Parenthood | And Then Suddenly

72: Kate White on seriously listening to her body

March 15, 2022 by angelansantillo

In 2016, Kate White was having a lot of pain but at the time she didn’t think it was a lot. What happened a few months later made her realize she needed to take her pain seriously and that’s when everything shifted. In the presence of her purring cat Penny, we talk about women’s health, women’s bodies, and how a series of diagnoses finally allowed Kate to understand herself. Connect with Kate on Instagram

Categories: Illness, Medical Event, Mental Health, Parenthood, Trauma, Women's Issues

68: Lorna Rose on her unexpected pregnancy

January 19, 2022 by angelansantillo

After genetic testing early in her second pregnancy, Lorna Rose learned her baby screened positive for a serious genetic disorder. When told she didn’t have to carry the baby, Lorna’s reaction to that statement changed her outlook and beliefs. We talk about guilt, high risk pregnancy, and the complexities of motherhood. Lorna Rose is a Pacific Northwest writer and speaker. Her narrative nonfiction and poetry have been recognized by Pacific Northwest Writers Association and the Oregon Poetry Association, and have appeared […]

Categories: Family, Love, Medical Event, Parenthood, Women's Issues, Writing

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

53: Jack Ridl on the most important word in the world

February 4, 2020 by angelansantillo

Jack Ridl was walking with his 7-year-old daughter when she said “with” was the most important word because people always have to be with something, someone, or themselves. When she added that it meant everyone has to makes sure they have a good “with,” Jack’s perception of the world changed. We talk about how a simple and profound concept has since shaped his life, health, and poetry. Additional Resources Jack Ridl ridl.wordpress.com on Facebook Saint Peter and the Goldfinch by Jack […]

Categories: Family, Mental Health, Most Listened To, Parenthood, The Unknown, Writing

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

51: Hellen Beyioku-Alase on using her voice to help Deaf women in Nigeria

January 7, 2020 by angelansantillo

As a Deaf woman in Nigeria, Hellen Beyioku-Alase heard stories about the discrimination in hospitals towards the Deaf community but it wasn’t until her first pregnancy that she experienced how bad the problem was. After being ignored in the waiting room and a difficult birth, she decided to advocate for Deaf women and girls. We talk about her work to get sign language interpreters into hospitals and what she is doing so all Deaf women know their rights. *This interview […]

Categories: Activism, And Then Suddenly; Rising Voice(s), Disability Rights, Family, Medical Event, Parenthood, Women's Issues

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

33: Kate Wallinga on being one in four million

August 6, 2019 by angelansantillo

In 2010, Kate Wallinga (Ignorance Was Bliss podcast) gave birth to her third child and didn’t feel right. After being dismissed by her doctors, she learned she had a serious infection from being exposed to strep in the delivery room. Out of the four million women who give birth every year, only 100 get this kind of complication and only one of those women survive. We talk about the medical emergency that changed her mind, her life, and the new […]

Categories: Illness, Medical Event, Parenthood, Podcasting, The Mind, Trauma, Women's Issues

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

17: Catherine Rondthaler on babies and a new life

January 8, 2019 by angelansantillo

Artist Catherine Rondthaler had her daughter when she was twenty-one years old and got pregnant with her son soon after that. The two pregnancies, both different and both a surprise, turned her world upside down. Thirty five years later, her daughter is pregnant and she will be a grandmother for the first time. We talk about the ever changing role of parenthood, how fast time flies, and how this new year will bring a new life. Additional Resources: Catherine Rondthaler: […]

Categories: Family, Love, Parenthood, Women's Issues

07: Megan Bryan on being a mom who puts out many fires

October 16, 2018 by angelansantillo

Megan Bryan was loving the firefighter life when she decided to be a single mother by choice. She found a sperm donor and after numerous rounds of fertility treatments, her daughter was born and she suddenly had to confront the worst biases about herself and our society. We talk about parenthood, racism, sexism, and her partner and their growing family. Additional Resources San Francisco Chronicle: “Black firefighter on inspection duty in Oakland hills gets videotaped, reported to police”

Categories: Activism, Career, Family, LGBTQIA, Mental Health, Parenthood, Race, Trauma, Women's 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: Parenthood