Into Words

In the UK, one woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 10 minutes. That means around 55,000 people are affected by it each year. One of those is Tessa Hartmann, from The Real Housewives of Jersey, who was diagnosed in 2017. She now focuses on raising awareness, urging women everywhere to check their boobs.

There’s a quote that says “if you’re raising sons, you’re actually training someone’s future husband”, and that’s a job Hannah takes very seriously. She has 10-year-old twin boys and, despite them only being small, she's already teaching them about some pretty big topics, including mental health, consent, and societal expectations.

January’s a time when people make all kinds of resolutions, even if those are often long forgotten by the time the month ends. But one woman is determined to stick to hers after committing to only buying second hand clothes for a whole year. It’s all part of her mission to combat ‘fast fashion’ and be kinder to the planet.

On air, radio presenter Darcy is a fun and bubbly presence. But off air, she struggles daily with the consequences of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) – weight gain, exhaustion, painful periods and, perhaps the most difficult, her future fertility. Despite this, her positivity shines through as she shares her story so far.

Kellie wasn’t planning a pregnancy when she had a miscarriage, which has caused some to question her grief. But, she says, it’s not a topic we should ever pass judgement on, and in order to learn more about it, we must first listen. [Trigger warning: miscarriage/baby loss]

Conversations around mental health have improved considerably over the years, but as a global pandemic pushes us apart, getting together to share is becoming increasingly difficult. That’s why this week’s guest, Amy, decided to come on the podcast - her message is it’s never been more important to keep talking.

“The cuts and bruises healed, but the loss of my self was much harder and took a lot longer to recover from”. Those are the words of Tor, who was in an abusive relationship for ten years. Here’s her story of how she rebuilt her whole life, becoming what she describes as a ‘victor’. [Trigger warning: domestic abuse/violence]

When finding out that someone is adopted, some people can automatically assume certain things - many of which are simply misconceptions. So, in this episode, Marina opens up about her own adoption, and what she wishes others knew about it.

Like many of us, Charlie set herself a life plan in her early 20s that involved a traditional set of standards - buying a house, getting married, having children and excelling in her career. Now 32, and with a life that doesn't reflect where she thought she'd be by now, she wants other women to know it's okay to stray from your own, and society's, expectations. 

She’s now a 24-year-old personal trainer, but before she got to where she is today, Katie spent years battling silently battling with an eating disorder. Now, she’s open about where she thinks she went wrong, in the hope of helping others avoid a similar path. [Trigger warning: eating disorders]