Grief & Loss | And Then Suddenly

60: Elizabeth Howard Phillips & Kenneth Phillips on their bright light

April 22, 2020 by angelansantillo

After learning the fifth round of IVF didn’t work out, Elizabeth Howard Phillips realized she couldn’t keep putting her body through treatments. Less than two years later, Kenneth Phillips found himself nervously driving Elizabeth and their adopted baby away from the hospital. From their hotel room in Florida, we talk about their journey through infertility, the craziness that comes with adopting a baby during a pandemic, and their new bright light Eleanor. Additional Resources Connect with Elizabeth Howard Phillips Instagram […]

Categories: Family, Grief & Loss, Love, Medical Event, Most Listened To, Parenthood, Trauma, Women's Issues

58: Katherine Cooper on the slow burn of 2020

April 6, 2020 by angelansantillo

From her grandfather’s passing on January 2nd to a friend’s death in February to a global pandemic in March, the year 2020 has been a slow moving fire for Katherine Cooper. We talk about how she is navigating this collection of sudden moments during an unprecedented time and what it means to grieve “the right way.” Additional Resources Harvard Business Review: “That Discomfort You’re Feeling is Grief” Katherine Cooper on Instagram

Categories: Family, Grief & Loss, Medical Event

57: Jad Mahmoud Halabi on his Dad’s advice

March 30, 2020 by angelansantillo

On May 23, 2015, scientist Jad Mahmoud Halabi was at a mall when he learned his Dad passed away. As his constant support system, his Dad taught him to embrace failure, see the world, and take advantage of every opportunity. Something switched after his passing and Jad decided to live this advice. We talk about what this new outlook is teaching him about his Dad’s life, how it is increasing his curiosity, and how it impacts his work in science […]

Categories: Career, Family, Grief & Loss, Science, Travel

56: Paola Irun on turning points

March 24, 2020 by angelansantillo

When theater artist Paola Irun’s father became ill, she made the choice to end her visa, her time in New York City, and return home to Paraguay. His eventual passing changed everything and sent Paola on a journey to find that “something” that had always been missing. We talk about how grief led her into the worlds of boxing, yoga, and how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted her art and life in Paraguay. Additional Resources Paola Irun On […]

Categories: Family, Grief & Loss, Illness, Politics, The Arts

55: Carmel Fauci on meeting her second husband

March 4, 2020 by angelansantillo

Carmel Fauci was working in insurance when she met her second husband. He was a charismatic, brilliant underwriter and she learned he was a violent alcoholic right before the wedding. We talk about their relationship, her experience with men as a successful businesswoman, and what happened when she finally met her soulmate. Additional links Carmel on Facebook

Categories: Career, Family, Grief & Loss, Love, Women's Issues

52: Stacy Walsh on finding the good

January 22, 2020 by angelansantillo

In May 2017, Stacy Walsh (& then write podcast) was home sick on the couch when her Dad called to say her Mom felt like her legs weren’t working in the shower. Later that day her Mom was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor and things rapidly changed. We talk about how her Mom became a different person, the stress of dealing with stage 4 glioblastoma, and how Stacy has worked to see the good in a bad situation. […]

Categories: Family, Grief & Loss, Illness, Medical Event, Parenthood, Trauma, Writing

47: Anna Xwexx Morena on asylum and being a Ugandan transgender activist

November 20, 2019 by angelansantillo

This episode is part of a special series: And Then Suddenly; Rising Voice(s) About four years ago, Anna Xwexx Morena sought asylum in Denmark for her safety and the chance to freely express herself. But the experience was not what she expected and feeling unsafe and used as a transgender woman, she returned to Uganda. We talk about her mission to help other Ugandan transgender women with their mental health needs, her experience as a grassroots activist, and her vision for the […]

Categories: Activism, And Then Suddenly; Rising Voice(s), Grief & Loss, LGBTQIA, Mental Health, Politics

