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Content warning: This episode contains discussion of infant medical trauma and child loss.

At 20 weeks pregnant, Susan and her husband learned their baby boy had a serious heart defect. They were given a plan and a path forward. Surgery would take place shortly after birth, and while the diagnosis was overwhelming, there was direction and preparation.

What they could not foresee was how quickly that path would change.

Just 45 minutes after Tommy was born, a nurse rushed into their hospital room with urgent news. In an instant, they moved from scheduled plans to a fight for their son’s life.

In this first part of our conversation, Susan shares those early days with honesty and depth. She speaks about sitting in uncertainty, hearing doctors prepare them for outcomes they never imagined, and holding faith alongside very real fear. She describes the profound peace that met her in moments she cannot fully explain, and the way her trust in God steadied her when everything around her felt fragile.

This episode traces the beginning of a story that would deepen her understanding of suffering, strengthen her reliance on God, and shape the way she walks through hardship today.

Part two will continue next week as we step further into what followed.

Every life has a story worth telling. Unspoken Lives Podcast, hosted by Kelsey Billingsley, shares real stories of resilience, faith, identity, loss, healing, purpose, and the moments that change us. Follow the show on your favorite podcast app, visit unspokenlivespodcast.com, and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram. 

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Content note: This episode includes discussion of infertility and miscarriage. Please listen with care if this topic is tender for you.

In Part 2 of this conversation, Shelley shares what happened beneath the surface. The grief. The anger. The wrestling with faith. The questions she never imagined asking.

After years of infertility and pregnancy loss, Shelley reached a point where the pain felt consuming. In this episode, she speaks honestly about what it looked like to wrestle with God, sit in disappointment, and slowly rebuild her sense of identity after loss.

Today, Shelley is a licensed professional counselor specializing in infertility, pregnancy loss, and maternal mental health. The very season that once felt defining is now the place from which she serves others with compassion, patience, and understanding.

This conversation is about grief that is often unseen, faith that is stretched, and redemption that unfolds slowly. It is a reminder that a chapter may shape you, but it does not get the final word.

If you have ever felt defined by a season you did not choose, this episode is for you.

Listen now to Part 2 of Shelley’s story on Unspoken Lives Podcast.

Resources mentioned:
• Moms in the Making, a Christian infertility support community
• RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, offering infertility support groups and education

Guest: Shelley Stephan, Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in infertility, pregnancy loss, and maternal mental health

Website: https://stephancounseling.com

Every life has a story worth telling. Unspoken Lives Podcast, hosted by Kelsey Billingsley, shares real stories of resilience, faith, identity, loss, healing, purpose, and the moments that change us. Follow the show on your favorite podcast app, visit unspokenlivespodcast.com, and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram. 

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Gentle Content Note: This episode includes discussion of infertility, miscarriage, and pregnancy loss. If this topic is tender for you, please listen with care.

Shelley never imagined infertility would become one of the defining chapters of her life. What began as hope for a growing family turned into years of trying to conceive, fertility treatments, miscarriage, and emotional heartbreak. In part one of this conversation, she shares the real and often unspoken experience of infertility, including the isolation, the pressure, the perfectionism, and the desire to control what feels uncontrollable.

At one point, she realized infertility had quietly become her identity. It consumed her thoughts and shaped how she saw herself. This episode explores the emotional toll of infertility, grief after miscarriage, identity loss, and the difficult process of letting go of control.

Shelley is now a licensed professional counselor specializing in infertility, pregnancy loss, maternal mental health, anxiety, and depression. What she did not yet know during those painful years was that this chapter would become the foundation of her calling. Through her own experiences with infertility and pregnancy loss, she gained a depth of understanding that now shapes the way she supports other women navigating similar journeys. The storm she walked through would later allow her to sit across from others in theirs.

If you are walking through infertility or feeling like a difficult season is defining you, this conversation will resonate deeply.

