Podcasts about mum

At 27, this week’s Money Diarist has two STEM degrees, earns $140,000 a year, has $90,000 in super and owns a townhouse two kilometres from the beach. And no, there wasn’t a giant cheque from Mum and Dad hiding somewhere in the background. After becoming financially independent young and spending her uni years juggling study and work, she and her partner made buying a home one of their first big goals after graduating. They used the First Home Super Saver Scheme and First Home Guarantee to buy a $650,000 townhouse with a $40,000 deposit in 2024. Two years later, it’s estimated to be worth around $810,000, their mortgage is down to $575,000 and their extra repayments have already shaved four years off the life of their loan. We talk about exactly how she used the First Home Super Saver Scheme, why they still have a housemate despite earning good money, her $30,000 HECS debt, salary sacrificing into super and the very cute joint account that basically tells her and her partner when they’re overdue for a date night. Because earning more is great. But building systems that mean the money actually goes somewhere? Even better. Acknowledgement of Country By Nartarsha Bamblett (nartarshabamblett.com.au) The advice shared on She's On The Money is general in nature and does not consider your individual circumstances. She's On The Money exists purely for educational purposes and should not be relied upon to make an investment or financial decision. If you do choose to buy a financial product, read the PDS, TMD and obtain appropriate financial advice tailored towards your needs. Victoria Devine and She's On The Money are authorised representatives of Money Sherpa PTY LTD ABN - 321649 27708, AFSL - 4451289See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thank you to Mary and her partner for the request! Picture an endless stretch of highway surrounded by thick forests where there's no cell service, and towns are hours apart. Back in July 2019, that quiet part of the Alaska Highway in Canada turned upside down when a young couple on a road trip were found shot in a ditch. Before anyone even knew what was happening, it turned into a massive cross-country crime spree and a frantic nationwide search to track down the killers. Join Jen and Cam as they discuss What the Raven Knows: The Alaska Highway Murders. Source: https://youtu.be/1zHWJtk3dnc?si=W2g3e04EHgCiDKJH Timeline: B.C. triple murders by Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky | Vancouver Sun Former classmates of northern B.C. murder suspect say he would describe killing himself, others | Globalnews.ca Bryer Alan Schmegelsky (2000-2019) - Find a Grave Memorial Kam Allan McLeod (2000-2019) - Find a Grave Memorial Chynna Deese, Lucas Fowler murder: Mum reveals heartbreaking final texts | news.com.au — Australia's leading news site for latest headlines Chynna Noelle Deese - Obituary - July 15, 2019 Lucas Robertson Fowler (1995-2019) - Find a Grave Memorial What We Know About the American-Australian Couple Murdered in Northern Canada The murders of Chynna Deese, Lucas Fowler & Leonard Dyck – A True Crime Podcast The Northern British Columbia Murders Port Alberni - Wikipedia Jul 29, 2019, page 8 - The Daily Sentinel at Newspapers.com™ Jul 24, 2019, page A6 - The Charlotte Observer at Newspapers.com™ Jul 21, 2019, page A13 - The Charlotte Observer at Newspapers.com™ Jul 23, 2019, page A4 - Asheville Citizen-Times at Newspapers.com™ Jul 26, 2019, page A12 - The Charlotte Observer at Newspapers.com™ Jul 19, 2020, page 1 - The Toronto Star at Newspapers.com™ Jul 19, 2020, page 8 - The Toronto Star at Newspapers.com™ Jul 21, 2020, page 2 - The Toronto Star at Newspapers.com™ Aug 16, 2019, page A8 - The Province at Newspapers.com™ Aug 08, 2019, page NP3 - The Vancouver Sun at Newspapers.com™ Aug 25, 2019, page 13 - The Toronto Star at Newspapers.com™ Aug 25, 2019, page 12 - The Toronto Star at Newspapers.com™ Aug 13, 2019, page A10 - Rimbey Review at Newspapers.com™ Dec 30, 2019, page A5 - Whitehorse Daily Star at Newspapers.com™ Jul 23, 2019, page A6 - National Post at Newspapers.com™ Jul 25, 2019, page A16 - The Free Press at Newspapers.com™ - Newspapers.com™ Sep 30, 2019, page A5 - Whitehorse Daily Star at Newspapers.com™ Oct 02, 2019, page A33 - Alberni Valley News at Newspapers.com™ Dec 20, 2019, page NP4 - Calgary Herald at Newspapers.com™ How the RCMP found Canada's most wanted fugitives with a raven, a Cree trapper and luck - The Globe and Mail New documents shed light on McLeod, Schmegelsky manhunt and 3 northern B.C. deaths 2019 Northern British Columbia murders - Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(00:00:00) Intro (00:01:57) We Just Got Done Rewatching Backpackers (00:12:16) Did We Learn Anything? (00:14:22) Parting Thoughts (00:16:29) Howl Outs In this episode we rewatch and then talk about Backpackers. We can be the backpacks, and Mum and Dad have to carry us around! Yeah!!!Thank you so much for listening. Connect with us and let us know what you think of the show!Get Dinner with the Heelers merch! At Dashery by TeePublic you can get shirts (and all sorts of other cool things) with Dinner with the Heelers artwork. Grab yours today!Get ad-free episodes via Patreon for only $1 a month: patreon.com/theblueypodcastCheck out this video about how our podcast is made:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theblueypodcast/video/7370492256005950766Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7NKLQhAIUv/A huge thank you to Ryanna Larson (Instagram: @blueyfamilyportraits) for the amazing show cover art. Connect with her on Instagram to commission a portrait for your family!Website: theblueypodcast.comPatreon: patreon.com/theblueypodcastTikTok: @theblueypodcastTwitter: @theblueypodcastInstagram: @theblueypodcastFacebook: Dinner with the HeelersEmail: blueypodcast@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dinner-with-the-heelers-a-bluey-podcast--6729926/support.

YES PLUMS Boys are here and we're talking: - Butts' Mum calls to check in - Chom is going through it - Butts is doing his last legends game prep - Mad Mondays back in the day - Chom's travels - Who missed out on AA & Much More! Enjoy plums and remember to GET THE KNEES UP! Send us your voice messages here: https://memo.fm/200pluspodcast/ Produced by Ben Raimondo 200 PLUS 2026 Membership: https://www.patreon.com/c/200PLUS 200 PLUS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/200pluspod/ Nick Butler: https://www.instagram.com/nick_butler10/ Charlie Comben: https://www.instagram.com/charliecomben/ Darcy Cameron: https://www.instagram.com/darcy_cameron/ Sam Draper: https://www.instagram.com/draper/ Clubby Sports: https://www.instagram.com/ClubbySports To get in contact with Clubby Sports email Hello@ClubbySports.com

Georgia & Kelsey get right into it this week.Kelsey's partner Will's about to become a dad for the first time: and he's walking into it the hard way.Kelsey raised Bodhi's baby years almost entirely alone, so this time feels completely different: parenting as a two. But she reckons Will's had it tough: plonked in at the deep end with a five and seven-year-old, made to "man up" fast, and now rewinding all the way back to a newborn he's never experienced. She's bracing for the arguments, the emotions, and Bodhi already insisting he's still the baby.Then there's Cooper's big school shake-up. New class, new year, friends split up and reshuffled. Cooper came skipping out (mostly because the kid who wasn't nice to him got moved), and the mum group chat descended into chaos when Danny accidentally added himself to the wrong one.Plus, this week's Mum's The Word Top Fives: the things your own mum and dad do that wind you up.The "he ate all his potatoes" fib no grandparent will ever admit toInsisting you were the perfect baby while your kid is apparently impossibleRetired parents somehow being busier than you'll ever beGrab a cuppa. This one's close to home.A Create Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary Today we tackle the trauma of retail changing room lighting, catching hideous mirror reflections, and why everyone lies when asked "how are you?". Things take a chaotic turn when Meg receives an edited Instagram DM asking for a "pleasure toy" recommendation she swears she never made. The crew finishes off by calling out a massive 14.5-minute voice note and Clint trying (and failing) to deliver a "cute" studio fart. Bulleted Breakdown Changing Room Horrors & Distortion Mirrors: The team dissects store lighting at H&M and Hallensteins, gym "slimming" mirrors, and the tragic feeling of catching your reflection and seeing a "podgy little pig". Radical Honesty & The 7-Day Challenge: Clint arrives at the studio claiming he's "gassy," prompting a debate on fake "I'm good" greetings and inspiring Dan to answer every "how are you?" with "positively fantastic" for a week. Benson Boone’s Zero-Like Flop: Clint gets roasted for leaving a late "Mum, watch me!" dad comment on a two-week-old Benson Boone Spider-Man backflip video—and netting zero likes. The Sex Toy DM Mystery & The Hits Crossover: Meg receives a strange DM asking about a pleasure toy she allegedly recommended on air. The crew calls up Megan from The Hits to check if it was her—uncovering a Satisfyer Pro debate—before Meg realizes the fan was actually referencing a luggage review video from years ago. 14-Minute Voice Notes & The Fart Finale: Meg calls out listener Liam for sending a ridiculously long 14.5-minute voice message, followed by Clint attempting a "cute" mic fart that completely backfires.

Clint, Meg, and Dan kick off Friday chatting about mix-ups over what day it is and a flu jab PSA as influenza A spreads, then preview New Music Friday and discuss Will Ferrell’s support of his musician son and Zayn Malik’s farm-life photo dump. The show takes calls, including a Whanganui courier driver, before Clint explains correcting his 11-year-old who said “you get the jizz” instead of “gist,” leading to an awkward birds-and-bees talk. Highlights include Clint finally making fire with two sticks after a boss challenge, triggering a $1,000 splurge giveaway, plus the Producer’s Diary recap, a chicken-calling contest, and an ‘I’m single’ hat experiment for Producer Brady. They also surprise student Jade with Olivia Dean tickets and award the $1,000 to Nafar to treat her solo mum. 00:00 Friday Morning Banter 00:56 Coffee Catch-Up Flu Jabs 03:25 New Music Friday Picks 04:20 Celebrity Scandal Chat 07:01 First Call Courier Life 10:30 Naughty 640 Jizz Mixup 14:33 Fire Challenge Cash Tease 17:15 Easy Money Letter I 19:37 Producer Diary Highlights 24:49 Clint the Flint Recap 28:20 How to Burn a Grand 29:44 Chicken Calling Contest Setup 30:11 Chicken Calling Finals 33:50 Meg Tries Chicken Call 35:01 Alex Warren Hit the Spot 38:44 Single Hat Dating Hack 42:53 Brady Wears Single Hat 45:20 Easy Money Letter K 47:36 Olivia Dean Ticket Surprise 55:16 Fire Challenge Cash Ideas 57:36 Nafar Wins for Mum

Linda, with her four children, celebrating the Millennium Cat is the eldest of four children born to Linda and Glyn Razzell. “Mum had mental health problems, so the immediate assumption was that she had run away, and left the children. But we all knew he was violent”, she says. “He had been acquitted twice of attacking her… me, and then my brother and sister had witnessed it.”In March 2002, just weeks before she disappeared, Razzell had been acquitted of the unlawful wounding of Linda. It was the second time he had been found not guilty of violence towards her. Razzell was jailed for life in November 2003. He had claimed that Linda, from whom he was estranged, had disappeared, walking away and leaving their four children. A week earlier, the Family Court had frozen his bank account, because he was refusing to pay child maintenance. The prosecution case was that his motivation was primarily financial; he wanted to access his money without having to go to court. On March 19th, 2002, Razzell borrowed a car from a friend, then drove across Swindon to abduct Linda from an alleyway on her route to work. He then murdered her and disposed of her body.He was arrested eight days after her disappearance. There were significant inconsistencies in his story, and police accused him of disposing of evidence. He applied twice for leave to appeal, in 2004 and 2005, but was refused both times. He then went to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, (CCRC), which also refused. Never having shown remorse or admitted guilt, he was refused parole three years in a row. The first attempt was in 2021, when he became the first prisoner to be denied parole under Helen's Law. This legal principle is named after Helen Court, a 22-year-old insurance clerk murdered in 1988 by Ian Simms. Like Linda, her body has never been found.The Prisoners (Disclosure of Information about Victims) Act 2020 requires a parole board to weigh a convicted murderer's refusal to the location of their remains. In January this year, the parole board approved his release, claiming he was no longer a risk. But four months after the Parole Board's ruling, the High Court overturned the decision to release Razzell. Judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said she was “not persuaded that the risk has diminished to such a level that offender management is capable of keeping the public safe if the defendant is released”.It was the first time that the High Court had overturned a Parole Board ruling after a referral from the Secretary of State for Justice.Following the decision, Cat said her father was “actively choosing to be controlling and abusive from within prison”.Listen to my interview with Cat, in which she speaks about her mother's disappearance when Cat was just 14, and how not knowing where her mother's body is has affected her and her siblings. Razzell has never admitted his crimes, and shows no remorse. Cat RazzellThe full judgement from the High CourtA BBC report from 17th August on what happens next for RazzellAdvocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AFFDA) website and report on the case This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit juliebindel.substack.com/subscribe

Back in 1993, a Dunedin farmer stumbled upon a sea lion mother nursing a pup near Taieri Mouth, and Mum - as the pup was named - is considered the founder of Otago's sea lion population. Fast forward and the city is teeming with sea lions, captured in a new documentary.

