The Tough Cookie Podcast

Miranda has always impressed me, and is absolutely a tough cookie. I could not even begin to imagine how difficult it would be being worked up and waiting for a heart transplant whilst also waiting for your Son to be born through egg donation and surrogacy, and the possibility that you may not meet him at all - that right there is strength.

For Miranda though, her strength stretched even further when she came out as gay just a few years ago - something that allowed her to feel free and identify as her true self - something many people don't ever achieve in their lifetime.

Miranda's dedication to her Son, her love of writing and her desire to give a better chance to those who follow in her footsteps through her support for research into cardiomyopathy make it an absolute honour to know her and call her a friend. I'm grateful to be able to share her story.

To follow Miranda's writing, go to https://www.facebook.com/mirandahillwrites/ (https://www.facebook.com/mirandahillwrites/)

Lauren is such a delight to speak with - her honesty, sense humour and openness to speak about anything make chatting with her and connecting so easy. I've been lucky to chat with Lauren on a number of occasions, and she's never been one to shy away from giving her perspective on any topic, whether that be being scared of COVID-19 and the impact that it could have on her life, or the somewhat boring stuff that we all go through as transplant recipients - it's always delivered with the same, witty, sparkly personality that I've always known Lauren for, and for that I am truly grateful.

As recipients, we often feel the need to tread carefully around our words, not wanting to rock the boat for fear of recrimination of not being perceived as grateful for the precious gift of life that we receive - Lauren's videos and posts never take away the fact that she is grateful to still be here, but add a refreshing outlook on what life as a recipient and chronic illness warrior looks like.

As Lauren faces new challenges with the prospect of a second lung transplant and what comes with that, I have no doubt that she'll tackle it with the tenacity and determination that she's known for.

We will keep you posted on her progress.

Ali's story was the one that hit closest to home for me, and made me cry the most. Hearing a story so similar to my own and being able to identify certain moments in Ali's life that truly mirrored my own was confronting, but equally comforting - it made me feel as though if never walked my journey alone, I just hadn't met my fellow travellers.

I'm so grateful to Ali for sharing her story - like all of our guests, she's a tough cookie, and if Ali's words resonated with just one person and helped them understand their situation a little better or cope better, then it's worth it.

As Veronique and I both discuss in this podcast, we wouldn't have chosen organ donation to be the way that our paths crossed, but we are grateful that they crossed nonetheless.

Veronique's story never fails to move me - to lose the person whom you love dearly is devastating, but to also not have acknowledgement as that person's life partner would be absolutely heartbreaking, and something that many would not even think twice about - I know this because I heard a lot of feedback that was given when I attended a speech that Veronique has given last year.

Cat's legacy lives on in the recipients of her organs, and will always be there in Veronique's cherished memories of her I know that she will also live in in the hearts of everyone who hears this recording, and that fills my heart. Veronique and Cat's story may have been cut short far too early, but by sharing it, I hope we can provide some new thinking, some perspective and some tolerance towards marginalised communities in our society.

I met Luci late last year as part of The sweetest Gifts pop-up dessert restaurant, and was blown away by her story back then. Little did I know how truly incredible her story was, and the resilience that she had shown in the face of all that she's been through.

Luci really showed the benefit of having a great support network - both friends and family, in times of great difficulty, as well as the importance of mental fitness - Luci's decision to seek professional help early in her diagnosis really put her in the best possible frame of mind to face not only her initial journey, but also her path beyond and even to this day.

I really love that Luci mentioned the importance of an understanding employer as well - it is unfortunate one of the aspects of a return to a semblance of normality that many chronic illness sufferers face, and is exactly why I created The Sweetest Gift. I really wanted there to be a workplace where stability, flexibility and social inclusion we're as important as sugar, eggs and flour - hopefully creating a support network of like minded people who just "get it" at the same time. Luci has been fortunate in finding an employer like this - we're on our way to being that employer

You can find out more about The Sweetest Gift at http://www.thesweetestgift.org.au/ (www.thesweetestgift.org.au)

Having lived a life where illness always sat in the periphery, I couldn't imagine how difficult Jayden's initial diagnosis was - going from a single dad working in an industry that he loved and dreaming of purchasing a boat to bed-ridden, having an artificial heart and hoping he'd wake up each day. The positivity and gratitude that exudes from Jayden is truly contagious, and it has taken him far.

One of the biggest lessons that hearing Jayden's story has taught me is to not take your health for granted, and to not ignore things that may not be quite right. It's a trait that many are prone to - myself included I must admit. Listening to that niggling voice, whether that be from your spouse, a friend or even your internal self and taking action on what it's telling you is incredibly important for your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. I'm not saying you'll be faced with your own mortality (I certainly hope not!) but it's a very important aspect of self care - it sounds so simple when I write it like that!

In all seriousness though, Jayden has absolutely dedicated his second chance at life on showing how positive his life has been with the gift of a new heart. His organisation Forever Grateful, can be found at www http://forevergrateful.com.au/ (forevergrateful.com.au)

In this episode, The Tough Cookie host Patricia Scheetz talks about what to expect from this podcast, as well as a little about herself and her story.

Patricia is a double organ (kidney and pancreas) transplant recipient, and has been called a tough cookie many times in her life. Patricia founded charity The Sweetest Gift in 2017 to support fellow transplant recipients and people with chronic illnesses.

You can find out more about The Sweetest Gift at http://www.thesweetestgift.org.au/ (www.thesweetestgift.org.au)

I was completely blown away when I first met Rachelle and heard about what she did. So when I was thinking about my guests for this podcast, I couldn't think of a better first guest.

Rachelles story is absolutely amazing and sadly, not an isolated one. Approximately 1000 women under 40 get diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia each year. These women have to fight to have their voices heard and their condition given the diagnosis it needs and the support that is required to help get them through.

That's what So Brave is here to do - recognise these brave young women and give them the dignity that they need to feel beautiful as any woman should.

You can find out more about So Brave - the young women's breast cancer charity here - http://www.sobrave.com.au/ (www.sobrave.com.au)

Kristen's journey is absolutely amazing - from being unable to get through her house and requiring a chair in the middle of a room so that she could rest, to running a casual 65 miles (that's almost 105 kilometres!) during the month of May to raise awareness of cystic fibrosis, the condition that Kristen battled since birth.

You can find out more about cystic Fibrosis Australia here - http://www.cysticfibrosis.org.au/ (www.cysticfibrosis.org.au)

Kristen's dream of running in the Walt Disney World Marathon events may be on hold for now, but we'll be sure to keep you posted on her progress, and catch up with her again after her trip. If you're a Disney fan and would like to participate in the marathon, check it out here - http://www.rundisney.com/events/disneyworld/disneyworld-marathon-weekend/ (www.rundisney.com/events/disneyworld/disneyworld-marathon-weekend/)

In the meantime Kristen - keep running!!!