Inheritance of Hope Podcast

Inheritance of Hope
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

The Inheritance of Hope Podcast invites you into deeply personal conversations with those navigating the unthinkable: young families facing the loss of a parent to terminal illness. Each episode explores what it means to leave a legacy - not just in death, but in how we choose to live. Whether you're living with a diagnosis, supporting someone who is, or simply searching for meaning and hope in hard places, this podcast shows that joy is possible, even in terminal illness! Find joy in terminal illness at⁠⁠⁠ https://InheritanceOfHope.org/⁠⁠ Give joy in terminal illness at ⁠https://www2.inheritanceofhope.org/Give

  1. 6d ago

    What does my teenager need from me right now?

    Your teenager isn't handling this well, and you don't know what to do about it. You're not alone, and neither are they. Ellie Visitew was twelve when her dad was diagnosed with stage 3B testicular cancer. Her family was served by Inheritance of Hope in 2019 following his diagnosis. In this episode, she looks back on the years that followed: the anger, the slammed doors, the distance she couldn't explain even to herself. Now years out from it, she shares what actually helped and what she wishes her parents had done differently. Here's What You'll Learn in This Episode: - Why teens act out when a parent is sick, and why it's not really about you - How to offer support without forcing it, and why "here if you need it" works better than an intervention - A simple gut check for whether your teen needs an outlet, not another conversation - Why what your child says in anger isn't what they mean - How to trust that your relationship with your child will be okay, even when it feels furthest from it right now If you have a teenager who feels like a stranger right now, this conversation is for you. Chapters 00:00 — Meet Ellie: Her Dad's Cancer Diagnosis at Age 12 01:00 — How I Acted Out When My Dad Got Sick 06:13 — Why Trauma Changes Family Dynamics 10:04 — What Parents Should Know: Advice for Supporting a Struggling Teen 16:01 — Giving Your Teen a Healthy Outlet 20:05 — Trusting Your Child Will Be Okay If you are interested in the book that was shared in the episode, "What Happened to You" by Oprah Winfrey, click here.

    What does my teenager need from me right now?

  2. Sep 22

    How do I help my kids feel safe when their world is changing?

    Kids notice more than we think. Long before they have the words for it, they can sense when something in their world has shifted. So how can we, as parents and caregivers, help our kids feel safe and secure during this time? Today's guest is Erin VanDorsten, a Child Life Specialist experienced in helping families navigate change. She shares practical tips and helps us understand how kids process what's happening around them. Here's What You'll Learn in This Episode: - Why an absence of play can be a sign your child is struggling - What actually scares kids most, and how it differs from adult fears - Signs to watch for: regression, sleep changes, disruptions in eating - Why emotional safety is an ongoing process, not a one-time talk - Simple ways to help kids feel grounded: routines, small choices, and community support If you're watching a child navigate a season of change and wondering how to help them feel safe again, this conversation offers real, practical steps forward. Find more helpful resources on our Other Helpful Organizations page. Timestamps 00:00 — Signs Your Child Might Be Struggling With Grief 01:52 — What Scares Kids Most During a Parent's Illness 04:12 — Do Kids Know Something's Wrong Even When We Don't Tell Them? 05:24 — Regression, Sleep Changes, and Other Signs of Stress in Kids 06:39 — What Emotional Safety Looks Like for Kids 08:44 — How to Help Kids Feel Grounded During Uncertainty 10:34 — How Friends and Family Can Support a Grieving Child 13:23 — The One Thing Kids Need Most During Hard Seasons

    How do I help my kids feel safe when their world is changing?

  3. Sep 15

    Who am I now after everything changed?

    You don't feel like yourself anymore. Maybe it's a diagnosis. Maybe caregiving feels overwhelming. Maybe your life just looks nothing like it used to. Kim Virrueta, a licensed marriage and family therapist, helps people find their way back to who they are today, even when it feels far from who they were before everything changed. In this episode, she offers a practical framework for finding your new identity along with a simple exercise you can do at home. Here's What You'll Learn in This Episode: - Why grieving who you used to be is a real, valid form of grief, even if no one died - The TEAR model, a four-step grief framework originally developed for palliative and hospice care, adapted for any loss - Why holding pain inside shows up in your body, and what to do instead - A simple at-home exercise to identify your priorities and values today, using just a notebook or your phone - How one small daily choice, even five minutes, can move you toward feeling like yourself again If you feel like you don't know who you are anymore, this conversation can help you find who you are today. Timestamps: 00:00 How Five Minutes Can Change Your Day 01:20 How Do I Find My Identity After a Diagnosis or Loss? 04:09 Why Grieving Who You Used to Be Is Real Grief 06:50 What Is the TEAR Model of Grief? 07:31 What Happens When You Hold In Grief? 11:06 How Does Culture Shape the Way We Grieve? 11:49 A Simple At-Home Exercise to Find Who You Are Today 16:16 How Do I Start Feeling Like Myself Again? To access the helpful resources from this conversation, visit this page: https://inheritanceofhope.org/podcast-who-am-i-now-after-everything-changed/ Check out our Other Helpful Resources page for more support. You can learn more about Kim here.

