Making Lemonade with Whit + Kels

Angela! She is our guest today on the podcast and let me tell you a little about this amazing woman! She lost her son, Cole at age 15 to brain cancer. While Kels and I can relate to losing a child, what came next we cannot. She then lost her husband right before the pandemic. To go through grief, lose your spouse and then become isolated when the world shut down. Was a whole other level for Angela. The way she climbed out of that grief is inspiring. She also started a foundation in Cole's honor. It's called The Cole Project. They focus on peer to peer music based support services for grief and healing. "Where words fail, music speaks". Angela has done incredible things for teens and young adults in her community. You can find out more about The Cole Project here:

www.thecoleproject.org
And on Instagram @the_cole_project

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Our guest today is Kelsey's  cousin, Jordan.  Jordan tells us her story of battling miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy.  Then eventually giving birth to her two beautiful boys. 

Listening to Jordan tell her story was inspiring.  Her story is one of hope, and we hope that it finds the person who needs to hear it, because 1 in every 3 women experience a miscarriage.  I think this episode is such an important one because if you haven't gone through a miscarriage, statistically you know someone who has. 

In 2018, Jordan was very brave by being vulnerable and sharing about her miscarriages when they happened.  She shared at a time when miscarriage was a taboo subject to talk about.  You can find her blog posts that she has written @
https://theblondeandblues.weebly.com/blog

On her website there is a section called "You Are Not Alone".  There you can find other stories of women who have suffered miscarriages.  

A quote that we love and often say is, "we are all just walking each other home" - Ram Dass.  We truly believe that, and that is the reason for this podcast.   We hope that you enjoy this episode.  

XOXO - Whit + Kels 

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Christa is our guest for this weeks episode.  She share's her story of losing one of her older brother's to suicide, and going through such a traumatic event when she was only 15.   Christa describes to us what life looked like for her and what mental changes she had to make for herself after her brother passed away.  Losing a family member is so traumatic.  Losing your big brother with whom you were very close with, when you are a sophomore in high school, adds another layer of trauma.  She share's with us some advice about how she felt as the sibling in grief, versus what parent's can be going through.  We loved learning from her and the perspective that she has.  We hope you love this weeks episode.

XOXO - Whit + Kels


You can find Christa on Instagram @toolsforstruggle

Christa has written a few books on grief and healthy coping skills.  She also wrote a fictional novel that is based on her experience of losing her brother, which we highly recommend.  You can find those books on Amazon @
https://www.amazon.com/Christa-Jaussi/e/B07WHHXHLN?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1646693183&sr=1-1

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Sadie talks to us today about her sweet little girl, Navy! She was born with a condition called, Arthrogryposis. When Sadie and her husband first got the diagnosis while Navy was in utero, they didn't know what their future would look like. They were told that she could be born with 2 extremities affected, or she might not be able to survive after birth. There was no way to tell until she was born. Navy was born and was able to breath on her on, and was such a little miracle! She was affected in her arms and legs, but they were so grateful for life with their beautiful baby girl. Sadie told us all about casting appointments, procedures, surgeries, therapy and how her little Navy has thrived in the world she has been thrown into. We are so inspired by Navy, her family, and can't wait to see what this little girl can accomplish!

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Addi is our guest on today's episode, and she tells us about losing her sister at a young age.  Growing up in a home that practiced polygamy.  Leaving that lifestyle and marrying the man of her dreams!  Addi also talks about her battle with migraines and how it has affected her mental health.   Addi is such a light in this world.  You can see it in her pictures and you can feel it when she speaks.   She shows so much strength, and we cannot wait for you to listen and to learn from Addi in her episode!

XOXO - Whit + Kels

You can find Addi on IG & TikTok @addi_mccall

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Samantha was our guest today and we loved listening to her story! Her daughter, Kendyl, was diagnosed at 2 months old with a rare disease called Biliary Atresia. She tells us all about their medical journey with such a small baby, through failed procedures, a liver transplant and balancing life in the hospital all while still trying to balance life at home. Samantha also recently published a book! She dives even deeper into their experience, their emotions, and so much more, so be sure to check it out!

You can find Samantha's book here:
https://bit.ly/36byuLD

You can also check out Samantha's website here:
http://www.samanthamelaney.com

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OHHH our friend Kendra. We had all the feels while talking to her in this episode. She lost her sweet daughter Makenzie at 4 months old to SMARD. (Spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress) is an extremely rare type of spinal muscular atrophy. According to google, infants diagnosed with SMARD usually don't live to see their 2nd birthday. When Kendra and her husband realized the cause of this disease, they did everything they could to prevent it, while still growing their family. Then the unthinkable happened. Their new baby Brooks suddenly had the same signs and symptoms. He was quickly diagnosed with the same disease as his angel sister and again they lost another baby. Our hearts were broken listening to Kendra tell her story, and we have so much love for her, and for her voice in the SMARD community. 
XOXO - Whit + Kels

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Megan is our guest on today's episode.   She tells us her story of her daughter Natalie who was stillborn due to a rare disease called Triploidy.  According to rarediseases.org -  Triploidy is the presence of an additional set of chromosomes in the cell for a total of 69 chromosomes rather than the normal 46 chromosomes per cell. The extra set of chromosomes originates either from the father or the mother during fertilization. 

We loved recording this episode, and hope that you enjoy it too.   Thanks Megan for being brave and sharing your story. 

XOXO - Whit + Kels

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Kari is our first guest of season 2.  She was diagnosed at the age of 30 with pulmonary arterial hypertension.  Kari was given 2½ years to live.  It has been 11 years since her diagnosis, and she is doing great!  In this episode she tells us about getting sick, learning about her illness, and having to tell her 3 children.   Kari teaches us about positivity and how to not let a bad diagnosis be a life sentence.  I loved her outlook on life, and I think she was the perfect story to have told for our season opener.  Thank you Kari for being brave and coming on the podcast! 

XOXO Whit + Kels 

You can find out more about Kari and how she is living with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension @ 
 https://phairytale.wordpress.com/

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Hi friends! We are back! Season 2 is here and we are so excited you are with us. Lots of fun episodes planned for this year, lots of new guests, and we can't wait!
Make sure to leave us a rate and review wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Find us on social media!
Instagram:
http://www.instagram.com/makinglemonade.podcast?utm_medium=copy_link
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/makinglemonadepodcast
Check out our website:
www.makinglemonadewithwhitkels.com
Baine's Legacy website:
http://www.baineslegacy.com
Tayzli's website:
http://www.taytaytough.org

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