Having a baby doesn't just change your life it can completely change your relationship. In this episode I sit down with Shan Boodram, certified sex educator and sexologist, to have an honest conversation about what really happens to love, intimacy, identity and connection after becoming parents. Shan opens up about reaching a point eight months after having her first child where she genuinely questioned whether her marriage would survive. We unpack why the first year can put enormous pressure on couples, how resentment builds when parenting starts to feel transactional, and why both mothers and fathers can experience profound identity shifts after having children. We also talk about mum guilt, maintaining your career after motherhood, navigating judgement from other parents, sharing the mental load, keeping intimacy alive when you're exhausted, and why sometimes saving your relationship means creating an entirely new relationship with the same person. If you're pregnant, already a parent, questioning whether you want children, or simply want to understand how relationships evolve through major life transitions, this episode is for you. In this episode, we discuss: • How motherhood and fatherhood change your identity • Matrescence and patrescence • Why the first year after having a baby can be so difficult for couples • The invisible pressures placed on mothers • Mum guilt and choosing to continue your career • How unequal parenting creates resentment • Why fathers need emotional support too • Maintaining sex and intimacy after children • Sleeping separately without losing connection • Why choosing not to have children isn't selfish • How to rebuild a relationship that's struggling • Protecting the parts of yourself you don't want motherhood to erase matrescence, patrescence, postpartum relationships, intimacy after baby, mum guilt, working mothers, parenting relationships, relationship advice, motherhood identity, maintaining intimacy, parenting resentment, modern motherhood

What if rising property values are making Australians wealthier on paper, while leaving many of us feeling less secure, more stressed and less satisfied with life?   Australia is a prosperous country, and millions of homeowners have built substantial wealth through property. Yet measures of happiness have remained flat or declined, while younger Australians increasingly feel locked out of the property market and excluded from the prosperity they see around them.   In today's show, I'm going to explore the growing divide between property wealth and personal wellbeing, and why housing now affects far more than our bank balances.   We'll look at how declining affordability, mortgage and rental stress, social media and the widening gap between property owners and non-owners are changing the way Australians feel about their future.   I'll also explain why money and property wealth still matter, but work best when they provide security, choices and control over your time rather than becoming part of an endless race to accumulate more.   By the end of today's show, I hope you'll have a clearer understanding of how to pursue financial independence without losing sight of the life your wealth is meant to support.   Takeaways    • Rising property wealth can still leave people feeling worse through constant comparison. • Younger Australians face affordability barriers, delayed entry, and weaker deposit support. • The Bank of Mum and Dad creates unequal housing outcomes for similar earners. • Social media amplifies envy by showcasing highlights, not the hidden costs. • Housing insecurity affects belonging, privacy, stability, and long-term life satisfaction. • Rent rises can absorb wage growth and intensify household financial pressure. • The hedonic treadmill makes each achievement feel normal surprisingly quickly. • Wealth creates freedom when it reduces stress and expands life choices. • Community connection and walkable neighbourhoods improve wellbeing beyond financial measures. • Strategic investing should protect sleep, not fuel endless comparison and debt.   Links and Resources:   Answer this week's trivia question here - https://www.PropertyTrivia.com.au/ ·        Win a hard copy of How to grow a multimillion-dollar property portfolio in your spare time. ·        Everyone wins a copy of a fully updated property report.   Michael Yardney   Get the team at Metropole to help build your personal Strategic Property Plan. Click here and have a chat with us.   Get a bundle of free reports and eBooks: www.PodcastBonus.com.au   Also, please subscribe to my other podcast Demographics Decoded with Simon Kuestenmacher – just look for Demographics Decoded wherever you are listening to this podcast and subscribe so each week we can unveil the trends shaping your future.   About The Michael Yardney Podcast | Property Investment And Wealth Creation Australia   Success in property investment isn't just about numbers - it's about mindset, behaviour and decision making.   In The Michael Yardney Podcast, we explore the psychology of wealth, the habits of successful investors, and how to think strategically during uncertain market conditions.   Regular topics include: • Psychology of money and wealth• Investor behaviour and market cycles• Rich habits vs poor habits• High performance mindset• Risk management thinking• Decision making under pressure• Long-term investing discipline• Overcoming fear in property markets• Building wealth through strategy, not speculation   If you want to avoid common investor mistakes and develop the mindset required to build lasting wealth in Australia's property market, this podcast is for you.   More resources at:https://propertyupdate.com.auhttps://metropole.com.au

In today's episode: Ben got a hairy 610 Quiz: Eff bomb dropped Ben finally saw a movie Evil laugh comp gets out of hand Logies wrap up Smell my fingers Liam tries to answer sex ed questions Curly questions from kids Did someone famous live in your house? Liam’s Mum was friendly to some bikies This bird can make a camera sound Secret stain: Is it water? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a heatwave outside the Judge Bex chambers, and court reporters Lauren and Connor are just hoping the air conditioning holds up for two brand new cases...First up, Abigail is taking her mum to court over a serious coffee problem. Two coffees go in every morning, the burps come out, and Abigail says her mum never once apologises. Mum arrives with a defence built on science, claiming it's just her stomach letting out a bit of air, and that it's surely better out of the top than the bottom. But then there's the small matter of the 90s singing... will Judge Bex side with Abigail, or will Mum get to keep both her coffees?Then, Ivy says her big sister Georgia promised her an art lesson six whole months ago and still hasn't delivered. Georgia reckons she has a very good excuse: A levels, a job, and hardly any sleep. Ivy just wants some help drawing flowers for her school landscape. Can Judge Bex find a judgment that gets everybody painting?Plus, Lauren reads one law book and decides she's ready to take on Judge Bex herself. It does not go well.Got a case you need Judge Bex's help with? Get to funkidslive.com/judgebex right now and let her know!Support the show: https://funkidslive.com/plusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of Local Legends Martin chats with best-selling author of over 80 books, Sue Bentley! As Sue explains, her decision to 'become a writer' didn't happen particularly early in her life, though she was ever a reader, inspired by books like Denys Watkins-Pitchford's The Little Grey Men, Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows, and C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.Only when she was a Mum with children off at school did she decide to put pen to paper, and after ten years of work found herself in print - as an erotic novelist, working under the first of what soon became many pen names!From children's fairy stories to ghost written celebrity books to the dark Gothic fantasy she most enjoys writing today, she has had a fascinating career, rooted in a fascinating place!We dig into Northamptonshire's folklore and heritage, including Sue's love of the Romantic poet John Clare, and, because it's 'Birth Week' on Three Ravens we chat birth folklore as well, including fairy 'stocks', changelings, and 'Chime Children'.We of course get into Sue's most recent novels as well, including We Other, Second Skin, and her upcoming book Flesh Endures - and along the way dig into condescending ideas of 'Women's Fiction' and Romantasy, the significance of the Lang Fairy Tales, and a whole bunch more!Learn more about Sue and her wonderful books at https://www.suebentley.co.uk - though Sue's brand new website goes live on 28th August - which is also the day of the cover reveal for Flesh Endures, so mark your diaries!And as for where to find Sue on social media, she is on Instagram @therealsuebentley, Facebook @suebentleyauthor and on TikTok @suebentley09About Three Ravens

There's a simmering concern on Wall Street about Nvidia and CEO Jensen Huang's role as leader of the AI revolution. Despite bringing in billions of dollars in profit from the GPUs powering AI, investors are worried about the company's recent “circular” deals with other tech companies, and some are asking if the chip giant is building the future of AI or inflating the next tech bubble. To better understand Huang, the man pulling the strings of this global AI boom, Danny Fortson and Mark Sellman revisit an interview with Stephen Witt, author of ‘The Thinking Machine', a history of Jensen Huang and Nvidia. Stephen talks about how Huang hatched the idea for Nvidia in a diner, why getting rich was his biggest fear, and the time he got shouted at by the CEO. Watch on YouTube Read more: Nvidia is becoming tech's Bank of Mum and Dad Get in touch: techpod@thetimes.co.uk Producer: Marnie Duke Executive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaVideo Producer: Bronwen LathamImage: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During August, the Motherkind team and I try to practise what we preach by slowing down, taking some time off and making the juggle just a little easier over the summer holidays.So, throughout the month, we're bringing you some of our most listened-to episodes of the year so far.If you're the person who remembers the PE kits, books the appointments, sorts the childcare, knows when the suncream needs reapplying and automatically assumes you're looking after the children unless you've specifically arranged otherwise — this episode is for you.This week's episode is with author Lou Beckett for a brilliantly honest conversation about being the default parent and the invisible mental, emotional and physical load so many mothers carry.Lou describes default parenting as something bigger than the mental load. It's not only thinking about everything that needs to happen; it's doing it, managing it and carrying the underlying assumption that ultimately, you are responsible. And often, couples don't consciously choose these roles at all. They simply fall into them after having children and never stop to renegotiate them.We talk about what that does to your identity, your relationship and your time — including Lou's experience of stepping away from her career while her husband's career accelerated, and the gradual feeling that she had lost sight of who she was outside motherhood.Lou also shares what has actually helped them change the dynamic at home: having honest conversations about responsibility, creating space for both parents' needs and recognising that wanting time for yourself doesn't make you selfish. We also talk about the enormous standards mothers place on themselves, comparison, mum guilt and why sometimes “good enough” really is enough.This is a funny, validating and incredibly relatable conversation for any mother who has ever thought: Why does everything seem to fall to me?

In this Meaningful Money Q&A (Episode 58), Pete Matthew and Roger Weeks answer six real listener questions on the money decisions facing UK savers and investors. We cover paying off your mortgage versus investing, gifting surplus income to manage care fees and inheritance tax, and how to buy capital gains tax-free gold. We also explore consolidating pensions before retirement and how LGPS members can weigh up AVCs versus ISAs and AVCs versus APCs. Tune in for clear, practical UK personal finance, pensions and retirement planning guidance - education, not advice. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA58    02:18  Question 1 Hi team Been listening for ages and having a psychological meltdown over this. I have approx £20k in my S&S ISA and £20k left on my mortgage.  How can I justify the decision to pull the trigger and pay it off?  Note that I also have £30k approx in a cash ISA and £5k float easy access.  I also overpay the mortgage about £800-£1k per month but that's eased off the last few months, with the money diverted to an early year getaway. I'm aware there isn't a perfect result or conclusion but I'm struggling to get past how to make the decision. In context, I do have a big holiday coming up later in the year (£5k-9k expected spend), but I'm itching to pay this off and get regular investing. It might be that writing this email I'm working it out for myself but I'd be keen to hear your thoughts (not advice!) on how I can think about the situation or other angles maybe I'm not thinking about. Michael 07:33  Question 2 Hi Pete, Roger & Nick, Many thanks for your podcasts.  Listening to you has been a part of my weekly habits for several years and I feel that you have been a "gateway" which has helped me to get a better grip on my future.   Thanks a lot! My question is how much to put aside for care fees when compared with potential IHT liability.  Specifically whether to advise my mum to gift her future surplus income instead of investing in her ISA? Mum is 88, and in reasonably good health. She has £330k in a S&S ISA, £50k premium bonds and owns her property worth £600k. Mum's  monthly spending is £500, her monthly income (from pensions) is £2k.  Leaving mum with surplus income of £1.5k per month. Mum already makes gifts of £100 per month to her two grandchildren from her surplus income and uses her annual gift exemption of £3k per annum. I have LPA (F&A & H&W) for mum.   It is important to me that I treat mum and her finances with respect and stay focussed on mums needs (rather than that of me and my immediate family).  As such I have been transferring mums surplus income into her S&S ISA each quarter, so that Mum has enough money to do whatever she wants to do. I am wondering what is the point in continuing to put more money into mums ISA when she has more money than she needs already. Mum is widowed; has no desire to travel abroad; make any changes to the house; buy a new car or similar.   Mums immediate financial needs are met via her pension income.   Therefore aside from potential care home fees I wonder what is the point in continuing to boost Mums investments via the ISA. Assuming care home (nursing home) fees of £2k per week equates to £104k per annum.   It seems to me that Mum has over 3 years of fees covered before she would need to sell her house. I am an only child and executor for mums will.  Currently mum has left her estate to me in her will.   Mum says she "doesn't want her hard earned money going to the tax man".   My concern is that if Mum's S&S ISA continues to grow then her estate will be subject to IHT when she dies, unless of course the money is eaten up with care fees. With this in mind I wonder whether to advise mum that her future surplus income should be gifted rather than invested. What are your thoughts? Many thanks for your excellent work! Kind regards, The Rusholme Ruffian 14:37 Question 3 Hello Pete and Roger (no d!) Great podcast! I hope all the good karma you give out comes back to you! Quick and short question: I am aware some physical gold holdings are subject to CGT but some, such as gold sovereigns and Royal mint bullion are exempt. So are there CGT exempt gold holdings that one can buy and keep in a GIA to sell later CGT free? Many thanks and keep going! Adam 16:52 Question 4 Hi Pete, Hi Rog My son put me onto your podcast some time ago and I've been working through the back catalogue from 2019 and am currently up to 2023. I have also bought the Retirement Guide book and plan to join the Academy later this year.  Like everyone else, I wish I'd found this years ago!  But hey ho, we are where we are. I'm 57 and plan to retire next year.  My wife gave up work to look after our children and so apart from state pension all our pension funds are those I've been able to accumulate through my various jobs.  I have 4 pensions - 1 DB and 3 DC.  One of the DCs is in drawdown as I had to withdraw the tax free element a couple of years ago for reasons I won't go into (but I was careful not to trigger the MPAA).   I now work in Financial Services and you won't believe the Compliance hoops I would have to get through to change out of the default pension funds and likewise consolidation of the DC pensions - that will have to wait until I actually retire. Having listened to so many episodes, I have loads of questions but the ones spinning through my head the most are:- 1. Can I consolidate a DC in drawdown with my virgin, untouched DCs and does it matter if I wait until I retire to do so? If yes, how would that be presented to me by the provider. 2. With investments all in one person's name, is there anyway that imbalance can be addressed? For example, what options are there to make use of tax allowances which my wife may have to minimise tax. Is it possible to transfer some of my pension to my wife? - I suspect not. Do we need separate cash pots (in case of death of one of us)? 3. In the Home Straight season and in the book you list a number of questions to ask DC providers. Are there any questions I should be asking my DB provider? even if they are just the practicalities. Thanks again for the podcasts and guidance.  Say Hello to Cornwall for me - I'm sure we'll be visiting Fowey more often when do retire.  (Don't suppose you or Roger can recommend a book on the history of Cornwall?) Mark 24:30 Question 5 Hi Pete and Roger, I'm in my early 50s and only now feel like I'm reaching a stage where I have some financial breathing space, but it has also triggered panic that I may be behind and need to make the most of the next 8–10 years. For context, I was a single mother for 24 years. During much of that time I worked part-time on a relatively low salary while contributing to the LGPS. My children have now left home and over the last eight years I returned to full-time work and progressed professionally. I'm now earning just above the higher-rate tax threshold at £62,000. Over the last eight years I have aggressively focused on becoming debt free and paid my mortgage off last year. I currently: - contribute 8.5% into LGPS (part final salary part CARE) - Just opened an AVC £550 per month cost to me - Just opened a stocks and shares investment platform where I can comfortably afford upto £250 per month - save £600 per month into a cash ISA for flexibility/emergency funds - currently hold around £20k in cash isa savings I would ideally like the option to retire around 60, perhaps gradually rather than stopping work completely overnight. My question is: Given my relatively late start to focused financial planning (and lack of understanding) am I broadly approaching this in the right way, and what else should someone in my position be considering over the next decade to build a secure but flexible retirement? I'd also be interested in your thoughts on balancing AVCs versus ISAs at this stage of life, and whether people like me should focus more on flexibility or maximum pension accumulation. Thank you, I've just found your podcast and will be listening help reduce some of the fear around pensions and investments I have. Regards, Lotty 32:12  Question 6 Hi Pete and Roger I'm loving the podcast and it has really helped focus my mind and be more intentional about my finances, having not really saved or invested for the first 40 years of my life. I am a relatively low earner with a salary of £30,000, which means I can only afford to commit around £200 a month for savings and investments, but I do save anything left over at the end of the month too. I could look for a higher paid role, but my current job gives me a lot of flexibility including mostly home working and because I have worked in local government for 20 years I get very good sickness and redundancy benefits, as well as a defined benefit pension which I have been paying into from the start of my employment. This will guarantee me my final salary on retirement, although that assumes I work until 68, which is longer than I want to ideally. [ALARM!} I have built up an emergency fund of 1 month salary and will try and get that to 2 months, but with my sickness and redundancy benefits I don't feel I necessarily need the 3-6 months which is recommended by many. I also have a stocks and shares ISA which I am hoping to build up and not spend until retirement, with the plan of using it to bridge the gap before I draw on my pension. I am now considering making additional contributions to my pension and have two options available to me. One is to make Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) via the Prudential and the other is Additional Pension Contributions (APCs) through the scheme itself. With AVCs my employer will pay in with me, but they don't with APCs. With my employer paying in with me that makes me wonder if AVCs may be a better option. Alternatively, as I don't have much money to put in I may keep my pension contributions as they are and focus on my stocks and shares ISA. I know you can't tell me which route to take, but I am interested in your thoughts and perhaps there are some questions I should be putting to my pension provider to give me more clarity. Apologies for the length of the question. Many thanks, Andrew   Jacksons - https://jacksons.life  Meaningful Academy Retirement Planning: https://meaningfulacademy.com/retirementplanning  Meaningful Coaching: https://meaningfulcoaching.co.uk 

