Category Archives: Trauma

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

Leave a comment

67: Jaimie Sherling on getting a late night message

January 4, 2022 by angelansantillo

One Friday night, Jaimie Sherling was in bed when she got an Instagram message from a stranger that changed her marriage and home. We talk about all the brutal and beautiful aspects of her moment, from her battle with cancer to her journey becoming a drag queen aficionado. Additional Resources From Queens to QUEENS YDY Sweets

Categories: Family, Illness, LGBTQIA, Trauma, Writing

Leave a comment

65: Big D on being a biker who empowers the abused

December 6, 2021 by angelansantillo

As a Bikers Against Child Abuse (B.A.C.A.) volunteer, Big D was working with a child and realized he was where he belonged when he saw the light come back to her eyes. We talk about epiphanies, giving back to the community, and what bikers at B.A.C.A. are doing to help empower abused children. Additional Resources Bikers Against Child Abuse website B.A.C.A. Long Island Chapter Helpline: (631) 408-8218 Contact Big D: BigD@li-ny.bacaworld.org

Categories: Activism, Trauma

Leave a comment

62: Welcome to Season Three, let’s chat shall we?

November 9, 2021 by angelansantillo

Welcome to Season Three! It’s been a while since I’ve released an episode and there’s a reason for that. So let’s catch up and kick off the season with where I’ve been. It’s a story about mental health, long recoveries, and a bit about my audio destroying cat. Additional Resources Episode 1: Angela Santillo on changing stories and making a podcastEpisode 33: Kate Wallinga on being one in four million Want to be a guest? Submit your info. Follow And […]

Categories: Medical Event, Mental Health, Podcasting, The Mind, Trauma

Leave a comment

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

54: Jennifer Tan on the journey to Shine

February 19, 2020 by angelansantillo

Jennifer Tan was working a demanding job at a management consultancy firm when she had the idea to create a business empowerment program for women. Through a series of events her idea developed into a financial literacy program for domestic abuse survivors. Now the Founder of the Shine Foundation, we talk about her unexpected journey to starting a nonprofit, how social impact work has changed her, and the financial pressures facing domestic abuse survivors. Additional Resources Shine Foundation […]

Categories: Activism, Career, Entrepreneurship, Trauma, 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

36: Brandon Saiz on becoming Chief Petty Officer

August 28, 2019 by angelansantillo

After sixteen years in the Coast Guard, on October 1, 2013 Brandon Saiz achieved the rank of Chief Petty Officer. Hating the tradition of initiation, he decided not to go through the voluntary indoctrination process and was ostracized by other chiefs. We talk about the military’s history of hazing, the social and mental health implications of going against the system, and how twenty years in the service impacts his life as a civilian. Trigger warning: This episode includes a candid conversation […]

Categories: Mental Health, Military Veteran, Most Listened To, Podcasting, Trauma

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

28: Steven Pacheco on the bus ride to Boston

April 9, 2019 by angelansantillo

One week before our interview, Steven Pacheco was on a bus ride to Boston when the driver called the police on a young black passenger for being on his phone. While recording the event, Steven realized he was observing the policing of black and brown bodies in a new way. We talk about race, trauma, and how leadership opportunities are changing this self-proclaimed Renaissance man and his experience as a black man in America. Additional Resources Connect with Steven Twitter: @MrStevenPacheco […]

Categories: Activism, Politics, Race, Trauma

27: Uyen Trinh on stopping an autopilot life

April 2, 2019 by angelansantillo

Two years ago, Uyen Trinh was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes and it forced her to reconsider her relationship with her body and every relationship in her life. As a refugee from Vietnam and growing up in foster care, she realized she had become the ultimate caregiver at the sacrifice of herself. We talk about self-care, what it takes to advocate for yourself, and how she reversed her diagnosis through a ketogenic diet.

