TRIGGER WARNING: This episode discusses medical trauma, brain tumors, miscarriage, and infant loss.

"I’m going to be strong for you." It’s the vow every caregiver makes, but rarely do we talk about the crushing weight of that promise. Ryan Leonard joins me to pull back the curtain on what it’s actually like to be the "well-spouse." When his wife Cheryl—who had already survived two brain tumors—experienced a sudden, sharp pain just four months after the birth of their second child, their world shifted back into a nightmare they thought they had escaped.

Ryan opens up about the "beauty and the burden" of caregiving. We dive into the reality of medical gaslighting between oncologists and radiologists, the agonizing choice between life-saving treatment and the dream of having more children, and the moment Ryan had to swallow his pride to ask for help. This isn't a story of toxic positivity; it’s a raw look at marriage, resilience, and choosing love even when it feels like a heavy weight.

Connect with Guest: Instagram: @ryanlinks_

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TRIGGER WARNING: TW: This episode discusses addiction, abandonment, child medical trauma, and miscarriage.

Daniella became a mom at 20, expecting a "normal" transition into adulthood. Instead, she found herself navigating a high-risk pregnancy, a disconnect with her newborn that lasted nearly a year, and a partner lost to addiction.

But the fight was just beginning. From holding her two-week-old son down for painful medical tests to battling doctors who dismissed her oldest son’s "staring spells" as daydreaming, Daniella’s story is a masterclass in maternal instinct. She opens up about the reality of "grieving the life you expected," the terror of invisible illnesses like epilepsy, and how a local barber stepped up to heal three hearts without ever breaking them.

Connect with Daniella: @danielalatina_96 (Instagram)

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TRIGGER WARNING: This episode discusses postpartum depression, suicidal ideation in children, chronic pain, and mental health crises.

When Katie sat down with me, she described a moment leaning over her 6-month-old’s crib, crying so hard that her baby stopped crying out of shock. That was the moment she knew she was in the "vortex." After a 20-year career in nursing, Katie found herself battling severe medical gaslighting during pregnancy, debilitating chronic migraines, and the terrifying reality of parenting a child with severe mental health struggles.

But the hardest thing she had to do? She had to learn how to emotionally detach from her daughter’s pain in order to save her. In this raw conversation, we talk about the identity shift of leaving a stable career, the lie of "balancing it all," and how to find peace when your body and your family are in crisis.

Connect with Katie: Host of The Midlife Purpose Project https://katiefarinas.com/ Substack: Katie Freeness

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This episode discusses death of a minor, emotional abuse, family estrangement, and traumatic birth/NICU experiences.

Ciyla Fletcher is only 25, but she has lived a dozen lifetimes. From moving 15 times before adulthood to being raised by grandparents while her parents drifted in and out, Ciyla learned early on that "chaos felt like safety." But the hits didn't stop at childhood instability.

At 16, Ciyla lost her best friend and first love, Bailey. Instead of support, she faced a campaign of jealousy and rumors from her own family members who told her she "had no right to grieve." Now, as a mother of two and a nursing student, Ciyla is rewriting the definition of family. In this raw conversation, we discuss the pain of having a father who calls you a "stranger," the maturity required to co-parent peacefully at 20 years old, and why being thankful you don't understand betrayal is the ultimate sign of healing.

Connect with Ciyla: Instagram: @ciyla.xo

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Trigger Warning: This episode includes detailed discussion of miscarriage (including missed miscarriage and medication-assisted miscarriage), grief, medical trauma/insensitive care, anxiety/SSRI withdrawal, and fertility-related testing. Please take care of yourself while listening.

Today’s episode of For The Hayters features Kim Gordon, who shares the reality of navigating two miscarriages—and the complicated, layered grief that comes with each one. Kim opens up about the shock of learning her baby had no heartbeat during what was supposed to be a joyful milestone, the painful and traumatic experience of taking medication to miscarry at home, and the ways medical systems can fail people when they’re most vulnerable.

Kim also talks about how grief impacted her marriage—how she needed to talk while her husband shut down, and how their emotional experiences flipped during the second loss. From advocating for better care, switching providers, exploring progesterone support and blood clotting labs, to rebuilding her mental health, Kim’s story is raw, honest, and deeply validating for anyone who has experienced pregnancy loss—or loved someone who has.

To connect with this week’s guest, you can reach out to them through: @gordongirl21

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If you or someone you know needs support, please visit:

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988lifeline.org | Call or text 988

Postpartum Support International (PSI): postpartum.net

Pregnancy Loss Support (Share): nationalshare.org

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Trigger warning: This episode includes discussion of postpartum depression, self harm thoughts, pregnancy loss, intimate partner violence, and death and grief.

