The Power of Storytelling - Episode 24
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Welcome back to The Power of Storytelling!
Annette, Samantha and Karen - thank you for sharing your stories, your words, and your journey with all of us.
This month’s episode reminded me that we all have struggles in life, and when we choose to honestly share our own stories - the highs and lows, ups and downs, moments of difficulty but also of triumph - we can create a path forward we never anticipated. But even more than that, we can help and inspire others to pave a new path forward for themselves, too.
It’s truly my honor to share the stories and provide the space here to share a little bit more about the women behind these words. I encourage you to check out Annette, Stephanie and Karen after you listen to this week’s new episode.
*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Seek The Joy Podcast.
Annette Hines is a best-selling author, lawyer, and the founder of Special Needs Law Group of Massachusetts, PC. Her world as she knew it exploded when her infant daughter Elizabeth was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease—a degenerative, life-limiting illness. Annette’s joy quickly turned to apprehension and she knew nothing would ever be the same again.
In this week’s new episode, Annette shares her daughter journey with her daughter Elizabeth, and learning to become an advocate in the face of adversity, but also in joy. In her book, Butterflies and Second Chances, Annette was able to share her family’s story and provide hope and inspiration to so many. It’s the inspiring true story of a mother’s special needs journey, and her struggle to secure the best possible life for her child in the face of bureaucratic resistance and marital crisis.
When Annette first started writing, she wrote the book for herself. She hadn’t connected yet with other parents who had lost children to illness, and that was an amazing turning point for her. She realized that she was creating an incredible tool that could help other families who are experiencing the same hardships - and watching the impact that her journey and book are having on others, has been incredible. Annette’s story is one of sacrifice, dedication, and the life-altering adjustments a special needs parent has to make when confronted with the unthinkable. But most of all, it’s about love and an extraordinary mother-daughter relationship that flourished without words in the darkest shadows of adversity. Annette and Elizabeth’s powerful story provides hope, solace, and a path forward for parents of special needs children, and I know that it will resonate with you, too.
“Through sharing my story I’ve learned that there are a lot more people out there that feel like I do, that feel lonely or disconnected and scared. For me, the answer was always connecting with other moms, parents, and community members who are going through similar things that I was going through. I want to create an army of advocates, well-informed family and community members that are going to advance the disability community.”
Stephanie Lauren Moore is a twenty-year-old YouTube Influencer, cancer survivor, mental health awareness advocate and charity worker from the UK. Stephanie’s empowering messages are influenced by her own cancer survival and mental health recovery, and she has truly dedicated her life to helping others thrive, just as they are. You’ll hear it in this week’s new episode, Stephanie has turned her challenges into opportunities to embrace the joy in her life, and ultimately recognize her true beauty and worth.
Stephanie is here to help as many people on this planet through her YouTube channel and charity work She’s the author of “I AM”, a unique workbook-style publication that, aside from empowering the reader with the author’s own amazing life story, takes them through a series of tasks to recognize their beauty, potential and worth to humanity. Stephanie wants to see people start to believe in themselves and develop the ‘I am’ attitude. “I AM” is about the art of self-love, finding your purpose in life, and feeling you are enough. It’s an opportunity for readers to take stock of their life, redefine their challenges, and ultimately build a new existence of prosperous joy and balance. It contains simple techniques and tips that will transform your life for the better, and simple exercises that will help you learn to love yourself, set some goals, and gain a new positive outlook on life.
“I don’t want people to see me for the scars on my neck from the cancer, or the marks all over my stomach, or asking me if I’m constantly pregnant when really it’s just an endometriosis flare up. I wanted to share my experience with people all around the world to show them that no matter what they’ve gone through, they’ll get through it, and life will turn out the way they want it to.”
Karen Struck is the author of the new children’s book, Three Paws. In this week’s new episode, Karen shares the hurdles in her life that became great motivators. From her journey attending nursing school, being kicked out of her home by her father, to hitting rock bottom - she shares the lessons she’s learned along the way, the perspective she gained, and her decision to keep focusing on her dreams. Her determination and her perseverance to become a nurse helped her endure the difficult years. Karen’s goal is to create unique, and entertaining characters who inspire children to dream big dreams, to focus on the positive aspects of their lives. As she shares in this week’s new episode, she discovered the joy of children's literature as she read to her daughter each night. By the time her daughter was close to graduating high school she discovered a new passion, a desire to write children’s books. Inspired by the Harry Potter book series, and decided to take writing courses through the Institute of Children's Literature. Last summer, she pulled out the story she wrote 12 years and decided it was time to get it published. Three Paws, her debut book, is the first book published in the Three Paws Series.
In Three Paws, Karen shares the story of Boots, a grizzly bear cub who faces new struggles after permanently injuring his paw. Rooted in friendship and acceptance, Boots’ journey of learning new skills as he navigates his disability as told through Three Paws is perfect for young children, whether they are learning to survive their own challenge or simply to understand those who may appear “different”. No matter our background, we can all relate to Boots and his story: one of perseverance and never giving up on our dreams, even if the odds are stacked against us. As Karen shares, like Boots we all have struggles in life that we must deal with in order to progress forward and grow. Life challenges can be both humbling and inspiring depending on your perspective but overall our experiences can help us gain compassion for others. Boots’ adventures in Three Paws encourages children to be bold and make new friends, all while allowing themselves the room to grow and learn new things. It promotes the importance of both independence and inclusivity, and how both together can function to provide acceptance, encouragement, and positive growth for a child.
“As I tweaked my manuscript last summer, I felt a connection to my main character. Like most of us, we must find that inner strength to help us work through challenges and achieve our dreams. Boots is a symbol of anyone who has a dream, faces adversity, rises above their challenges by setting realistic goals and asking for and accepting help when needed. We are all in this game of life together.”
To learn more about Annette, you can connect with her on her website here on Facebook @specialneedslawgroup Twitter @annettehines15 and you can find Butterflies and Second Chances: A Mom’s Memoir of Love and Loss on Amazon here, and their podcast, Parenting Impossible: The Special Needs Survival Podcast can be found here
To learn more about Stephanie, you can connect with her on her website https://www.stephanielaurenmoore.com/ YouTube channel here Facebook @stephanielaurenmoore Twitter @itsstephmoore Instagram @stephanielaurenmoore and you can find I Am on Amazon here
To learn more about Karen and her new book you can connect with her on her website www.karenstruckauthor.com and via email karenstruckrn@gmail.com
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