Categories: Family, Illness, Immigration, Love, Medical Event, Trauma

25: Julie Dombo on surviving

March 5, 2019 by angelansantillo

Julie Dombo was at an AT&T store in Derby, Kansas when she was shot during a robbery. That event on August 11, 2015 led to an extensive hospitalization and left Julie as a quadruple amputee. We talk about her totally changed life, the optimism needed to carry on, her mission to share her story, and America’s relationship with guns. Additional Resources Wichita Public Schools (video): Julie Dombo at Heights High School – March 13, 2018 The Wichita Eagle: Julie Dombo […]

Categories: Activism, Family, Medical Event, Politics, Trauma

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

14: Becky Curran on changing the world with her story

December 4, 2018 by angelansantillo

While sailing in August of 1999, disability advocate Becky Curran felt numbness in her legs. It was the first sign of a progressive condition that could take away her ability to walk. After a successful back surgery, she encountered social changes as her friends in high school started excluding her because of her size. We talk about her life as a little person, misconceptions about the disabled community, and her mission to change the world for the next generation through […]

Categories: Activism, Disability Rights, Medical Event, Trauma

11: Stephan Wolfert on rewiring the brain with Shakespeare and science

November 12, 2018 by angelansantillo

Veteran Stephan Wolfert was working with the famous choreographer Twyla Tharp when she said something that clarified everything. We talk about his time in the Army, how he became an actor, his work with veterans through DE-CRUIT, and the scientific proof that Shakespeare and theater are the keys to healing trauma. Part Two of my special Brain Double Header. Listen to Part One: Bill Monroe on getting better (and not getting best) Additional Resources DE-CRUIT DE-CRUIT: science publications Cry Havoc, solo performance […]

Categories: Mental Health, Military Veteran, Most Listened To, Science, The Arts, The Mind, Trauma, Veteran Issues

10: Bill Monroe on getting better (and not getting best)

November 6, 2018 by angelansantillo

READ THE TRANSCRIPT FOR EPISODE 10 Bill Monroe (Strokecast podcast) is a Generation X stroke survivor. He talks about what on June 4, 2017, his ongoing recovery, and how he has become a marketing guy who knows way too much about neurology and neuroplasticity. Part One of my special Brain Double Header. Listen to Part Two: Stephan Wolfert on rewiring the brain with Shakespeare and science Additional Resources Bill Monroe: Strokecast Strokecast Episode 28: The Slow Road to Better Ted Talk: Jill Bolte Taylor, […]

Categories: Career, Disability Rights, Illness, Medical Event, Mental Health, Podcasting, Science, The Mind, Trauma

Leave a comment

08: Duncan Payne on being in the belly of the whale

October 23, 2018 by angelansantillo

Thirteen years ago, former teacher and lawyer Duncan Payne had a heart attack. We talk about strange responses to emergencies, how things forever change, and the fears that emerge and vanish after being in the belly of the whale. Additional Resources The Poetry Society: Jonah’s prayer by Aviva Dautch Smithsonian Magazine: “Could a Whale Accidentally Swallow You? It Is Possible” Joseph Campbell: A Hero with a Thousand Faces

Categories: Career, Family, Illness, Medical Event, Trauma

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

01: Angela Santillo on changing stories and making a podcast

September 17, 2018 by angelansantillo

Meet your host as she introduces the show’s content and format. A writer and produced playwright, she talks about the moment a serious medical emergency disrupted her life and led her to pursue a different kind of story.

Categories: Career, Illness, Medical Event, Podcasting, The Arts, Trauma, Writing

Leave a comment

And Then Suddenly

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

Category Archives: Trauma

72: Kate White on seriously listening to her body

67: Jaimie Sherling on getting a late night message

65: Big D on being a biker who empowers the abused

62: Welcome to Season Three, let’s chat shall we?

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

54: Jennifer Tan on the journey to Shine

52: Stacy Walsh on finding the good

36: Brandon Saiz on becoming Chief Petty Officer

33: Kate Wallinga on being one in four million

28: Steven Pacheco on the bus ride to Boston

27: Uyen Trinh on stopping an autopilot life

25: Julie Dombo on surviving

19: Susan Fritz on life ten years later

14: Becky Curran on changing the world with her story

11: Stephan Wolfert on rewiring the brain with Shakespeare and science

10: Bill Monroe on getting better (and not getting best)

08: Duncan Payne on being in the belly of the whale

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

01: Angela Santillo on changing stories and making a podcast