays. He also opens up about the lesser-known “domino effects” of treatment and...

In this episode of The Survival Project , I sit down with Colm Collins , an IBD researcher with over 15 years of experience at the cutting edge of inflammatory bowel disease science. Colm unpacks some of the most misunderstood and debated topics in IBD today, including: Why cannabis may feel helpful short-term but can significantly worsen Crohn’s disease long-term The real science behind the gut–b...

Food used to be simple. Somewhere along the way, it stopped being. In this episode, Jonathan sits down with Kenneth Keavey , founder of Green Earth Organics, to uncover the hidden realities of modern food production and why an everyday orange might not be vegan. From chemical residues and food coatings to fake farm branding and soil destruction, this conversation reveals how disconnected we’ve bec...

Gut symptoms are never “just in your head” but your brain is absolutely involved. In this episode of The Survival Project , I’m joined by Lorraine Cooney , dietetics, gut-brain axis , the microbiome, and why stress, food fear, and nervous system dysregulation can intensify IBS and ongoing gut symptoms in IBD. Lorraine breaks down gut-directed hypnotherapy (what it is, what it targets, and why it’s...

In this episode of The Survival Project , I’m joined by Daniel Duckett . Daniel lives with an ostomy, is an award-winning pastry chef based in Belfast, and is an openly gay man who has rebuilt a full, confident, and creative life after years of chronic illness and complex surgery. Daniel’s journey begins in his teens with ulcerative colitis, evolving diagnoses, repeated hospitalisations, failed tr...

In this episode, I’m joined by TV and radio presenter Zoe Ryan, who shares her powerful journey of living with psoriasis. We explore the shock of diagnosis, identity struggles, the mental health impact of visible illness, and the gaps in dermatology that leave so many people feeling lost. Zoe explains how psoriasis reshaped her life, the stigma she faced, and why she created ItchingTo Tell You , (...

In episode 11 of The Survival Project, I slow things down and reflect on the first ten episodes and the lessons they have taught me. This is a solo episode, no guest, just me looking back at the stories we have shared and what they really mean when the microphones are off and real life kicks back in. I talk about why reflection matters, how insecurity nearly stopped me recording this episode, and...

In this episode of The Survival Project, Siobhán from Galway shares a powerful and deeply honest story of surviving a failed system. She has lived with stage 4 endometriosis for 16 years, survived a perforated womb, was misdiagnosed while developing myocarditis, and spent over a year bedbound while raising her young son alone. We talk about • Endometriosis, major surgery and a complete lack of aft...

At just 16, Ellie Howe’s life changed overnight. What began as stomach pain spiralled into years of misdiagnosis, disbelief, and unimaginable suffering — dismissed by doctors, labelled dramatic, and told to “man up.” By 19, she was bed bound, on artificial nutrition, and told her illness was “life-limiting.” But Ellie refused to let that be the end. With her mother’s relentless advocacy and a glim...

In this episode of The Survival Project, I sit down with fellow Galway native Ruth Gibney. Ruth shares her powerful journey through a whirlwind year, being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and then cancer at just 25, all in the middle of the 2020 lockdowns. Ruth opens up about: Ignoring early warning signs and learning to listen to her body Facing surgery, recovery, and a life-changing cancer diagno...

In this episode of The Survival Project, we sit down with Ronan O’Brien — founder of Breathwave Ireland — to talk about breathwork as more than a trend. This is about pain, anger, identity, stress, nervous system regulation, and the ability to actually come back to yourself. Ronan shares how chronic pain and the loss of his identity as an athlete pushed him into breathwork back in 2015/2016 — not...

In this powerful episode of The Survival Project , Jonathan speaks with his first international guest — Canadian athlete and Crohn’s warrior Alex MacInnis . Diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 12, Alex spent years in and out of hospitals, battling severe illness and multiple failed medications before finally undergoing ostomy surgery — a decision that gave him his life back. Now, Alex lives fully, a...

At just 25, Louise Duffy was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a life-changing moment that forced her to confront fear, uncertainty, and resilience head-on. In this episode of The Survival Project , Louise opens up about the early warning signs and the reality of living with a hidden illness that few truly understand. From navigating dismissive doctors to finding the right treatment, she shares h...