    Who am I now after everything changed?

  4. Sep 8

    How do veterans access benefits after a terminal diagnosis?

    For veterans facing a terminal diagnosis, and the families supporting them, the VA system can feel impossible to navigate alone. Today, our guest Joe Quirarte and his wife, Ashleigh, guide us through the benefits veterans have earned but often don't know about, and how to claim them. Joe is a veteran living with brain cancer who has identified every benefit available to veterans facing a life-threatening illness. In-home caregiver pay, mobility equipment, specialized treatment outside the VA system: these are just a few of the resources discussed. You'll hear about more and understand the concrete steps to access them, whether it's for your own family or someone you know. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why veterans face significantly higher cancer rates, and what the PACT Act changed - How a VSO can file new claims, and help veterans with denied claims or a low disability rating get more support - What programs exist for in-home care, mobility equipment, and transportation to appointments - How a community care referral can get specialized treatment covered outside the VA system - What documentation to gather now, even before a diagnosis, to make the process easier later If you or someone you love is a veteran facing a serious diagnosis, this conversation offers a place to start. 00:00 — How the VA Covers Specialized Cancer Treatment Outside Its System 01:18 — Meet Joe and Ashleigh Quirarte: A Veteran Family Facing a Terminal Diagnosis 02:09 — What Is a Veteran Service Officer (VSO)? 05:26 — Can Veterans Who Served Years Ago Still Get Benefits? 09:34 — VA Programs for In-Home Care, Mobility Equipment, and Specialized Treatment 12:32 — Life Insurance, Burial Benefits, and Estate Planning for Veterans 18:51 — Documentation to Gather and Resources for Military Families With help from Joe and Ashleigh, we have created a special webpage for you to access all of the resources that were provided in this interview. Click this link for details.

    How do veterans access benefits after a terminal diagnosis?

  5. Sep 1

    How do I parent through a serious illness?

    Guilt shows up fast when a serious diagnosis changes how present you can be for your kids. If you're carrying that weight, whether it's cancer or another life-threatening illness, you're not failing them. You're doing the hardest job there is, under conditions no parent signs up for. Carissa Hodgson has spent 20 years supporting families facing cancer, work shaped by losing both her father and stepfather to the disease. She joins Ellie to talk through the logistics, the conversations, and the small moments and activities that matter most. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why guilt is nearly universal among parents facing a serious diagnosis, and how to release some of it - How to build a support "team manager" so you're not the one coordinating your own care - Simple, low-energy ways to stay connected with your kids, even from bed - Why routines matter so much for kids living through medical chaos, and how to keep one without over-scheduling - How to talk to your child about hard changes without making promises you can't keep If you're trying to hold it together for your kids while facing a diagnosis or hard season you didn't choose, this conversation offers real, practical ground to stand on. 00:00 — The "Team Manager" Trick for Delegating When You're Overwhelmed 01:01 — How to Parent Through a Terminal Diagnosis 01:31 — Why Do I Feel So Guilty as a Sick Parent? 03:17 — How to Stay Connected With Your Kids When You're Sick 06:41 — How to Build a Support Team When You're Sick 10:26 — Low-Energy Games to Play With Your Kids 12:46 — Why Routines Matter for Kids During Medical Chaos 15:44 — How to Talk to Kids Without Making Promises You Can't Keep 18:41 — When and How to Tell Your Kids About a Serious Prognosis Check out Brightspot Network on Other Helpful Resources page for more support: https://inheritanceofhope.org/other-helpful-organizations/ Interested in the book: Horizontal Parenting? Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/179721134X Learn more about Inheritance of Hope offerings here: https://info.inheritanceofhope.org/onepage

    How do I parent through a serious illness?

  6. Aug 25

    How to calm my nervous system when I'm anxious?