Today’s episode of For The Hayters features Teri, a mom who has lived through postpartum depression, the loss of her father and two brothers, and the work of building a blended family while healing from an abusive relationship.

Teri shares what it was like becoming a mom at 18, experiencing pregnancy loss, and trying to raise two little ones while still learning how to grow up herself. She opens up about grief that stacked before she ever had time to breathe, including losing her dad in 2017 and later losing both brothers in 2023 and 2024.

We also talk about what postpartum depression looked like for her after her youngest child, the moment she realized she needed help, and how support, therapy, and honest communication became part of her healing. This conversation is about motherhood, survival, rebuilding, and what it means to keep choosing yourself and your kids, even when it is hard.

To connect with this week’s guest, you can reach out to them through: terigambe22

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If you or someone you know needs support, please visit:

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988lifeline.org | Call or text 988

Postpartum Support International: postpartum.net | Call 1 800 944 4773

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Trigger warning This episode discusses pregnancy loss medical trauma and grief.

Today’s episode of For The Hayters shares Melissa’s powerful and emotional journey through high risk pregnancies cesarean scar complications postpartum depression ectopic pregnancies NICU life and the devastating loss of her mother.

Melissa opens up about becoming a mom at 26 navigating two emergency C sections experiencing a NICU stay during peak COVID and later facing both a traditional ectopic pregnancy and a rare cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy that required emergency intervention.

She shares the physical and emotional toll of those moments the loneliness that comes with navigating the medical system the fear of not knowing if she would survive another pregnancy and the heartbreak of losing her mother only one week after undergoing surgery.

This story is raw honest and full of courage. Today Melissa is expecting baby number four a reminder that hope can exist even after unthinkable pain.

To connect with this week’s guest you can reach out to her through @melissagiegoldt on Instagram

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 🔹 New episodes drop every Monday

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If you or someone you know needs support please visit

 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 988lifeline.org Call or text 988

 Postpartum Support International postpartum.net

 Resolve National Infertility Association resolve.org

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Trigger Warning for pregnancy loss stillbirth miscarriage trauma and postpartum mental health

Today’s episode of For The Hayters shares Kassie’s powerful story of losing her daughter Sutton at 21 weeks. Kassie walked into her routine anatomy scan expecting the same relief she felt with her first pregnancy. Instead she heard the words every parent fears. There is no heartbeat.

Kassie opens up about feeling something was wrong the week before her appointment the shock of delivering her daughter the panic attacks that took over her life the intrusive thoughts that followed and the EMDR therapy that helped her finally breathe again. She also shares what helped her heal the importance of community and why remembering these babies matters.

There is so much courage in this conversation and so much hope for anyone walking through loss today.

To connect with this week’s guest you can reach out to her through: @kassiejbanks on Instagram

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If you or someone you know needs support please visit:

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 988lifeline.org Call or text 988

Postpartum Support International postpartum.net

Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support nationallyshare.org

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Trigger Warning This episode discusses medical trauma chronic sorrow seizure activity and the emotional realities of caring for a medically complex child. Please take care while listening.

Today’s episode of For The Hayters shares Misty’s story of raising her seven year old son, Jackson, who lives with IQSEC2, a rare and severely debilitating genetic disorder. Misty opens up about the shock of a normal pregnancy, the sudden onset of seizures, the search for answers, and the moment she learned that her child’s diagnosis had no clear roadmap or cure.

She talks about the weight of being a full time caregiver, the grief of milestones that may never come, navigating a medical system that often makes survival feel like a fight, and the deeper purpose she has found in advocating for other families of medically complex kids.

This episode is a look into a kind of motherhood many people never see. The love. The fear. The strength. The chronic sorrow. And the small moments of joy that make everything worth it.

To connect with this week’s guest, you can reach her at: [email protected]

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If you or someone you know needs support, please visit:

IQSEC2 Research Foundation iqsec2.org

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Trigger Warning: This episode discusses infertility medical dismissal and emotional health struggles. Please take care while listening.

Today’s episode of For The Hayters shares Sonia’s powerful story of navigating PCOS infertility and years of medical dismissal. After missing periods for months at a time sudden unexplained weight gain and countless negative pregnancy tests she knew something was wrong. But every doctor told her she was fine.

Sonia opens up about the emotional toll of being dismissed again and again the cultural pressure around women’s health and the moment she finally found answers while working inside a fertility clinic. She talks about PCOS symptoms insulin resistance low ovarian reserve and how finding the right doctor changed everything.

This is a story about trusting your body fighting for answers and refusing to shrink yourself to make others comfortable.

To connect with this week’s guest you can reach her through: @soniajgx0 on Instagram

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🔹 New episodes drop every Monday

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If you or someone you know needs support please visit

National Eating Disorders Association nationaleatingdisorders.org

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 988lifeline.org

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.