45: Amelia Kent on talking about the hard road

October 29, 2019 by angelansantillo

At twenty-three weeks, Amelia Kent had a miscarriage and she was faced with an experience and grief people don’t know how to talk about. Wanting to bring a common experience into the open, she shares how the event impacted her relationships, her farm, and why it’s important in today’s economy to be a farmer talking about personal issues. Additional resources Amelia Levin Kent Kent Farms on Facebook Louisiana Farm Life: Amelia Kent – Ivy League Farmer Discusses Mental Health

Categories: Career, Family, Grief & Loss, Love, Medical Event, Parenthood, Women's Issues

41: Ou Vanda & Rizal Balatbat on helping older people in Cambodia and the Philippines

October 1, 2019 by angelansantillo

This episode is part of a special series: And Then Suddenly; Rising Voice(s) READ THE TRANSCRIPT FOR EPISODE 41 In celebration of International Day of Older Persons, I talk with two guests who are using their retirement to help fellow senior citizens. After a career working in Cambodian hospitals, Ou Vanda was painfully aware of the health issues facing older people in her country. Upon his return to the Philippines, former educator Rizal Balatbat found himself learning about senior issues and […]

Categories: Activism, And Then Suddenly; Rising Voice(s), Career, Family, Grief & Loss, Illness, Medical Event, Podcasting, Politics

26: Paul Griffin on instant change

March 20, 2019 by angelansantillo

In 1993, Paul Griffin unexpectedly lost his father and instantly everything changed. While dealing with grief for the first time, he began to do the work that would later become his theater organization, The Possibility Project. We talk about fathers, love and loss, and what it takes to be wise. Additional Resources The Possibility Project Website Instagram Facebook

Categories: Family, Grief & Loss, Medical Event, The Arts

23: Wendy Ann Gentry on the long awaited package

February 19, 2019 by angelansantillo

Wendy Ann Gentry was waiting on the front porch when a FedEx package arrived. Feeling like she was having an out of body experience, she opened the box to find letters and pictures from the birth parents she never met. We talk about adoption, the unethical practices of her adoption home in the 1960s, and how things change when you discover where you come from.

Categories: Family, Grief & Loss, Parenthood

19: Susan Fritz on life ten years later

January 21, 2019 by angelansantillo

On her 30th birthday, Susan Fritz said something to her husband that changed everything. A week later, Dan passed away from cancer and her life as a nomad began to take shape. Ten years has passed and she has been all over the world. We talk about the useless cliches around illness, how time offers new perspective, and why she is so excited to turn 40. Additional Resources The Telegraph: “Happy Birthday song and its strange past”

Categories: Career, Family, Grief & Loss, Illness, Love, Medical Event, Most Listened To, Trauma, Travel

05: Brian on drawdown and life after the Marines

October 2, 2018 by angelansantillo

During President Obama’s second term, the military was scaled back. Brian talks about being impacted by the drawdown and what life is like after serving twelve and a half years in the Marines. Additional resources Center for Strategic & International Studies, “What Has the Budget Control Act of 2011 Meant for Defense?” The Washington Post, “Obama announces new, leaner military approach” The New York Times, “Is It Wise to Cut Military Spending?” PBS News Hour, “Fact-checking GOP candidate claims on […]

Categories: Career, Grief & Loss, Military Veteran, Politics, Veteran Issues

02: Sarah Bracey White on her mother, segregation, and freedom

September 18, 2018 by angelansantillo

When Sarah Bracey White (author of Primary Lessons) was seventeen her mother died. She talks about growing up in the Jim Crow South, the impact segregation had on her family in South Carolina, and the independence she gained from unexpected loss.

Categories: Career, Family, Grief & Loss, Most Listened To, Parenthood, Race, Women's Issues • Tags: Episode

And Then Suddenly

The show about the sudden moments that turn our lives upside down

Category Archives: Grief & Loss