    Panic can feel like it comes out of nowhere, and like it never fully leaves. If your body feels stuck on high alert, you're not imagining it, and you're not alone. Kim Virrueta, a licensed therapist, supports those living with cancer and helps people learn ways to manage high anxiety and panic attacks. In this episode, she breaks down why your nervous system goes into fight-or-flight, and shares techniques that bring your body back to calm. Here's What You'll Learn in This Episode: - Why your nervous system goes into fight-or-flight, and what's happening in your body when it does - The two thought patterns, fortune-telling and catastrophizing, that quietly fuel the panic and terror cycle - A simple breathing practice that shifts your body into rest-and-digest mode - A technique for scheduling worry, so anxious thoughts get a designated time instead of taking over your whole day - Bible verses Kim turns to as reminders of safety and peace when your body doesn't feel safe at all If panic or constant worry has taken hold, this conversation offers real, practical steps back to calm. Visit Kim's website to learn more. To access the helpful resources from this conversation, visit this page: https://inheritanceofhope.org/podcast-how-do-i-calm-my-nervous-system-when-im-anxious/ 00:00 — How to Create Moments of Calm When You're Always on Guard 01:21 — How to Calm Your Nervous System 02:17 — What Happens to Your Body During Stress 03:15 — The Cycle of Triggers, Thoughts, and Body Reactions 05:46 — Fight-or-Flight Symptoms and How to Calm Them 07:06 — Present Moment Awareness and Bible Verses for Peace

    How to calm my nervous system when I'm anxious?

  7. Aug 18

    How do I make lasting memories with my kids?

    When Carissa Hodgson asks kids what they remember most from a big family trip, the answer is rarely the one parents expect. Carissa is a therapist who spends her days supporting families navigating a parent's advanced cancer diagnosis. In this episode, she talks about the difference between moments that are made and moments that are shared: the idea that legacy doesn't come from grand gestures, but from ordinary time together. Instead of an expensive trip, a perfectly written letter, or a moment engineered to feel significant, what she's found is that kids remember presence, not production. Folding laundry turns into a sock basketball game. A random water gun fight becomes a summer tradition. Five focused minutes of listening to your kid talk about their video game becomes something they'll bring up years later. You'll hear practical, low-energy ways to build these moments into daily life, along with ideas for more intentional legacy projects: memory books, time capsules, audio recordings, letters for future milestones. Carissa also offers a gentle caution for parents thinking about leaving letters or gifts for a child's future big days, and a reminder that legacy work isn't just a gift for your kids. It's often healing for the parent doing it too. If you're navigating how to show up for your children right now, even in the middle of something incredibly hard, this conversation will meet you there. Find out more about Carissa's work with BrightSpot Network as well as other helpful resources here. 00:00 — What Kids Actually Remember: The Disney Story 01:25 — Meet Carissa Hodgson: Supporting Families Through a Parent's Cancer 03:52 — Creating Bonds and Memories With Babies Too Young to Remember 05:58 — Simple Everyday Ways to Create Lasting Memories With Your Kids 09:53 — Turning Family Traditions Into Core Memories 11:42 — Legacy Project Ideas: Memory Books, Time Capsules, and Recordings 16:27 — Legacy Projects as a Tool of Empowerment and Hope 17:58 — When to Give Letters and Legacy Gifts to Your Kids

    How do I make lasting memories with my kids?

  8. Aug 11

    How do I navigate holidays and special dates after loss?

    Grief doesn't follow a calendar, but life still does. Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays: they keep showing up, whether you're ready or not. This week Aisha Thomas, widow and author of The Widow's Truth, talks about what she calls the "calendar of landmines": the firsts, the bittersweet milestones, the dates tied to your person, and the old losses that resurface without warning. You'll hear why every Father's Day, Aisha sends her kids photos of themselves with their dad, even ones they've seen before, and why her kids say it never gets old. She also shares the one thing she believes friends and family can do that matters most: remember the date. If a hard date is coming up for you or someone you love, this conversation offers real, gentle ways through it. 00:00 — How Grief and Joy Exist in the Same Moment 03:51 — Why Aisha Thomas Wrote The Widow's Truth 06:29 — Understanding the "Calendar of Landmines" in Grief 09:04 — How to Recognize a Grief Landmine Before It Hits 11:14 — How to Create New Traditions After a Loss 20:37 — What to Say to Someone Who's Grieving 23:09 — A Father's Day Tradition That Keeps Grief and Love Together 24:46 — Aisha's Love Letter to Her Husband and Advice for New Widows Interested in Aisha's book: The Widow's Truth: What to Do When You Lose the Love of Your Life? Click here.

    How do I navigate holidays and special dates after loss?
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About

The Inheritance of Hope Podcast invites you into deeply personal conversations with those navigating the unthinkable: young families facing the loss of a parent to terminal illness. Each episode explores what it means to leave a legacy - not just in death, but in how we choose to live. Whether you're living with a diagnosis, supporting someone who is, or simply searching for meaning and hope in hard places, this podcast shows that joy is possible, even in terminal illness! Find joy in terminal illness at⁠⁠⁠ https://InheritanceOfHope.org/⁠⁠ Give joy in terminal illness at ⁠https://www2.inheritanceofhope.org/Give

Information

  • Creator
    Inheritance of Hope
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    67
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Inheritance of Hope
  • Show Website
    Inheritance of Hope Podcast