Episode 5 · Rhonda’s Story — Strength in Silence

In this episode, I sit down with my cousin Rhonda, the third of nine children from Sheriff Street. At just nine years old, Rhonda suffered a stroke that left her without movement on the right side of her body: her arm and leg. She spent a year in hospital for rehabilitation, working closely with a speech and language therapist who helped her regain her confidence and voice.

Rhonda speaks softly, with a gentleness that contrasts our inner-city roots, and she opens up about growing up in a big family, her resilience through childhood challenges, and the heartbreaking losses of her brothers Aidan, Gareth and Wayne. Her story is one of quiet strength, compassion, and the power of never giving up.