Resources mentioned:
• Moms in the Making, a Christian infertility support community
• RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, offering infertility support groups and education

Guest: Shelley Stephan, Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in infertility, pregnancy loss, and maternal mental health

Website: https://stephancounseling.com

Every life has a story worth telling. Unspoken Lives Podcast, hosted by Kelsey Billingsley, shares real stories of resilience, faith, identity, loss, healing, purpose, and the moments that change us. Follow the show on your favorite podcast app, visit unspokenlivespodcast.com, and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram. 

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In part two of Laura Thielemann’s story, the conversation continues into career, leadership, and the values that have guided her forward.

Laura shares how she built a successful career in healthcare administration through determination, consistency, and a belief that if she committed fully, she would find a way forward. She reflects on how her mindset, rooted in perseverance and self-belief, shaped her professional growth even when she didn’t start out knowing exactly where the path would lead.

Throughout the conversation, Laura speaks to the importance of growth across generations. She shares her belief that each generation has a responsibility to do better than the one before it, to learn from what came earlier, and to carry forward what truly matters. These lessons influence the way she leads, the way she parents, and the way she shows up for her family today.

This episode is about becoming the glue through intention, effort, and love. It’s a reminder that success isn’t accidental, growth doesn’t happen overnight, and forward movement is possible when you choose to keep going, even when the path isn’t clearly defined.

Every life has a story worth telling. Unspoken Lives Podcast, hosted by Kelsey Billingsley, shares real stories of resilience, faith, identity, loss, healing, purpose, and the moments that change us. Follow the show on your favorite podcast app, visit unspokenlivespodcast.com, and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram. 

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Laura Thielemann was born and raised in Lima, Peru, where she spent much of her childhood being raised by her grandparents while her mother worked in the United States to build a future for their family. It was a childhood rooted in love, tradition, and the steady presence of family who helped shape Laura’s sense of belonging.

At twelve years old, Laura moved to the U.S. and reunited with her mother after years apart. She entered a completely new culture and had to slowly find her footing in a place that felt unfamiliar. Without speaking English, Laura began learning the language through Disney movies, navigating school, and discovering how to keep moving forward through seasons of change.

In part one of this conversation, Laura reflects on family, generational influence, and the resilience that forms over time. This episode is a reminder that even when life brings transition and uncertainty, love, perspective, and perseverance can carry us forward. Part two continues next week.

Every life has a story worth telling. Unspoken Lives Podcast, hosted by Kelsey Billingsley, shares real stories of resilience, faith, identity, loss, healing, purpose, and the moments that change us. Follow the show on your favorite podcast app, visit unspokenlivespodcast.com, and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram. 

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In part two of Brandon’s story, he returns to share the pieces he wasn’t ready to say out loud the first time we talked.

After living a fast, dangerous life shaped by drugs, violence, loyalty, and loss, Brandon reflects on the moments that followed. The realities of prison, the people he lost along the way, and what it looks like to rebuild life at a slower pace after everything he once knew came to a stop.

This conversation goes deeper into faith, identity, anger, patience, and the mental challenges of starting over after years of survival mode. Brandon speaks honestly about learning to live differently, the tension between who he was and who he’s becoming, and why staying the course now matters more than ever.

This episode is for anyone who has had to slow down, start over, or learn a new way to live after life forced change.

If you haven’t listened to part one of Brandon’s story yet, I’d encourage you to start there.

Every life has a story worth telling. Unspoken Lives Podcast, hosted by Kelsey Billingsley, shares real stories of resilience, faith, identity, loss, healing, purpose, and the moments that change us. Follow the show on your favorite podcast app, visit unspokenlivespodcast.com, and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram. 

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Brandon grew up learning how to survive early, navigating life largely on his own. What followed was a fast, dangerous world shaped by anger, loyalty, money, and choices made long before he understood their weight.

That path eventually led him to prison, a place Brandon now reflects on as the moment his life was forced to slow down and, in many ways, the reason he is still here today.

