What does it take to face years of surgeries, severe dyslexia, and lifelong medical challenges without allowing them to define your future?
In this conversation, Kurt Luidhardt talks with JT Mestdagh, author of No Bad Days and founder of the JT Mestdagh Foundation. Born with VATER/VACTERL syndrome, JT shares how faith, family, and the right people around him helped him face difficult seasons with hope.
JT also tells the story of being told he could not keep up with the other students at school, learning to read through a specialized program, and eventually becoming the author of four books.
He explains why sharing your struggles can help you build a stronger tribe and why asking for support is a sign of strength, not failure.
The conversation follows JT from hospital rooms to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, where illness, dehydration, and altitude sickness forced him to let someone else carry his backpack.
That moment taught him an important lesson: we are not meant to carry every burden alone.
JT also shares how his foundation provides medical supplies, supports families facing health challenges, and helps children with dyslexia access literacy programs.
His message is simple: there are no bad days, only hard days, and we can get through them with faith and the people around us.
If you are facing a health challenge, learning difference, setback, or uncertain season, this episode is a reminder that your hardest experiences can become opportunities to help others.
01:58 Being Born With VATER/VACTERL Syndrome
04:36 How Hospital Life Changed His Perspective
06:25 No Bad Days, Only Hard Days
08:14 Holding On to Faith Through Pain
09:29 Being Told He Could Not Keep Up in School
12:00 Why Sharing Your Story Builds Your Tribe
14:09 Finding the Right People to Support You
17:24 Why JT Chose to Climb Mount Kilimanjaro
21:25 The Backpack Lesson That Changed His Perspective
23:01 Crossing the Grand Canyon and Testing His Limits
24:14 How the JT Mestdagh Foundation Helps Families
26:07 The Story Behind No Bad Days
28:06 Legacy, Impact, and Giving Back
• No Bad Days: Turning Your Biggest Challenges into Your Greatest Opportunities
• Untether by JT Mestdagh
• The JT Mestdagh Foundation
• The Tattum Reading Program
• Ronald McDonald House Charities
• Foundation: https://www.jtmestdaghfoundation.org
• Book: https://nobaddaysbook.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jt_mestdagh/
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