Ask Rachel anythingIn this episode of Teenagers Untangled, we're talking about what happens when the children we've poured our hearts, time, and energy into finally leave home. If you're facing the prospect of a child heading off to university or moving out—and feeling anything from pride and excitement to grief, anxiety, or a loss of identity—this episode is for you.First, I revisit a powerful conversation with mindfulness coach Susie Asli, where we unpack empty nest syndrome:why feelings of grief, loneliness, or even physical symptoms like sleeplessness and nausea are a normal response,how your identity as a parent can feel shaken when your child leaves,and practical ways to prepare yourself emotionally, rebuild routines, and reconnect—with yourself, with your partner, and with your wider life.Then I speak with Hannah Bankier, a coach specialising in personal and professional transitions and founder of Birdie Launcher. Hannah invites us to rethink the very idea of an “empty nest” and instead see this stage as a launchpad—for our children and for ourselves. She shares:how to start preparing years before your child leaves,how to evolve your parenting from “controller” to “mentor,”how to co-create a new kind of relationship with your emerging adult,and how to rediscover your own purpose, joy, and identity beyond being “Mum.”You're not broken if you're feeling grief. You're ready to start a new chapter.Hannah BankierAll the tips from this episodeSupport the showPlease hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. There's no shame in reaching out for support. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.Find all the tips from the episdoe on Substack: My emailMy website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact meInstagramFacebookYou can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

In this week's episode, I'm talking about doing things before you're ready. When I joined the direct selling industry back in 2005, I certainly wasn't ready. I'd bought a kit to earn a little bit of extra money, give myself a bit of my life back after having children and, if I'm honest, escape from just being Mum for a little while. I had no business experience and didn't really know what I was doing. But I joined anyway. Then somebody asked to join my team before I knew how to look after somebody. Social media came along before I knew how to use it. People in my team started asking me how to recruit before I really understood how I was recruiting people myself. At every stage, I ended up having to learn by doing the thing before I felt ready to do it. I also share the story of going for my first incentive trip in 2009. I didn't achieve it. I made plenty of mistakes, didn't plan properly and didn't really understand what it was going to take. But because I went for it anyway, I knew what to do differently the following year, and in 2010, I achieved an amazing trip to Hong Kong. That experience has repeated itself throughout my business. I've invested in coaching before I was ready, gone for leadership levels before I was ready, started this podcast before I knew how to make a podcast and tried plenty of other things without really knowing what I was doing. Because you don't learn from not doing the thing. You learn from trying it, getting things wrong, tweaking them and having another go. So I want you to have a think about the thing in your business that you're waiting until you're ready to do. Pick one thing and go and do it. You might get it wrong. It might not go smoothly. But you'll learn far more from doing it than you ever will from waiting for the perfect time. If you liked this episode, please share with your teams. And give this podcast a follow, a rating and a review. It helps me help more people. Grab yourself a copy of my free download, 100 Ways to Grow Your Customer Base here: https://annagreen.kartra.com/page/web-100ways And get 104 Post Ideas to Attract Your Ideal Teamie free here: https://annagreen.kartra.com/page/104-post-ideas Find me on socials here: Facebook www.facebook.com/annagreenmentor My Facebook Community www.facebook.com/groups/directsellingsuccesscommunity Instagram www.instagram.com/directsellingsuccess TikTok www.tiktok.com/@directsellingsuccess

You left. So why doesn't it feel over yet?

Footage of Trump’s recent French exit off of an Air Force One plane has revealed that he snuck away in the catering cart and was not in fact aboard the plane with the Journalists like we thought. So for the first time, Chrissie’s siding with Trump on this one backing his decision and anyone else’s decision to French Exit at the next social soiree. Plus, what was the last text you got from your Mum?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Pivot The Path, we're coming off a wild final round at the Wyndham Championship — the last stop before the FedEx Cup Playoffs field gets locked in. Michael Brennan once again proved his nerve under pressure, with a final round -6, including 5 consecutive birdies to hold off a strong, albeit, up and down round from Beau Hossler - searching for his maiden victory. As a family business, we sincerely find joy in Mum and Dad being the first to congratulate their son with the powerful words, “We're going to the Masters”. Trophies and checks are nice - a strong family unit is key!!On the flip side, Brooks Koepka walked off Sedgefield admitting he has no confidence over the ball right now. Same sport, same pressure, two completely different results.That contrast is exactly where we're headed this week: A quick round is a good round.The research backs up what we preach at SSWING: the best players commit to their pre-shot in 10-15 seconds increments. No hovering, no second-guessing. Under pressure, golfers tend to start overthinking their mechanics instead of trusting them — and that's when things fall apart. Speed isn't about rushing. It's about not giving doubt a seat at the table.Shop the  G'day Golfers hat

INTERVIEW: Alix Whittaker, producer of 'Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant' screening at the New Zealand International Film Festival by Lily Jane on Radio One 91FM Dunedin

Priortising family has led one mum-of-three to a life on the power tools, rather than in the hospital ward. Nearly six years ago Amanda Fitzgerald was juggling shifts as an oncology nurse at Starship Hospital in Auckland. But when her father died, the family moved to Reporoa to support her Mum on the family farm. To make a living Amanda started her own all female lawn mowing business, SheMows. Amanda Fitzgerald spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Kiran and Liam haul Kumi into court over his obsession with Kid Time Storytime, a puppet show they beg for morning, noon and night. Kiran has even drawn up a roster so everyone gets a fair turn to pick, but Kumi picks their show every single time, and when they don't get their way, out come the very long, very loud tantrums... Can they win back a share of the listening? And wait until you hear Kumi’s own story about a witch, a pterodactyl and a stolen pair of pants! Then nine-year-old Darcy takes her mum to court over bedtime. Darcy is sent up at half past six, the same time as her two-year-old cousin AJ, and doesn’t wake up until seven the next morning. Mum reckons she’d send her up even earlier, and starts talking rather fondly about Victorian children being seen and not heard... Judge Bex has done her research on how much sleep a nine-year-old actually needs. Is Mum about to lose this one? Got a case you need Judge Bex’s help with? Get to funkidslive.com/judgebex right now and let her know!Support the show: https://funkidslive.com/plusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sweden's Daniel Stahl grew up following the NHL and he started out playing ice hockey, but discus thrower Ricky Bruch was always young Daniel's biggest hero.Bruch was like a rockstar, a real cultural icon as well as a sportsman. His admiration for Ricky, and the fact that you can't play ice hockey all year round, helped him to find track and field. Mum and Dad were throwers too, so he had the genes to succeed when he finally picked up the discus.Daniel wasn't an overnight success as a discus thrower, and he explains why the journey to the top took time. But when he got there, the medals were gold. Doha in 2019 was the first of his three world titles but, it was all so overwhelming, that Daniel believes he wouldn't have won the Tokyo Olympic Games if they had gone ahead as scheduled in 2020. Instead, when those Games did take place, he was better prepared mentally to deal with everything.A second world title followed and then, on the final night of the 2025 World Championships, he claimed his third. It was special for so many reasons. He was back in Tokyo in the same stadium where he'd won the Olympics, but this time with a crowd. In terms of the night itself, it rained and it rained and it rained.In the end, everything else had finished. It was the last night of the Championships and even the closing ceremony had ended, but the discus throwers were still out there. What was it like dealing with all of the delays? Watching as the volunteers tried and failed to mop up the rain from the throwing circle using a seemingly endless supply of towels? Daniel watched it like it was a comedy show, knowing he was ready after preparing for those conditions for months.We also discuss the prospect of completing the career grand slam. He's won the Olympics and the Worlds, but the European title is the one that's missing.Finally, did his hero Ricky Bruch ever give him any advice?Photo: Daniel Stahl of Team Sweden competes during the Men's Discus Throw Final on day nine of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 at National Stadium on September 21, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. (Credit: Getty Images)

For years, your identity is "Mum."Then one day, your children stop needing you the same way… and nobody prepares you for what comes next.After four weeks travelling through St. Tropez, Paris and Egypt, Caroline realised something had quietly changed. Her children were building lives of their own—and instead of feeling loss, she discovered an unexpected sense of freedom.Caroline opens up about the guilt mothers are taught to carry, why she's done apologising for putting herself first, and how letting go doesn't mean loving your children any less. It means giving them exactly what you've spent years preparing them for: independence.From motherhood and divorce to business, reinvention and rediscovering yourself after 50, this is an honest conversation about becoming more than "just Mum."Because motherhood shouldn't be the end of your story.Maybe the best years of your life are only just beginning.✨ If this episode resonated with you and you're ready to invest in your own next chapter, applications are now open for the exclusive Stanbury Retreats private island experience in the Maldives, taking place 14–17 November. Join Caroline and an intimate group of women for four transformative days focused on reinvention, confidence, connection and personal growth.Apply here: https://www.stanburyretreats.com/2-landing-page-2000-1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While we're on our summer break we're diving back into the Table Manners archive to relive some of our favourite episodes from 18 amazing series! First up we're remembering when we invited Callum Turner over for a fish dinner back in early 2020. After a mesmerising performance as Sean Emery in the BBC's The Capture, he was about to star in the new film 'Emma' playing Frank Churchill. We talked to the Londoner about growing up on a Chelsea estate with his Mum, who was a night club promoter, supporting Chelsea (

You know it was abuse. But written down, each moment sounds small. This is the episode about proving it. Part 5 of our six-part coercive control series with clinical psychologist Krasi Kirova. Mum and I work through your questions on affidavits, evidence, police reports and what the family court is actually looking for. LISTEN IF YOU... - Have kept notes for a year and worry they sound petty - Have been told by a lawyer that coercive control does not matter - Reported to police and were dismissed because there was no stalking or tracking - Are writing an affidavit and do not know what to include - Are still being controlled through emails, handovers and admin after final orders - Are terrified of going back to court This is general information, not legal or psychological advice. It reflects Australian family law and may not apply to your situation. Always get independent advice. This episode discusses coercive control, family violence, financial abuse and sexual betrayal. If you are in danger call 000. Support: 1800 RESPECT 1800 737 732. 00:00 - Explaining Coercive Control When No One Believes You 01:00 - Series Recap and Meet Clinical Psychologist Krasi Kirova 02:30 - Legal Disclaimer and Family Violence Trigger Warning 03:50 - Stacy: How Do I Make My Notes Matter in Court? 06:00 - Why Each Incident Sounds Petty: The Puzzle Piece Problem 07:00 - Death by a Thousand Cuts: Proving Cumulative Harm 09:30 - When the Judge Spots the Pattern Themselves 10:30 - What Courts Look For: Coercive Control and the Property Pool 14:00 - Your Affidavit Is the Proof, So You Have to Say It 14:20 - Anonymous: Should Infidelity Go in My Affidavit? 18:00 - DARVO Explained: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender 19:00 - Win: Can I Use Voice Memos and Home Security Footage? 21:40 - Legal Gatekeeping: When Your Lawyer Says It Does Not Matter 26:00 - How to Change Lawyers Mid-Case Without the Confrontation 28:00 - Katina: The Police Dismissed My Coercive Control Report 30:00 - The Empower You App and Finding a Station That Listens 33:20 - Roberta: Protection Orders When He Explains Everything Away 35:00 - Why Criminal, DV and Family Courts Do Not Talk to Each Other 37:00 - Samantha: Post-Separation Control After Final Orders 41:40 - Grey Rock, Escalation and When to Get a Risk Assessment 43:30 - Coercive Control Versus Ordinary Co-Parenting Conflict 46:30 - Admin Burden as Control: Fix It in Your Parenting Orders 50:00 - Jenna: When His Lawyer Becomes the Mouthpiece 54:00 - Lee: Fear of Court and a Teenager Who Will Not Visit 58:00 - Court Fear Is the Last Hook They Have Left 01:00:00 - Gina: What Evidence Is Actually Enough? 01:02:00 - Thresholds: Therapist Versus Police Versus Family Court 01:04:00 - The Marathon Analogy: Kicked, Then Blamed for Slowing Down 01:06:00 - Never Stop Documenting Until the Behaviour Stops 01:12:00 - The Magistrate Who Knew What Coercive Control Was 01:14:30 - Krasi's Conference Talk and Next Week: Healing EPISODES MENTIONED DARVO in the Family Court - https://youtu.be/pRMOfozwBKs?si=-YgsXkz8ybMB_lkr Documenting Coercive Control - https://youtu.be/SIyXCGXH5nw?si=SY_8UNT5puZ7Uj_F Reporting to Police, Step by Step - https://youtu.be/s7vH5a9y7cA?si=sm1ReJaVxsvqKlNS 1800 RESPECT - 1800 737 732 (24/7 DV support) Lifeline - 13 11 14 Police - 000 (immediate danger) The Divorce Course - www.thedivorcecourse.com.au The Divorce Course Podcast - www.thedivorcecourse.com.au/blog Empower You app - free documentation app run by NSW Police Krasi Kirova - clinical psychologist and board-approved supervisor Share your experience anonymously for Krasi's conference talk: [LINK] If this episode helped you understand how to prove coercive control, please follow, rate, review and share The Divorce Course Podcast so others going through the same thing can find this information too.

Is it possible to absolutely love being a mum... and still feel like something is missing? For so many women, motherhood brings immense joy—but it can also bring an unexpected sense of loss. The loss of confidence, identity, ambition or simply remembering who you were before everyone needed a piece of you. In this deeply honest conversation, I sit down with author, speaker and coach Benita Bensch to talk about the parts of motherhood we don't often say out loud. Benita shares her journey through raising four boys on the land, experiencing two significant periods of burnout she describes as "the black hole," and the long road back to reconnecting with herself. Together, we explore why so many mothers feel invisible, how our inner stories can keep us stuck, and why asking for what you need isn't selfish—it's essential. If you've ever wondered, "Who am I outside of being Mum?" this episode is for you. In this episode we discuss: Why it's possible to love motherhood and still crave more for yourself Feeling invisible after becoming a mum The identity shift that comes with motherhood Benita's experience of burnout, anxiety and finding herself again Why reconnecting with your creativity matters Letting go of guilt around wanting something for yourself The power of boundaries, self-awareness and asking for help Practical ways to reconnect with yourself when life feels overwhelming If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love for you to share it with another mum who needs to hear that she's not alone. Do you feel like you have to choose between being a good mum and having a meaningful career? Carina speaks with clinical psychologist and executive coach Dr. Anne Welsh, a mum of four who specialises in maternal mental health and works with women in leadership and working mothers navigating exactly this tension. We talk about why the "escalation of modern motherhood" means today's mums are being asked to do more, emotionally, logistically, and professionally, than any generation before them, and why that's not a personal failing, it's a systemic shift. Anne shares the research behind why quality time with your kids matters more than quantity, why the mental load is so much heavier than a to-do list, and a simple exercise to help you work out who you are now that you're a mother - not just who you were told to be. If you've ever felt the ground shift under your identity after having kids, or wondered whether ambition and motherhood can actually coexist, this episode is your permission slip to stop choosing and start figuring out what you actually want. In this episode we cover: Why ambition and motherhood have historically been treated as opposites The "escalation of modern motherhood" and why the mental load keeps growing The research on quality vs. quantity of time with your kids A simple exercise to reconnect with your identity after becoming a mum Why naming what you want is one of the most powerful things you can do How to give yourself permission to focus on what matters to you, not what you "should" be doing Connect with Benita Bensch Instagram: @benitabensch  Website: benitabensch.com Book: Seen Again: Light on Matrescence  Connect with Carina and Working Mumma  Follow on Instagram  Follow Working Mumma podcast on Instagram Connect with Carina on LinkedIn Subscribe to the newsletter   

Next of Kin After Stroke: When Your 19-Year-Old Has to Decide For You Kylie Ralston was 56, living alone in Sofia, Bulgaria, and getting back into shape after a divorce. Three mornings a week she ran. On the morning everything changed, she was doing a local park run with her friend Rebecca when she slowed to a walk, then tried to run again and couldn’t. “It was like the message wasn’t getting through from my brain to my legs,” she says. No headache. No fatigue. Nothing that felt like an emergency. She finished the run, registered her time, and went home. It wasn’t until she collapsed getting out of the car that anyone understood what was happening. By the time Kylie reached hospital, she had suffered a left frontoparietal haemorrhagic stroke, a spontaneous brain bleed roughly 7.5cm across, with none of the usual risk factors. No high blood pressure. No cholesterol history. No aneurysm, no AVM. She was placed in an induced coma for four days. When she woke, she couldn’t move her right side, and she couldn’t speak. What “Next of Kin” Really Means When a Stroke Hits Abroad Kylie was a permanent resident of Bulgaria, not a citizen, divorced from her daughter’s father, and living on her own. When the hospital needed someone to authorise emergency surgery, there was exactly one person available to make that call: her daughter, then 19 years old, splitting her time between her separated parents’ homes. It’s a detail easy to skim past, but it sits at the centre of this episode: next of kin isn’t a role most of us think about until a hospital needs an answer immediately. Kylie hadn’t nominated her daughter out of any formal planning process; it simply fell to her, because she was the only adult relative in the country who met the age threshold. A 19-Year-Old Signing Consent-to-Operate Forms Kylie’s friends contacted her daughter directly. She rushed to the hospital, and unconscious, unable to advocate for herself, her mother’s care now depended on decisions made by a teenager under enormous duress. Kylie’s first memory afterward is her daughter arriving in the ICU in a hairnet and scrubs, holding her hand, telling her she loved her. It’s the kind of moment that rarely makes it into conversations about stroke recovery, because the focus so often lands on rehabilitation milestones: walking, speaking, returning to work. But before any of that, someone has to be legally empowered to say yes to surgery, and for Kylie, that someone hadn’t expected the responsibility for another few decades. The Gap Between Acute Surgery and Real Rehabilitation Bulgaria’s acute care, Kylie and her friend Nicole Nott both stress, was world-class surgery within roughly two hours of the stroke, the kind of outcome her friends still describe as a miracle given the size of the bleed. What came next was a different story. In the public hospital, physiotherapy visits totalled two sessions. There was no speech therapy. After 14 days, still unable to move her right side or speak, Kylie was expected to go home. Her partner, Guido, refused to accept it, and the couple began privately funding rehabilitation themselves. This is a distinction worth sitting with if you or someone you love is navigating stroke recovery in a country or even a region with limited public rehab funding: acute survival and functional recovery are not the same fight, and they are not always resourced the same way. When a Friend Becomes the Rehab Team Nicole Nott, an occupational therapist and Kylie’s friend since they were 16, found out about the stroke through a message she initially suspected was a scam. Within days she’d cleared her schedule and flown from Australia to Bulgaria. What she found in the private rehab hospital was a caring but under-trained care team, kind staff with, as Nicole puts it, “no rehab expertise.” Nicole spent close to two weeks restructuring Kylie’s room and routine around basic stroke rehabilitation principles: approaching from Kylie’s affected right side to address her spatial inattention, built-up cutlery to force use of her weaker hand, a balloon tapped back and forth for shoulder strength, word games layered on top for speech practice, pegs and curtains repurposed into arm exercises. She also pushed back hard against hospital staff who tried to stop her from helping Kylie transfer to a shower chair or toilet, at one point being told outright she wasn’t permitted because she was a woman. Her single goal before flying home: get Kylie toileting independently again, for dignity as much as mobility. Kylie called her from Dubai airport, mid-transit, to tell her it had happened. Living With Aphasia Fourteen months on, Kylie’s right-side weakness has largely resolved. What remains, she says, is the hardest part: expressive aphasia. “I can’t express myself like I used to.” It’s a small, telling detail of the condition that even the phrase “I can’t” is itself shaped by the aphasia; the words available to describe the loss are affected by the loss. The Unexpected Gains Both women point to what came out of the crisis alongside the hardship: Kylie’s relationship with her daughter deepened. Her circle of friends in Bulgaria proved itself in ways she hadn’t anticipated. And in the rehab hospital, her partner Guido proposed something; he told her he’d already decided before the stroke but simply hadn’t gotten around to asking. If this episode raises questions about who is legally positioned to make decisions for you and whether that person actually knows it, it may be worth a conversation with your own family before a crisis forces the issue. For a deeper account of navigating identity, recovery, and unexpected transformation after stroke, Bill’s book The Unexpected Way That A Stroke Became The Best Thing That Happened is available at recoveryafterstroke.com/book. If this show has helped you, you can support it at patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke. This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your health or recovery plan. Kylie Ralston: Stroke, Bulgaria, and the Friend Who Flew Across the World When Kylie had a stroke abroad, her 19-year-old daughter became her next of kin, and a friend flew in to help her recover. Bill’s Book: The Unexpected Way That A Stroke Became The Best Thing That Happened Support the Recovery After Stroke On Patreon Highlights: 00:00 Introduction – Next of Kin After Stroke03:47 The Day of the Stroke08:55 Rehabilitation Challenges in Bulgaria16:32 Coping with Language Barriers22:08 Reflections on Healthcare Systems32:50 Setting Goals and Achievements38:29 Family Dynamics and Support Systems45:36 Finding Meaning in Recovery54:44 The Impact of Caregiving58:22 Reflections on Recovery and Gratitude Transcript: Introduction – Next of Kin After Stroke Bill Gasiamis (00:00)And one of my first horrible thoughts was, is this a dreadful hoax? Is someone, you know, is this some horrible scam? And it made me feel quite sick actually And then I rang her son who lives in Australia and he’s like, Yeah, I’m so sorry. I haven’t told you. Yes, it’s true, mum’s had a stroke. Bill Gasiamis (00:16)Welcome back to Recovery After Stroke. I’m Bill Gasiamis, and today I’m joined by two guests, Kylie Ralston and her friend Nicole Nott. Kylie was 56 living in Bulgaria when she suffered a left frontoparietal hemorrhagic stroke, a spontaneous brain bleed with none of the usual risk factors. Nicole is an occupational therapist and one of Kylie’s closest friends since they were teenagers. And when she found out what happened, she got on a plane to Bulgaria to help. In this episode, we get into what it means to have a stroke far from home in a country where you don’t speak the language, and public rehabilitation funding barely exists. We talk about who becomes your next of kin when you least expect it, what it’s like to advocate for a friend inside a hospital system that won’t always listen. And what recovery actually looks like 14 months on, before we get into it, if you want a deeper look at identity, recovery, and unexpected transformation after stroke, my book, The Unexpected Way That Stroke Became, the best thing that happened, is available at recoveryafterstroke.com/book. And if this show has helped you And you can support it to keep me on the path of getting to a thousand episodes, you can do so At patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke Bill Gasiamis (01:37)Kylie Ralston and Nicole Nott, welcome to the podcast. lovely to be here, Bill. Thanks for having us, Bill. Kylie, tell me a little bit about what life was like before the stroke. I was very active and I had a full life and I was working full time. and I was living in Sofia in Bulgaria, in my on my own, in my own apartment. I was renting, actually. and I was getting back to fitness. So I was g getting I was running regularly. So two two or three times a week I was hitting the gym and hitting the tr the treadmill. And that had been happening for like a few month like six months or something like that. but before that I was very fit and active. What kind of work were you involved in? I was a HR work. I was a ha HR leader and so I had my own consultancy I had a team of people that I’ve managed. I had thirty five people, so and that they were people in Germany, Poland, Czechia, Portugal, France, so everywhere in in Europe, basically. Yeah. Wow, how how does an Aussie end up in Bulgaria with staff or clients in that many countries? short answer is I came here with my family, so with my ex husband. and shortly after I arrived we separated and and ultimately got divorced. and I stayed on because my daughter is here. So she was only eleven at the time and I could just couldn’t leave her. The Day of the Stroke So you were living at home with your daughter? she was sharing her time between between us both. Yeah. got it. Okay. So both parents are there. So your daughter was going backwards and forwards. On the night of the stroke or on the day of the stroke, can you take us through that? What were you experiencing? Was there anything unusual that happened that made you think something was wrong? How did it go down? I was with my friend Rebecca. And she was running ahead of me as she she was faster than me, so sh and she often often ran ahead of me. and I’d slowed down to a walk and when I started to run again or try to run again, it it was like the message wasn’t getting through from my brain to my legs. And I thought, that’s strange, that’s that’s really odd. ‘Cause I didn’t feel like tired or anything and I didn’t have a headache and well stuff like that. and I just walked through the rest of the park run. And then when Rebecca saw me coming to the finish line, she waved me over and she said, come on, let’s go register your chip. and so I did that. and she said afterwards that there was a little bit of fumbling with with my phone and there’s a there was a little bit of fumbling when I put my jacket on, but other than that, I just seemed exhausted from a run. do you recall after the experience of feeling exhausted from the run where you ended up? Did you need help? Yeah, I do. So so she didn’t notice that I wasn’t talking because I n I’m normally an endless talker, so I she didn’t notice that I wasn’t talking. And she said that that that is one thing that should have alerted her to what was happening. but it it didn’t. And so I’d caught the bus to the park run and her husband was there and so he drove me home. And I j I remember the journey home and when when we when I went to get out, I just couldn’t. And so and Mark came around to my side of the car and help tried to help me out and I just collapsed against him. And so then that so then they said, quick, something’s wrong something’s I don’t remember what they  They they said, you know, they basically took me straight to the hospital. Yeah. And also rang Guido, my now fiance, but my partner at the time. Uh-huh. So you you went from the run, attempted to go home, and then from that attempt to get you out of the car, actually into your home, it was pretty clear that that wasn’t gonna happen and you ended up in hospital. so Did you guys drive to hospital? Do you recall that? Yes. Yes. We do how far is it from your home? it’s pretty close. I don’t know about kilometres or time, but it’s but it’s like ten or fifteen minutes. Yeah, so it’s not too far. But they didn’t know what was going on, of course. They just knew something wasn’t right and then they figured one of the best things to do is just get it to a hospital. You get to the hospital Do you know what happens after that? Do you get admitted? do you get tested for anything? I suppose what I’m asking is when is the first time you realise that that you’ve had a stroke? When do they report that back? When I came out of the coma. So I was put I was put into an an induced coma straight away. so I I obviously don’t remember anything of of that. and but Rebecca’s told me afterwards. so she’s filled in the f filled in the filled in the blanks for me. and by that stage her husband thought it was a stroke. So she’s he said he said to the staff at the hospital, we think she’s having a stroke. And so yeah. So how long were you in the coma, do you know? Has somebody told you how long it was? Yeah, four four days. Four days, okay. And do you know what kind of stroke you had? Yep. I had a left Frontoparietal hemorrhagic stroke. Wow, that’s a good effort. So you had a brain bleed. Yep. Do they know what caused it? No. It was spontaneous and I didn’t have any of the risk factors. So I didn’t have high blood pressure, a history of high blood pressure, but admittedly I’d hadn’t tested my blood pressure immediately before the stroke. but you know That’s un that’s unlikely to be the cause. And I didn’t have a hi a history of high cholesterol. and so they just and I didn’t have an aneurysm and I didn’t have like what’s the other thing? The An AV AVM. AVM, yeah, I didn’t have any of that. And how old were you? Fifty six. Okay. So you had a spontaneous Bleed in the brain. That happens. People do have that happen from time to time. And sometimes they don’t have any symptoms leading up to it or anything like that. and this is the bizarre nature of like there’s an unlimited number of ways, unfortunately, for people to have a stroke. Now, you woke up in hospital four days later. What kind of deficits did you have? I couldn’t move my right side and I couldn’t speak. Okay. Now I’ve got an idea of well, I haven’t got an idea, but my mind immediately kind of says like if you’re in hospital in Bulgaria, that’s not a hospital in Melbourne. That’s not the Royal Melbourne hospital where no shit is unreal, like it’s perfect and it’s got the highest technology and it doesn’t matter how many things we can bitch and moan about the system being here like compared to Bulgaria, my expectation is that we’re world class. Perhaps that’s not the case in Bulgaria. Would you agree with that statement? I would have agreed before and my my my expat friends here would have agreed before, but now we’re all saying maybe Bulgaria is better than we thought. That’s brilliant. Awesome. Okay, so Rehabilitation Challenges in Bulgaria As far as like medical interventions and all that type of stuff, you felt like that was handled like any other world class hospital would have handled it. Yeah. In that in that s it in that stage it was. but there’s no like that was a public hospital and there’s no there’s no public funded rehab after. or or very li very little. So so that’s where that’s where Australia is ahead. So when you knew you had deficits, was there any rehabilitation whatsoever? Did you get any of that while you were still in hospital? Minimal. So the the physio came to see me twice. and so that’s so that’s all and I got no speech therapy and stuff like that. and but when I was discharged from the public hospital here and went and so they they expected me to go home from the public hospital. And so Guido said she just can’t like like what what the fuck? After how many days? After how many days, how long? Fourteen. Wow, your right side was still offline and you still had problem. Yeah. Okay. So we we just paid for paid for private rehab. got it, right. Yeah. And how long were you in private rehab for? another like two months or something like that. Right. Okay, that’s pretty cool. So i even though you couldn’t access it publicly, you were still able to Access a private now. Are you a citizen in Bulgaria? Not a citizen, a permanent resident. Okay. So do you have are you as a result of the fact that you’re a permanent resident and not a citizen, do you have different things that you are able to access because of your status? No. no. I’m it’s I have the same rights as a citizen. The only one the only right I don’t have is I’m I’m not able to vote here and I’m not I’m not able to work in other EU countries. Got it. Okay. So that’s pretty traumatizing, the whole experience, and then to have to deal with overcoming your left side and your speech deficits after the two month mark, roughly where were you at where you where you are now? Because you kinda sound pretty good. Okay. No, yeah. no and and the other thing the other thing that I must say about Bulgaria is I don’t speak Bulgarian. very very little. So that was a problem. Yeah. I can imagine, yeah. so maybe you can come in here, Nicole, and and talk about where I was at when you came to see me, because that was very very very early on in my in in the private rehab hospital. Yeah, Nicole, tell me a little bit about what it’s like to receive a phone call to find out that your friend has had a stroke. I was absolutely hellish. the way I found out is I got a message through social media from someone saying, Hey, I’m a friend of Kylie’s and she’s in hospital in Bulgaria. And one of my first horrible thoughts was, is this a dreadful hoax? Is someone, you know, is this some horrible scam? And it really, you know, it made me feel quite sick actually thinking this is that’s not someone I know. It does look like a name I’ve seen in Kylie’s kind of social media world. And then I rang her son who lives in Australia and he’s like, Yeah, I’m so sorry. I haven’t told you. Yes, it’s true, mum’s had a stroke. and I was kind of beside myself because by training I’m an occupational therapist, but Kylie and I have known each other each other since we were about 16. and it was really hard to get the information that I wanted as a friend, but also as a health professional. I was wanting to understand what kind of stroke is it? Where is it? What’s the rehab? What can we do? How’s it going? And at that stage the information that I had was that you know, it was really seriously affected the speech part of the brain and obviously the hemiplegia, the weakness down the right side and knowing that Kylie was right handed. so, you know, it’s the friendship part that your heart’s breaking and it’s also the therapist part that’s wanting the information to be able to, you know, reconcile it for myself, professionally what that was going to look like as a consequence for Kylie. Yeah, and you’re so far away, so you really can’t do anything and kind of have to like take information second hand, third hand, and be kind of in a position which is really uncomfortable for, I imagine, a friend, but also a therapist, right? So as an occupational therapist, that’s not the information you work on. You work on actual facts, scans, reports, like a whole bunch of things. So are you also playing it out in your mind? Are you kind of Doom thinking it, like are you how does it affect you personally? I think for me I was all I was really very conscious of not stressing other people. So like friends, family, because sometimes when you are a health professional, you know, you have knowledge and information and you know, you sometimes you you’re keeping that to yourself to some extent because you do know what can happen to people and you do know what consequences can be. So I was really trying not to ask too many questions of people as well. but I was seriously desperate for information. And so I remember I’d gone to a party and I didn’t really want to go because I was actually, you know, upset and stressed for Kylie. And I did end up going to a party and during the party I was really kind of outside having a bit of a downer really by a campfire. but I got a phone call or a message to say that I think you’d said some words, Kylie, and were kind of waking up. so you’re still in the acute hospital then and that you’d been able to move your leg a little bit, I think. Yeah. And you know, joy in that moment. And yeah, I felt very, very far away. And then What happens over the next few days? Like do you guys continue to communicate somehow? Do you keep getting information? Are you being updated? Yeah. Yeah. I wasn’t able to get my into my phone or my any of my devices. So I wasn’t able to able to because I couldn’t remember my password, right? And so and and I tried like d different ones and I you know I just got locked out. So and when I was able to get in then that made it it made it easier t because I was able just text short messages. So so Nicole and I kept in touch that way. and before English-speaking Before you came, Nicole, I think I was talking, but not not not as well as I am now. Yeah. So was it, Nicole, in your mind, you were always going to fly over to Bulgaria and beath your friend? Or did you guys have to work that out? Like what happened now? It’s so cool that you get to have a somebody in your corner that is also a Fred, but also a medical professional in the exact field that you’re struggling with now. Right. Like how do you just drop everything and go overseas and be with your friend? Yeah, well, very grateful that I had an up to date passport. So that was that was a good thing. Kylie, it was interesting because the texting, like if I go back and look at that history, it’s like you can see the progress in the texts. So you can see that Kylie was using kind of more single words and having struggles with spelling and putting sentences together. And then over time, you know, they became more fluent. but the thing that happened was that Kylie and I were talking and she was able to you know, she got some speech back and we were talking. And she was just saying about the rehab care that the the the kind of caring staff just seemed to have no rehab expertise. So the physios were amazing. I think they were great. There was no active speech therapy for Kylie. I think we ultimately found an English speaking speech therapist but who still had Bulgarian as a first language. And there’s very few occupational therapists in Bulgaria, seems to be some expats. And Kylie was talking to me a jab about just you know, really basic things like not being taken to the toilet. and that’s probably what broke my heart. It’s like I cannot leave her in bed, not being able to go to the toilet. I just can’t do it. And so I just said to my partner, I think I just need to go to Bulgaria. And luckily I’m self-employed. So I just kind of cleared my schedule, got on a plane and yeah, I was just I suppose I’m incredibly grateful to have the skill. incredibly grateful to have the financial ability to do it. and yeah, and the skills to do it. And you know, you don’t always get an opportunity in life to do the right thing, or sometimes you don’t make that decision and later you think, Why didn’t I do X, Y, and Z? I try not to live my life like that. I try to actually do those things. So, yeah, I got on a plane and basically arrived at the airport, got on a train straight out to see Kylie at the Rehope Hospital. You’re a real superhero. I’m very grateful to Nicole. Yeah. I rec you know, my story is kind of well, it has a similar kind of thread to it. I one of my best friends is a radiographer and he was a radiographer at the Royal Melbourne Hospital where I was a patient for nearly two and a half years because I was in and out with a number of brain hemorrhages. I had three in total in the same spot, but over two and a half years, then I had brain surgery. And I can’t tell you how many scans I had, but being a radiographer, he was the one who was in the room taking the photos through the MRI. Yeah. And then he would come out. And he would tell us what he saw in the RI, which was against the rules. that’s why I won’t name him. But but that meant that we didn’t have to wait a month to get our results and the the meeting for the results was just more of we’ll go through the process and and have the meeting. Yeah. And and and it was like and I regretted my life when at school I used to throw his books on the roof of the canteen just to mess with him going to s to class late to get in trouble. and I’ve apologised profusely for that and thanked him every day for the fact that, you know, he was able to lend his well, you know, he was able to be in the room. He was able to have that conversation with us and he was able to ease our minds. over that two and a half year period and then you won’t believe it. Like his daughter had an AVM at seventeen. And she went through that and and has recovered from that somewhat now in the last few years. and I got to be I mean I hate that I had to be this guy, but I got to be the guy that supported him through that really acute phase and There is just nothing to describe what it’s like to be able to a repay the favor. and then but B, when I was in that situation to have somebody kind of well, you know, like put their arm around me and really walk me through every stage. Me and my wife and my family walk us through every stage of that part of it, other than intervening as a brain surgeon. But he was the one that put us in char in in touch with my brain surgeon. like Everything that happened was just the most amazing experience to be able to be guided like that. And I know it’s a privilege and many people don’t get that opportunity. so I see Chris, I haven’t told him this in person. I see him as like a bit of a superhero, but he doesn’t know that. I’ve told him I love him in the way men tell each other that they love each other by s abusing him and swearing at him and telling him that the team that he follows is terrible and all that kind of stuff. Reflections on Healthcare Systems so you arrived in Bulgaria. take me from the airport to the hospital. Like what happens? How is that? Actually the flight was really good. Customs was pretty easy. There was some annoying folk in front of me who I wanted to punch in the face and tell them to hurry up, but I was just, you know, needed to to get there. Kylie’s daughter met me at the airport. And then we got the train together out to the hospital. So, you know, obviously I’m seeing my first sight of Bulgaria. I’d never been there before. so not really taking a tourist route at this point. so went out to see Kylie. And, you know, when you just eyeball someone and I, you know, just thank God I’m here, I’m in front of her. Her she’d had a shaved head. she had some pretty spectacular surgical scars, a couple of very big scabs still on her head. she looked skinny, she looked pale, she had started doing a little bit of movement and the hospital room was really kind basic and crazy. Her friends had funded a pressure mattress for her that didn’t exist. And some of these things I had been liaising with Kylie’s friends in Bulgaria about what could we do, how you know, what do we want to prevent? So we want to prevent anyone pulling on from. Her weak shoulders and like don’t let anyone pull her by the arm. this is how I want, you know, to help her with posture in bed or in sitting. and you know, like speaking in single kind of actions at a time and just take your time, say something, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Just allow Kylie’s brain to, you know, take that information on board. Don’t speak for her. and when I got there, it was really clear that. She had an inattention to the right hand side as an effect from the stroke. So then I was a bit of a ball breaker, rearranging the whole room. No, no, no, no, no. Where, you know, everyone come from the right, everyone sit on the right. no cutler, you’re not allowed to have your phone in your left hand, you’re having your phone in your right hand. I’d taken some things with me from Australia to Bulgaria that I thought she might need. like some built-up cutlery, because I wanted her to use her right hand to feed herself. I took a couple of kind of activities that I thought we could do to look at some retraining for the right arm. what I’ll still bring with me, try to remember now. Benjamin. So yeah, just try kind of going into early stroke rehab principles. Yeah. Did you go there well you went there as a friend. But when you were there, were you able to be a professional and also have a conversation with the local team? Kylie and I laughing. Do you want to tell that story, Kylie? Which one are you thinking about? Where I got told off. No, I don’t remember that. well, Kylie was in act like, you know, there was still quite a lot of weakness, but she was also so determined for her own rehab. And in the system there their carers really don’t have a rehab focus. They have a I’ll provide you a meal focus and I’ll occasionally do some cleaning and I’ll occasionally change the bed linen and but really not a rehab focus. So I’ve personally found it quite easy to help Kylie to like stand move. And so the very first weekend I was there, it was a long weekend and what I didn’t realise later was that they were actually quite understaffed. Which worked in our favour because I was helping Kylie to get onto a shower chair, taking her to have a shower, us taking her to the toilet, because prior to that time they were just, you know, using pads for toileting because Kylie couldn’t stand up or move on her own. And because I’m trained, I found it very easy. She’s a lightweight person and she and I just work together and I could do that. I think it was the Tuesday, person who I refer to as Nurse Ratchet. remembering now kind of intercepted me bringing Kylie back from the bathroom to her room and just like, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. What are you doing? Stop that, stop that, stop that. and you know, she and I are having a bit of a a discussion. And basically she’s refused and I’m allowed to move Kylie. So Kylie is sitting out in the corridor. I think I’d luckily kind of covered you up for privacy. and she’s like, No, you’re not allowed to move her. I’m gonna go and get the physio. I think at least forty minutes went by and then she comes back, well, okay, and I said, Look, I am a trained person, it’s easy, it’s safe. no, I’ll think about it. And then after I think another fifteen minutes she pushed your chair into the bedroom. And then I think it was probably another fifteen minutes where she just decided to move Kylie herself at that point. even though that was out of policy and the physios had to do it. And then it was all this discussion with me that you can’t do it. And in the end it was you can’t do it because you’re a woman. Not strong enough, you know. so yeah. Then Kylie and I kind of would go on clandestine missions because again, from a rehab point of view, being able to stand transfer, it’s putting all the weight through the leg, it’s giving feedback to the brain. I really wanted to make sure Kylie’s bladder and bowel were gonna work properly. And you know, sitting in bed and that’s just not ideal. So then Kylie’s like, Nicole, I want to go to the toilet. I was like, I’m banned, I’m banned, Mother Nurse Ratchet, I’m not allowed to take you. And I was like, shit. So I would go on a little mission, go look down the corridor, make sure she was nowhere to be seen. And then I quickly stole the shower chair and then I found a bucket. And so Kylie and I were doing secret Wii missions in the bedroom. until w on one of our missions I just hadn’t quite got the bucket in the right place. And so then I it was also then later on a cleaning mission. So it was it was a pretty crazy environment. yeah, just for that lack of t whole team approach to rehab. Whereas, you know, in Australia the nurses would all be rehab trained. They would be transferring someone physios would come in, speech would be coming, OTs would be coming. So I was kind of desperately trying to convince Kylie or to get her rehab to a standard where she’d be able to come back to Australia to get some more rehab. You know what’s good about this conversation other than the hilarious nature of it also is that I as an as a person who hadn’t had a stroke before my hadn’t known anyone who had a stroke before my experience, if I had come across somebody who had had a stroke, I wouldn’t have known what to look out for and what to say to support them in a situation where perhaps something was being neglected. Because I don’t know what I don’t know. I’m not a professional, right? Just like those nurses and therapists that weren’t specifically trained. Yeah. In certain things. I mean, you may as well be not only talking a different language, but you may as well be making it up as you go because as far as they know, now this is what we do for stroke patients. This is how we handle that. is it a lack of understanding of what r stroke rehabilitation requires, or is it a lack of resources, or is it a little bit of both? Do you feel in Bulgaria when you were there? I think I think it’s a lack of of all all of that but it’s the lack of maybe money. So it’s a lack of training. So th there’s there’s not enough there’s not the the nurses or the orderlies or whatever they’re called here, are are aren’t paid very much. So they so And t just like, even though I was in a private rehab hospital, so you would have expected that more. It’s you would have expected more, but I just think that they just don’t have the money to to train those people. Yeah. it wasn’t really a role, was it, Kylie? Like they really were more like housekeepers in a sense. It was more like cleaning a meals. I have to say the physios were excellent. and a lot of the physios had good English as well, which was for your rehab was so important. because again a lot of the carers they would come into the room and you know, again, just from a speech therapy point of view, in Australia, say if someone came into the room who was the person who did the menus or filled up the water bottles or the cleaners, Kyler could have spoken to all of those people and had   incidental communication the whole day in English. But because of all of those p incidental people coming in didn’t speak English, you know, reasonably in Bulgaria. it just for me, I was worried about the lack of just exposure to English language as well. So not even speech therapy, just incidental language through the day. Which is very helpful and people don’t realise how helpful it is to be able to speak to a nurse about how you’re feeling or what’s happening. Yeah. And all the usual stuff. And Kylie’s chatty and friendly and she would have just been having conversations galore, but it just it it it couldn’t be. Yeah. Yeah, it’s another another barrier. so you know when you go overseas, it’s your friend and you’re a professional. How do you handle that? Because you know, like are you emotional? Are you trying to put a lid on it? Are you allowing yourself to Gonna be emotional. How does that work? We had some killer laughs, didn’t we? I mean, I’m a joker anyway. And so, like the first time Kylie got to do a poo on the toilet, I just did a poo dance for her. So I I felt half my job was you know, cheering her up and keeping it light and having fun and chatting about stuff we would just always chat about. as well as doing as much rehab because it was very exhausting because, you know, p after a stroke, it’s very fatiguing. you know, so to Kylie was really tired and needed lots of rest. So and because I had just you know, obviously dropped tools to go over quickly, I was just working sometimes. So I just have my computer and if Kylie was asleep I’d just stay with her and and her partner Guido as well, who was there with her as well. So just, you know, emotional support wise. But Yeah, I do some work. And I stayed in Kylie’s apartment. So I w was I just stayed at her place and I I train out to see her each day at the hospital. W how many hours would you spend in hospital with her? What do you think, Kylie? you would often arrive at like ten in the morning and you wouldn’t go till like five in the evening or six in the evening. Yeah. So technically visiting hours kind of finished at six. So I just try and stay most of the day. A full shift. Yeah. Yeah. Unpaid. Unpaid labour. Slave driver. Yeah. yeah. But nah. That’s what friends are for. I very what I very much wanted to stay the whole day because I did really, really wanna like especially the toileting thing. I just really wanted that. Setting Goals and Achievements I had this bit of a goal for myself for Kylie that she would be able to take herself to the toilet before I left the country. So just from a dignity point of view, from a mobility point of view, transfers, you know, bladder control. So yeah, that was one of my big goals. And she rang me when I was in transit at Dubai Airport on my way back to Australia and said, Nicole, I just took myself to the toilet. Wow, that’s cool. Yeah. Yeah. And and I was having physio two physio sessions a d a wi a day. So I was having other than Nicole. So I was having like about one session about of about an hour in the morning and one session of about an hour in the in the afternoon. Got it. You Kylie seem like pretty mm chill, pretty calm. how are you handling it though, emotionally? How’s the aftermath Treating you because there’s a little bit of you know, there’s all that acute stuff. It’s awesome when your friend is there, but then your friend goes home, right? So how how does that transition kind of happen? Yeah, I might start crying. because I’ve just recently spent seven months in Australia. So I I went to Australia in October last year and I came back in just in May. and I had more rehab there. So I had I had student led rehab at at first and then I got in got accepted into Birch, which is the brain injury rehab community and home in Ad in Adelaide. so that’s that is is a whole team of people. So I had I had physio and I and a occupational therapist and a a e exercise physiologist and a speech therapist and stuff like that so I th that’s really good. now the most frustrating part for me is the aphasia so I I can’t I can’t express myself like I used to. Yeah. You know what I love about interviewing people who have aphasia is when they say I can’t in a sentence to describe something to me it triggers the part of the condition which doesn’t allow the words to come out. It’s so interesting. That happens so so often. And it’s just a for me, I noticed this I’m saying it just from a perspective is maybe I can’t is not the right word. I don’t know. You might remember this, you might not, but maybe I can’t is not the right word. Maybe the right word is Something that helps you get to the word that you need to get to. And okay, now that’s just me, the uneducated stroke survivor on a phasia guy. Like I don’t know about that. But it’s so interesting, it happens every time. but then Nicole goes home, you go home, your partner is kind of now taking over the caregiving role, and you still have some deficits. phage is one of them. what about your right side? How offline was it? I I also moved in with Guido after the after the stroke. So so that was that was a has was ha was and has continues to be a challenge because we’re still getting used to living together because we weren’t living together before. and I was very in very independent before. And I was living in Sofia and he and he and I now live in a in a village. So I live in in a village just outside of Sofia. And I’m not driving yet. but I was medically cleared to drive in Australia before I left. So I’m going through the process here. so anyway, all of all of those things together make it very challenging. don’t get me wrong, I I l I love him, but but you know, and and I d and and I made that decision because my apartment is was was on the fourth floor and th there was no lift. Wow. Yeah. So back to your question. When I was when I was when I came here, when I was discharged, I continued with as an outpatient and and the physio continued to come at home twice a week. So I was having more physio maybe like five times a week. and like it were ha had started to come my right side had was all already back online, but I would I was just working on building strength and and I would get still very tired. Yeah. And did your daughter end up coming to live with you as well? No. but she she at the beginning she she was my next of kin. So at the ripe old age of nineteen, she signed the consent to operate forms. yeah, so that was that was very difficult for her. I didn’t know that at the time, obviously. but yeah. And did that happen, did she become your next of kin because your former partner, her dad, and you had separated and then his that role wasn’t gonna be his anymore. It’s just passed down to the person who was the closest to you. Like how did that happen? Family Dynamics and Support Systems We’re divorced. I I’m divorced from her dad. Yeah. So he’s definitely not my next kin. Right. So that ha changed after the divorce and she was the only person you could nominate because she was over is there an age limit to the next of kin? Eighteen. Yeah. Okay. So she had hit that criteria, you nominated her and then at nineteen she got to make a decision. Which she never and you never would have expected ever for that to be a thing. I didn’t nominate her, it would just happen. So I was I I was unconscious at the time that she signed those forms. So yeah. So my friends actually contacted her. and she she rushed to the hospital. so it was all under duress. It was like this is what happened to your mum, you’re her Next of kin, whether you like it or not, you have to decide. Yeah. Far out. Okay, that’s pretty full on for a 19 year old. Yeah. Yeah, seems like she did a good job. How did she handle this whole mum’s not well situation, this stroke thing? Like how did she deal with it? she was very good. my first memory actually is of her coming into the ICU with with the with the whole, you know, the whole like the the hairnet and the mask and the and the and the what’s it called the scrubs. Scrubs, yeah. and she held my hand and said t that she loved me. so that was pretty special. And incidentally I have an a another memory of Guido coming into the ICU as well and singing singing to me. So he he said that he said that I always wanted him to sing and he refused before. And so did did I want him to sing to me now? And I squeezed his hand or on the on the left he’s was holding my left hand and I squeezed his hand and so he knelt down beside my bed and started singing. Wow. Can he actually hold the tune or is he hard to hear? Yes, see he’s he’s very musical. Okay. Thank God. If my wife had asked me to sing a w if I had asked my wife to sing, it wouldn’t have been a good experience at all for either of us. Yeah, he was he was a busker in i in his younger years. Yeah. and now he decided to come good. Fair enough. Well that that’s important. You know, things like that are important. It lightens the the mood and it makes Yeah. You kind of feel like your family’s around and that you know you know, maybe kind of things might be all right. Like it gives that glimmer of hope. Is that how you received it? Yeah, I did. yeah, but I’m also very, very determined. So I’m a I’m a very normally very strong woman and so everyone said to me that if if well not to me, but w we had a we had a group WhatsApp chat so and I was added to it later and everyone said in that that if anyone can get through this, Kylie can. Yeah. So you know when you’re told you’ve had a stroke, you wake up with all the deficits and everything. Are you like how do you take it? I woke up, couldn’t use my left side. I I did not for one minute. It did not cross my mind like for one minute that this is not a good thing. Like I mean, clearly I wasn’t able to move, etcetera. But it never kinda went a lifesaver, I’m fucked. Like I never had that happen. Me as well. yeah. I I’d I’ve never thought that. I don’t know whether I even thought that It was n like you said, that was not a good thing. I just put one foot in front of the other and or not literally, but the Yeah. Metaphorically. Yeah. Metaphorically. so one foot in front of the other and just got on with it. Yeah. Nicole, like you come across in your work, you come across a lot of different versions of patience, right? Like you get people who might just be by design more negative to a bad experience and then people that are half class full to a bad experience. Just from a professional perspective, what’s the difference like when you’re trying to rehabilitate somebody that has kind of that different mindset? From perhaps what Kylie and I described. Yeah, I mean I’m probably in the last half full camp as well. So as an OT, I suppose we always meet people where they’re at. because everyone is a combination of their past experiences, aren’t they? So and cultural things, like there’s a very significant cultural differences in how people respond to pain or disability and expectations of kind of family and I suppose cultural expectations in Australia are even about you know, what what what should be publicly available. So, you know, from an expectations point of view, I think a lot of it is based on, you know, previous experience. So as a therapist, we’re obviously there to support, you know, emotional well being, physical well being, and try and find the things for people that connect with them. So meaningful, like OTs are our absolute core is meaningful occupation. So how do we find something that’s meaningful to that person that we think is going to get them from kind of, you know, here to there and it’s gonna be very different different motivators, you know. Kylie is probably, you know, very self motivated as described. Sometimes it’s about people really have a d strong desire to get back to work, or people have a really strong family structure that they want to be able to get back to do something with their family. So finding the way or the thing hopefully that’s going to motivate them. But we certainly work with people who you know, have a high level of distress from what’s happened to them and and on an ongoing basis. One of the things I’ve got a little quote on my desk that you can’t see here, but it says, I’m still me, just a different version of me. And it’s what someone one of my clients told me recently who has MS. and often we find need to find the new version of someone. and the new meaning for someone if that, you know, needs to happen. So that’s our great challenge, I suppose. That’s a big job, especially very early on when identity is so tied up into who they were literally days ago. You know, like a week ago. The mobile person, the working person, the money making person, the father, the mother, the whatever. Finding Meaning in Recovery And then, you know, you’re dealing with a physical crisis, the existential crisis, the identity crisis, like you’re dealing with it all in the one moment, and you’re trying to get them to sort of see, well, you know, you’re still you and how we’re gonna move forward with the still you person, like we’re still gonna move forward with that person. And then later does come an adjustment of what that you looks like. did for me like it’s a massive adjustment into what me looks like. But my identity wasn’t so much tied up in a one label specifically, although, you know, I s I was the person who felt like they needed to be the main breadwinner, you know, that you know ran a business that did all these things. I I had a big strong identity. But I think one of the things this is going to sound weird or might even sound logical depending on like w who you are and why you’re listening to this podcast. But for me, the fact that my brain went offline was a really good thing because it and that allowed my emotional side to come to the fore. Like it really enabled me to see things with a different intelligence, you know, and access part of me that my emotional intelligence perhaps that I hadn’t that I perhaps suppressed previously, you know, and just battled through things. And that kind of allowed my identity to come with me, it allowed me to leave some stuff behind and allowed me to bring into my identity this emotional side of me, you know, which who cried, who got excited about new and different opportunities, you know, that my head didn’t convince me out of. You know, so there was a lot of silver linings that I didn’t I wasn’t able to iterate back then. I wouldn’t have been able to tell you that it was a silver lining. But now and a few years later, after it all happened, I was definitely able to talk about those silver linings. Kylie Do you you’re fourteen months or so out, right? So maybe you’re not there yet, I don’t know. But are there some silver and I know a hundred percent Nicole was one of those silver linings, I get it. but do you see some silver linings in this whole saga? Yep. I do. my relationship with my daughter got stronger. Yep. So that was all s that was definitely a silver lining. and you know, I I’m was very grateful before, but it cemented how g how grateful I am for my circle of friends. Yeah. Kylie’s friends were amazing. Yeah. Your friends were amazing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Big family still in Australia is is there a big family in Australia, Kylie? Not not a big one, but my mum and dad are still still alive. So they’re they’re in Melbourne. and my sister is in on the Gold Coast and my brother is in Melbourne as well. Yeah. And my and my son is in Adelaide. Okay. So you still have some family here, but then you were able to create a community in the years before the stroke in Bulgaria. Yeah. you you were doing it a little bit tough after the stroke. Yeah. Correct. Yep. So that’s spot on. Did you Nicole tag team with some of those people as well? Yeah, so Kylie’s friends were beautiful and they were looking after me too. So When I was in Bulgaria, they were looking after me, you know, giving me dinner and what have you, and kind of giving me emotional support as well. And I think they were grateful that I was there from a skills point of view, like they were doing a beautiful job of supporting Kylie emotionally. But and I did kind of train them up a little bit in in some rehab as well, you know, how to help with approaching from the right and how to communicate and also just even doing some activities. Kylie and I had the balloon and we were tapping it back and forward to each other for strengthening up the right arm. And then we’d play some kind of word games as we were doing that for some speech therapy. So I was educating her friends around that kind of stuff. But the other thing, Kylie, that you and I have spoken about is, you know, after the stroke is knowing what’s important and how to let some sh shit go that would have been, you know, annoying or you know. focus on something and now it’s just you you just know it’s just not important. Yeah. Being able to just let crap go. Correct correct. and the other silver lining is that I got engaged. Yes. Did he propose soon after? Yes, in the in the rehab hospital. what a romantic Yeah. But he but he said that he’d already decided before the stroke that he wanted to marry be ma be married to me. So he just hadn’t got around to asking me yet. Yeah, fair enough. That stroke has a way of interrupting people’s plans and the things that they think they’re gonna do. so Nicole you normally treat your patients. They get to a stage. Usually they’re a lot better than they were when they first met you. And part of what you do is you send them off into the big wide world like a kid. I’ve grown you know, I’ve raised them, you know, like they know how to comb their hair now. And you kinda send them off and it’s kind of bittersweet, I imagine, but also a very important part that the people who you’re helping get better actually go off into the world on their own. And stop needing to be supported by you. I know there’s some people who need more support and that continues for longer and some people who don’t get enough and it and it’s never enough. But what’s it like knowing the job is not done, but you still have to leave and go home? that was heartache. I mean, Kylie and I both balled our lies out. it was a long flight home. Yeah. Yeah, it was a long flight home. with lots of reflections. I suppose the good thing at that point was Kylie was easily able to speak on the phone or message each other. So and also, you know, I think at that stage maybe I got to see the brain scan and I was just like, my god, how have you even survived this? ‘Cause I think was it about a seven centimeter bleed, Kylie? Yep. seven and a half. Yeah. To be precise. It truly felt like a a miracle. And again, full kudos to the surgeons in Bulgaria, truly, for that acute care. Because I think Kylie, I feel like you were in surgery in about within about two hours or something after the stroke, which is phenomenal. And, you know, your friends really saved your life. taking you straight to the hospital and prevented like, you know, more serious outcomes from the stroke. So yeah, so for me, I was proud of myself as well. and I, you know, I like to live my life by thinking I can look myself in the mirror. And I felt like I can really I’ve got a tear, really look myself in the mirror. Yeah. Doing the right thing. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. You came to the need of somebody who was in need and needed specifically not only your love and support as a friend, but also your skills. Like you had the complete package for them at that time. How long did you end up staying in total? Was I ra away about just under two weeks probably with the flights and everything like that? So yeah. so yeah, leaving was leaving was horrible. But the goal of being able to go to the toilet was met. and also just the skills for, you know, skilled up a few other people and Kylie, you know, had her good networks. I also went out to Kylie’s property out in the village to have a look at any home modifications. So that was another kind of OT type role that that was done. and she’s got an amazing property out there, but it is kind of needs a bit of love and so that was also just reassuring her partner too, like reassuring Guido that no, look, Kylie’s got this. There were a few times where it was like, Nicole, I don’t want her to do this. Like I’m like Guido, she’s safe. She can do it. She’s got sitting balance. She’s okay to sit over the side of the bed. She can wiggle sideways. But he was anxious. And so again, part of my job was to reassure him to make sure that he let her do things. and didn’t step in too quickly. And so as an O T, we’re all used to like sitting on our hands and taking time and letting people struggle a bit. And it was hard for him to let Kylie struggle. So to just encourage him to let her struggle a bit so that she could do it herself and just wait. Just take the time, especially with communication. so yeah, I I kind of obviously knew there was a lot more rehab to be done, but I also had seen Kylie’s determination and that, you know, she kind of knew what to do. and and so that was I I was grateful again for that. Kylie, what was it like when your friend had to leave? I was heartbroken. The Impact of Caregiving I felt like she was a lifeline and I felt like that that had been cut because obviously she speaks English and obviously like Obviously we have a really good relationship. and I felt like I was in a like how do I describe it? In a in a sea of not n of people not understanding. So yeah, not my friends, but the hospital staff, basically. So not the not the physios. Like Nicole said, the physios were exceptional. but, you know, just the hospital staff. Yeah, just generally speaking. So did you feel like she had put you on the right path? Were you more confident with kind of where she left you as opposed to where you guys started and was that enough to kind of give you the foundation for what you needed to take responsibility for when she left? Definitely. yeah, definitely. Yeah. Man, w what a kind of interesting whole situation. You know, if this was fifty years ago, there’s no way anyone’s going anywhere to help anyone with anything. you know, like your hospital s experience in country like Bulgaria after what they’ve been through would have been completely different. You know, your s the chance of surviving telling your story is probably s you know, very much decreased. I know this is gonna sound weird, but like it’s never been a better time to have a stroke in in most of the world. Like let’s face it. the the possibilities are just endless. I’m a miracle from all the medical professionals that put all their time and effort in. I am eternally grateful to my occupational therapists and physios and surgeons and people who invent X ray machines and people who make C T scanners and The plastic bottles where drips go in, like every single thing is just an an absolute miracle of God or medicine or science or I don’t care what, like whatever you want to call it. And it just to me, it you know, here’s a really terrible situation and here and and but look at all the amazing things that came out of it. Somebody from the other side of the planet to be able to come over and intervene in that way, train people up. Like, man, it’s the Perfect like feel good story, you know. Everything’s going okay, things turn shit, and then something good comes out of it and yeah hopefully there’s more good to come, you know. Like, man, it’s just an amazing experience. I just feel really privileged to be able to hear it and share it further. No, not not not me, personally. but now that you say that I will s I will think about it now. the most thing that that Nicole and I reflect on is, you know, like like we’ve already said, how good was that my friends got me to the hospital quickly? How good was the the surgeons the surgeons because it could have all gone wrong. or gone gone a different way. so that’s the stuff we reflect on more. and just just like my amazing recovery. Reflections on Recovery and Gratitude Because I recovered so quickly and so well, like I’ve thrown everyone away here. So so my new my neurologist, my my physios, ever everyone here is like well, back then was like really surprised. So we it’s when I first walked into the n neurologist, she said, like, wow, No one expected you to recover that quickly from such a severe stroke. Yeah. That’s such a good outcome. I like to I like to think that those things wouldn’t have been possible without your most amazing superhero friend Nicole. Nicole, your final thing I’d like to kind of run by you is that your whole career you’re working towards making things better. Yep. Like for people who are going through all really difficult times. have you had you ever dealt with a family member who needed your intervention or family friend or someone like that that needed an intervention with your specific skills before this? man. yes. So when I was quite a young therapist, probably in my early twenties, my dad told me that his One of his like great aunts or cousins elderly relative had had a stroke and she was in hospital and I didn’t really know her. Like she wasn’t someone in the family that I I had knew had known. And I said to Dad, I’ll go and visit her in hospital. And and so I went to the hospital and I found out she was in this room and I walk into the room and there were four people. And I see this gorgeous little old lady who is all crumpled in her chair and squashed and nearly falling out. And I I just walked in and I was horrified. And I just walked straight over to her. And I just said, look, can I help get you more comfortable, get you into a better position? And then I realized it was it was my own relative. and I said to her, I’m Nicole, I’m John’s daughter. you know, dad’s asked me to come and see you. And and she just said the most cutest thing ever. She said, when you walked into the room. You just look so lovely and I hoped you were here to see me, but I I wouldn’t have known what I could have done to deserve that or something something dead cute. anyway, she’d had a very dense stroke and they were basically saying that she wasn’t a candidate for rehab and that she should go straight to a nursing home. And her daughter was a nurse. And she said, Nope, Mum’s not going to a nursing home and she ended up taking her home and I used to go every night after work and do rehab with her. she ended up being able to walk quite with a pretty awkward gait and a and a stick. but she got back to, yeah, walking and living at home and I just again always think that if she didn’t have her daughter, the nurse and myself, she probably would have ended up not not walking. Yeah, being in a nursing home. It’s not that quality of life. So there’s people who definitely go through that. And what I love about you sharing that part of the story is there’s people listening and they’re paying attention and maybe they haven’t been given the amount of therapy that they feel they deserve or need. And maybe that’s going to trigger people to go, you know what, stuff this, I’m gonna find a way to get more therapy, I’m gonna ask. I’m gonna hassle some people, I’m gonna be a pain in the butt to some people, I’m gonna do more. for myself to get me further. I love that you shared that part of the story. That’s kind of the unique experience that a that a a seasoned occupational therapist can kind of impart on us who are early on in the recovery about like how you need to advocate for somebody or yourself for more physical therapy. And and even if you Can’t access that people listening and watching YouTube channels. Go to YouTube. There are a ton of awesome therapists on YouTube showing people how to do exercises at home. Yeah. And I mean, I just took some really basic things. We s I, you know, stole some things out of Kylie’s flat to take in. And Guido’s son gave me some toys and we use those like stacking things to, you know, do rehab with Kylie’s hand. I took some pegs from her house and we made an activity of pegging up the curtains to do shoulder and arm rehab. So you can often do a lot without, yo

On July the 4th 2026, surrounded by family members, loved ones and close friends I married the most beautiful person in the World. It was truly the best day of our lives and we both felt incredibly lucky to have shared the experience with soo many wonderful human beings. Ozzy is now two and a half years old and growing at a pace that me and his Mum find rather bewildering. The past twelve months have been full of both challenges and positive milestones in all aspects of my self employed work. I've shared my Olympic story with thousands of children again this academic year, coached many young gymnasts at both ends of the performance pyramid and have had many exciting opportunities to work with elite athletes. Gymnastics continues to evolve but as we reach the half way point in the LA 2028 Olympic cycle the financial framework within the sport is something I'm watching extremely closely. A wedding signifies the start of a brand new chapter and I feel optimistic about the possibility of building a long lasting legacy that will give back to the sport of artistic gymnastics for many years to come. And this is my story. 

Former professional wakeboarder Brad Smeele was living an adrenaline fueled life, travelling the world and pushing the boundaries of his sport, until a devastating wakeboarding accident left him a C4 Quadriplegic.A raw and open conversation about the realities that often sit behind the inspirational headlines. Exploring grief, identity, masculinity, mental health, relationships, carers, accessibility, Disability Schemes and the difficult process of accepting a life you never expected to live.Brad also discusses his memoir, Owning It: The Ride That Changed My Life, the determination required to write his story and how he eventually began rebuilding a sense of happiness, purpose and control.This is not simply a story about “overcoming” disability. It is a genuine conversation about confronting your darkest moments, adapting without losing yourself and taking ownership of the life that remains in front of you.Whether you live with disability, support someone who does, or are navigating your own major life change, Brad's perspective will challenge how you think about resilience, acceptance and what it means to truly own your life.Want to become a Keep Rolling Patron and help further support the channel, hit the Patreon link below and Roll with the Squad! https://www.patreon.com/street_rolling_cheetah Add, Follow or Contact Brad SmeeleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradsmeele/?hl=en Add, Follow or Contact me: Email: streetrollingcheetah@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/street_rolling_cheetah/?hl=en X-Twitter: https://twitter.com/st_rollcheetah Face book: https://www.facebook.com/StreetRollingCheetah/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-briggs-77b867100/ Timestamps(00:00:00)  Intro(00:01:47)  Sponsors: Culture Connex and Permobil(00:03:55)  Welcome Brad Smeele(00:05:20)  Home on an Auckland Lifestyle Block(00:07:46)  Writing A Book To Reflect on Life(00:09:42)  Wakeboarding or Hockey?(00:15:50)  Winter Training(00:18:07)  Winning World Champs and NBDs(00:28:56)  The Trick That Changed Everything(00:33:00)  The Crash and Chaos(00:37:03)  Orlando ICU, Hallucinations and Ventilator(00:41:26)  Flatlining in Front of Mum(00:48:04)  From Suing Sponsors to Credit Card Loophole(00:54:15)  A C4 Injury and Impact on Life(01:09:46)  Online Trolls, Dark Humor and the X8 Chair(01:15:51)  Jet the Dog and Back in the Water(01:23:43)  Travel Costs and Why Good Caregivers Matter(01:28:18)  Losing Control then Educating People(01:35:16)  Dating and Relationships Post Injury(01:41:24)  Three Steps and Writing a Book(01:49:47)  Vulnerability(01:53:15)  Neuralink, Cures and Quack Injections(02:03:09)  Financial Responsibility and Business(02:05:36)  Where to Find Brad, and Outro

(Mother's Day) John Mark's Mum & Dorothy Day | Dorothy by Door of Hope Christian Church

Episode 91 - Mum of four Nicole shares her 6-month-old son Holt's remarkable Hirschsprung's story, revealing the red flags missed by the hospital and how her mother's instinct helped him receive the correct diagnosis.Disclaimer: Please note that all information and content on the UK Health Radio Network, all its radio broadcasts and podcasts are provided by the authors, producers, presenters and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge. As a service to our listeners/readers our programs/content are for general information and entertainment only.  The UK Health Radio Network does not recommend, endorse, or object to the views, products or topics expressed or discussed by show hosts or their guests, authors and interviewees.  We suggest you always consult with your own professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advisor. So please do not delay or disregard any professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advice received due to something you have heard or read on the UK Health Radio Network.

Episode 91 - Mum of four Nicole shares her 6-month-old son Holt's remarkable Hirschsprung's story, revealing the red flags missed by the hospital and how her mother's instinct helped him receive the correct diagnosis.Disclaimer: Please note that all information and content on the UK Health Radio Network, all its radio broadcasts and podcasts are provided by the authors, producers, presenters and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge. As a service to our listeners/readers our programs/content are for general information and entertainment only.  The UK Health Radio Network does not recommend, endorse, or object to the views, products or topics expressed or discussed by show hosts or their guests, authors and interviewees.  We suggest you always consult with your own professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advisor. So please do not delay or disregard any professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advice received due to something you have heard or read on the UK Health Radio Network.

Send us Fan MailWe're joined by Tom Gray, who may be better known to you as 'That Guy Gray' an automotive content creator. He's sat in his Range Rover L322 for this interview. Tom's earliest car memory starts off with him around age 12, and a Sunbeam Alpine that he would steer from the lap of a family friend. Other motoring memories include staying up 'late' to watch Top Gear with hid Dad. His Dad was and still is, a bit of a petrol head. Prior to children he'd had a Ford Escort XR3, Tom recalls the first car he travelled in was a red Peugeot 406, followed by a blue 406. His Dad would have BMW company cars, and these peaked with the E39 generation 5 series, a model both Tom and Jon hold a candle for. When his Dad's work dropped BMW from the company car scheme these were replaced by Ford Mondeos. When Tom was 13 his Dad bought a Fire Engine red BMW Z3, which they would take on road trips, and even did some track days in. This later inspired Tom to buy his own BMW Z4 Coupe. Tom's Mum has had Fiesta's, a Ford Focus and these days drives a JCW Mini Cooper, which she is keen to modify - Tom less so! We hope you enjoy this chat, and please do go and give Toms channel a follow. Tom Gray (@thatguygray) • Instagram photos and videosWe also reference previous guest and friend of Toms, Grant Williams.Please give his episode S8E4 a listen here: BuzzsproutWe're pleased to say the guys from Viking Covers are staying on as Sponsor for My Dad's Car. If you are looking to keep the dust, dirt and weather off your cherished car go check them out at www.vikingcovers.co.ukSupport the showWe'd love you to hear and share your stories, please tag and follow us on social media. www.instagram.com/mydadscar_podcastwww.Facebook.com/mydadscar podcastwww.buymeacoffee.com/mydadscarIf you'd like to support the podcast and are able to, you can ‘buy us a coffee' which will help towards costs of hosting and purchasing equipment to allow us to record guests in person, rather than just on zoom. Get in touch with us direct - MyDadsCarPodcast@gmail.com 

In today's episode: Mum got scammed What’s inside Liam’s mind 610 Quiz: Crank that Soulja Boy Convincing randoms into joining the loyalty program Coinky Dinky Tuesday: Sarah and Liam Stepien Angry Tiser comments about State of Origin Did you not get the Aus Alert? We’re heading on an SA Weekend away We’re DOMINATING in the Comm games Reverse prize: Wrong answers only Secret stain: Goat’s cheese See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matty might just be the busiest kid in the country: French horn lessons, wind band, Brownies where she's a Kelpie and a sixer, sewing club, chess, dance, LEGO club, Eco Council... the list goes on and on. The problem? Mum will only let her press play on Judge Bex the day before the next episode drops, because the new episodes are far too exciting for bedtime and keep Matty wide awake! With five episodes now stacking up unlistened, can Judge Bex find a fair verdict, especially once Matty's brother Ollie boldly claims he HATES the show? Then, Poppy vs Mum, where the charge is mortifying "mum dancing" every single time Fun Kids comes on, particularly in front of Poppy's friends out in the garden. Mum pleads guilty to embarrassing her daughter on purpose because the reaction is just too good... but is a good old kitchen disco really a crime?Support the show: https://funkidslive.com/plusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ehhh kia ora my dawgs! Here's what you missed on the show today: It’s Tegan’s birthday! There lots of surprises in the show today, so enjoy! That’s RANK! Storme ranks eggs in honor of Tegs and her love of eggs. Nickson’s Mum doesn’t like her new garage door because it looks too much like a garage door… Eds’ toenails are something else… How did you lose your toenail? Why do you need to apologise to your parents? Tegs had an interesting healing session… We surprise Tegs with a korowai for her 30th birthday! It’s wholesome as till Nickson tells us about what happened when he picked it up… Tegs is her nans favourite again! How do you know you’re your nan’s fave? Nickson tries doing an English accent and it is about as bad as you would expect… Shot for listening, From Eds AKA Eric AKA Edith AKA Eddison

This week I’m dipping back into the archives with one of the most relistened episodes of Almost 40: a conversation with my mum. It started as a joke. My podcast manager suggested I ask mum the questions you’d want answered before the end of someone’s life. Mum was 57 at the time of recording! What unfolded surprised me. Mum shares why her proudest achievement isn’t her kids or grandkids, but the sharp left turn she took into a whole new career despite a lifelong fear of exams and a belief that she wasn’t smart enough. We talk about what it was like having two babies by 19, the day I rolled off a hospital bed at twelve weeks old (yes, I’m the fractured skull child), and why “I don’t know how you do it” rarely lands the way people intend. We also unpack something I can’t stop thinking about: why women call their achievements luck. Mum bought her own home after her divorce and is now mortgage free, and her first instinct was to call herself lucky rather than proud. Becoming a mum myself changed how I see her, and this conversation changed it again. In this episode: • The career change my mum made in midlife and the self-doubt she pushed through • Being a young mum at 19 and how you cope when there’s no other option • Why “I don’t know how you do it” lands differently when you’re in survival mode • Luck versus pride: how women talk themselves out of their own achievements • The one thing mum would do differently, and what it reveals about parenting, guilt and work ethic If you love this one, come join me over on Almost Confidential for the more personal episodes. Follow Almost 40 wherever you’re listening. It makes a huge difference. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everybody's suspicious of Amber's Mum, Jeff gets picked up on his Wankel, and Lucy calls time on Fallon and Harassment.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ambridgeonthecouch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sisters Tamara and Lolly share a bedroom but can't agree on the lights. Tamara needs total darkness to fall asleep; Lolly loves the warm glow of a Himalayan salt lamp — which, in a shock twist, actually belongs to their brother Zach, who bought it for his asthma years ago. With Mum called as a witness, can Judge Bex find a ruling that keeps everyone happy? Meanwhile, there's a dog in the dock! Sari puts the family dog Nala — a nine-month-old black labradoodle with very sharp teeth — on trial for chewing up Mum's beloved cashmere chair. But with Dad the only one home when the crime took place, the finger of blame starts swinging his way... Will Nala walk free? Connor has one rule: never, ever blame the dog. Got a case you need Judge Bex's help with? Get to funkidslive.com/judgebex right now and let her know!Support the show: https://funkidslive.com/plusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anne Marie finds Susan in the shop, and as Susan nervously rambles, Anne Marie stops her to apologise – she treated Susan awfully at the Theatre. Susan understands and admits she simply hadn't thought her plan through regarding the cot. Anne Marie admits that Amber feels distant and she was jealous when she saw the two of them laughing together. Susan says it's difficult, but Amber will come round. Susan offers to make them both a nice cup of tea. Anne Marie apologises for her emotional outburst. As a child, Amber was close with Anne Marie, and she drew Amber storybooks every year. She states that Amber started drifting away long before meeting George. Susan tells Anne Marie she can't stop trying.Tom goes through his pitch for Bridge Farm with Helen, who says she can see why their Mum and Dad chose it. Helen asks how Harrison's welcome back drinks went - Tom confesses he didn't go because Natasha was out. Helen points out that someone could have watched the twins before realising Tom is avoiding Kirsty. Tom has spoken to Kirsty, and it went really badly. He admits that hearing about the pregnancy brought up feelings about Wren. He couldn't explain this well to Kirsty, and Helen suggests he finds someone else to talk about his feelings with. Tom says he will always carry Wren with him - Helen points out it's the same for Kirsty. Tom confesses he was so happy when he first heard Kirsty was pregnant, and wishes he had just told her that.

Maya's fed up. Every time she's told to put her screen down and go read or draw, her dad's sitting right beside her... scrolling through Instagram! Is that fair? It's a classic case of "do as I say, not as I do" and Judge Bex is not impressed. Then it's Thomas versus Mum. Thomas has saved up his own money and he's desperate to buy an XBOX but Mum reckons it's the first step to becoming a "tech monster," and worries the console is just the start of a very long (and very expensive) list. Can Thomas prove he can be trusted, or will Mum win the day? Got a case you need Judge Bex's help with? Get to funkidslive.com/judgebex right now and let her know!Support the show: https://funkidslive.com/plusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, I sit down with bestselling author‑illustrator Charlie Mackesy, whose work – The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse – has become a global touchstone for kindness, vulnerability and hope. Yet Charlie's path was anything but straightforward: he grew up feeling inherently at fault, shaped by the pressures of competitive schooling and the emotional weight of carrying the painful stories readers now share with him. He talks about failing his driving test four times and the devastating loss of his best friend, Jamie, in a car crash – a grief that propelled him to London and sparked the first moment he began drawing compulsively, with music as solace. Charlie reflects on not achieving what he calls “conventional success” through marriage or children, the underrated importance of friendship and the power of kindness and self‑compassion. We also explore his years of not earning a living as an artist – a period he now sees not as failure, but as an essential process. Charlie urges us to create without fear, to let go of perfection and to live fully in the imperfect present. ✨ IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Intro 03:44 Feeling at Fault 04:30 Outsider and School Years 05:55 Carrying Others Stories 13:57 Animals and Ducklings 17:08 Driving Test Failure 18:06 Loss and Aftermath 20:05 Grief Fuels Art 23:14 Bottling Emotions 25:07 Remember Mothers Word 28:28 Mum's Tactile Reading 29:44 Dementia and Story Comfort 33:21 Redefining Success 37:46 Friendship Essentials 40:37 Kindness and Self Talk 46:09 Failing as an Artist

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip!This week Pip is joined by the very hilarious comic, writer and podcaster MARK WATSON!You can go ahead and add "long overdue guest" somewhere in the salutation there too, as Mark is someone who's been missing from the DPP alumni for way too long. Mark's been busy performing comedy all around the globe for a minute, and at some point you will have heard Pip proclaim his love for 'No More Jockeys' - the theme quiz with Tim Key, Alex Horne and Mark, so you'll likely know him from at least one point of entry. If not, fear not, as this is a lovely chat where no former knowledge is required! Pip and Mark go into several menu items including the perils of being 40+ (get your ailments bingo card prepped), peeing in odd places like a regular stray dog, getting lifts with parents as an adult, famous contacts in one's phone, riders at shows (ie backstage snax, beverages and more), surprise Mum spottings, squeezing material out of rugged situations when it might be better to just not have the situation, and his new podcast project (link below). Enjoy!PIP'S PATREON PAGE if you're of a supporting natureONLINEMURDER OF A FAMOUS BASTARDTHE INFINITE SHOWNO MORE JOCKEYSSPEECH DEVELOPMENT WEBSTOREPIP TWITCH • (music stuff)PIP INSTAGRAMPIP TWITTERPIP PATREONPIP IMDB Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a travel special! We sit down for a good old chinwag about our latest jaunts to the opposite ends of the world. Helen talks about her trip to South Africa with Sports Tours International, and what it's like to run the Cape Town marathon when you're suffering from gastroenteritis. Listen in to find out what got her through, and the biggest lessons she's learned over the course of running 14 marathons. Then it's Ellie's turn to discuss her visit to the Arctic with HX Expeditions. We find out why she thought taking her disabled 80 year-old Mum was a good idea, and how it turned out to be even better than either of them had imagined.Then of course it's time for Scummy Mummy Confessions. Helen's son says too much, and Ellie reveals why she secretly doesn't want England to make the World Cup final. Huge thanks to Sports Tours International and HX Expeditions for allowing us to have such brilliant adventures, and giving Ellie's Mum the time of her life. #presstrip Check out sportstoursinternational.co.uk for details of the amazing running and cycling holidays they offer all over the world. And visit travelhx.com if you fancy a visit to the Arctic, Antarctica, or one of their other stunning destinations - they're currently offering up to 25% off, so go have a look. We are on tour! See you soon, Chester and Ulverston! Then we're visiting all sorts of venues all over the country right up till 2027. Yes, INCLUDING NORWICH! Visit scummymummies.com for dates and tickets. WE HAVE A SHOP! Visit scummymummies.com for our ace t-shirts, mugs, and sweatshirts. FREE UK DELIVERY! We're on Instagram and Facebook @scummymummies. If you like the podcast, please rate, review and subscribe. Thank you for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.