In part one of Brandon’s story, he shares what life looks like now after years of moving at full speed. He reflects on growing up around drugs and violence, selling at a young age, losing close friends, and how slowing down changed the way he sees the world. Through it all, he shares the lessons he’s still learning about patience, responsibility, faith, and what it means to live a different kind of life now.

This conversation is honest, raw, and deeply human. It’s a reminder that we often cross paths with people every day without knowing the life they’ve lived or what shaped the person in front of us.

In part two, Brandon returns to share the parts of his story he wasn’t ready to say out loud the first time we talked.

Every life has a story worth telling. Unspoken Lives Podcast, hosted by Kelsey Billingsley, shares real stories of resilience, faith, identity, loss, healing, purpose, and the moments that change us. Follow the show on your favorite podcast app, visit unspokenlivespodcast.com, and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram. 

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Life does not always go the way we plan, and sometimes the challenges we face feel bigger than we can handle. In Part 2 of Angela Taylor’s story, she dives deeper into the valleys of life, sharing moments of doubt, heartbreak, and the struggle to balance personal faith with the pressures of parenthood and work.

Angela opens up about navigating difficult seasons, from professional setbacks to the emotional weight of raising a family while finances are tight. She shares how the lows in her life, including loss, frustration, and feeling powerless, have become opportunities for growth, healing, and a stronger faith.

Through her story, you will hear how leaning on God, seeking support, and facing struggles honestly can transform even the hardest seasons. Angela’s journey is a powerful reminder that hope, purpose, and resilience can be found in the darkest valleys.

What you will hear in Part 2:

• How to face moments of doubt and trust that God is in control
• The power of leaning into faith during personal and professional struggles
• Healing from past pain and breaking cycles for the next generation
• Why honesty, vulnerability, and seeking support are key to finding peace

Every life has a story worth telling. Unspoken Lives Podcast, hosted by Kelsey Billingsley, shares real stories of resilience, faith, identity, loss, healing, purpose, and the moments that change us. Follow the show on your favorite podcast app, visit unspokenlivespodcast.com, and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram. 

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Faith isn’t always easy. Sometimes it is tested in ways that leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about life, God, and yourself. In this powerful conversation, Angela Taylor opens up about the valleys she has faced, moments of heartbreak, the challenge of managing family life on a tight budget, and feeling powerless in the midst of it all.

As she navigates the highs and lows of her business and the demands of parenthood, Angela shares how faith and perseverance helped her survive seasons that could have crushed her. She talks about the emotional toll of slow business, impossible decisions, and feeling like her prayers were not being answered, yet still finding hope and purpose when she needed it most.

If you have ever felt like life is out of your control, this episode is a raw reminder that God is at work even in the valleys. Angela’s story will challenge you to trust the process, lean into faith, and find strength when you feel powerless.

What you will hear in Part 1:

• How faith is tested when nothing seems to go right
• The struggle of carrying the weight of others’ lives while managing your own
• Finding hope in the midst of setbacks and disappointment
• Why trusting God during life’s valleys changes everything

Every life has a story worth telling. Unspoken Lives Podcast, hosted by Kelsey Billingsley, shares real stories of resilience, faith, identity, loss, healing, purpose, and the moments that change us. Follow the show on your favorite podcast app, visit unspokenlivespodcast.com, and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram. 

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This week’s episode is a short holiday message and a moment of gratitude.

With the season being so full, I’m taking a brief pause from guest stories to make sure every story receives the focused attention it deserves. Instead, I wanted to share a simple reflection on connection, the unexpected conversations this podcast has already opened up, and three small ways we can stay connected during a busy week.

This episode is an invitation to slow down, ask thoughtful questions, check in on someone you’ve been thinking about, and remember that the people around us are often carrying more than we realize.

Thank you for being here, for listening, and for creating space for the stories that connect us.

Every life has a story worth telling. Unspoken Lives Podcast, hosted by Kelsey Billingsley, shares real stories of resilience, faith, identity, loss, healing, purpose, and the moments that change us. Follow the show on your favorite podcast app, visit unspokenlivespodcast.com, and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram.