Inheritance of Hope Podcast

Inheritance of Hope

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. Jul 21

    Resources We Trust: Communication Technology and Voice Preservation | Bridging Voice

    Your ability to communicate with the people you love is too important to lose. When ALS or another disease changes how you speak, Bridging Voice helps you find new ways to stay connected to the routines and relationships that matter most. In this episode, Ellie talks with Karina, Executive Director of Bridging Voice, about the assistive technology and resources available - from eye-gaze devices to voice preservation and AI voice cloning. What sets Bridging Voice apart is its one-on-one coaching: free, personalized support from anywhere in the US that helps you and your caregivers actually use the technology to do what matters most to you. Because having the right tool is only half the battle. Learning to use it changes everything. Whether through voice cloning technology or legacy videos with Inheritance of Hope, capturing your voice early - even just two minutes on your phone - means your words can be heard in your own voice for years to come. Inheritance of Hope's Legacy Video™ program also preserves your voice while capturing messages for your loved ones. 00:00 Staying Connected: Real Stories of ALS and Assistive Technology 01:46 Introducing Bridging Voice: A Mission to Support ALS Communication 02:45 The Story Behind Bridging Voice: How One Team Started Supporting ALS Patients 04:39 Technology as a Tool, Not Solution: Why Coaching Matters 05:11 Communication Beyond Words: How Families Use Technology to Stay Close 08:37 Preserving Your Voice and Identity: Voice Cloning Stories that Matter 08:55 Personal Stories: How Bedtime Stories and Daily Routines Become Communication 10:08 Legacy Videos and Voice Banking: Capturing Your Voice for the Future 13:42 Getting Started: Free Support, Training, and How to Access Bridging Voice Visit Bridging Voice: https://bridgingvoice.org/ Learn about voice cloning and voice preservation here Join office hours (Tuesdays, 4:30 p.m. Eastern): http://www.bridgingvoice.org/office-hours Create a Legacy Video™ with Inheritance of Hope here. Email to learn more or request a referral: podcast@inheritanceofhope.org Check out our Other Helpful Resources page for more support.

    Resources We Trust: Communication Technology and Voice Preservation | Bridging Voice
  2. Jul 14

    Resources We Trust: Bright Spot Network - Teaching Kids About Cancer

    Your toddler notices more than you think. Even before they have the words for it, kids pick up on stress, on change, on the quiet shift in a room. This week, meet Carissa Hodgson, LCSW, OSW-C, Director of Programs at Bright Spot Network. Carissa's own experience with childhood loss shaped her work: helping parents raising young kids navigate a cancer diagnosis, and helping them believe their children will be okay. Bright Spot Network supports parents diagnosed with cancer while raising kids ages zero to eighteen. You'll hear why silence isn't protection, and why kids left without information sometimes fill the gaps with something scarier than the truth. You'll learn about free resources: books, art kits, financial grants, virtual support groups, and programs built by child life specialists for kids as young as zero. If you're a parent trying to figure out how to talk to your kids about a cancer diagnosis, or if you know a family who is, this episode is for you. 01:15 — Meet Carissa Hodgson: Director of Programs at Bright Spot Network 04:36 — What Is Bright Spot Network? Support for Parents with Cancer 05:54 — Why Kids Pick Up on Stress Before They Have the Words 06:51 — Using Children's Books to Explain Cancer to Young Kids 08:50 — Where the Name "Bright Spot" Comes From 12:04 — Free Resources, support groups, art ideas and more 19:26 — How to Connect with Bright Spot Network Resource Links Helping Children Cope with a Parent's Chronic/Advanced Cancer Bright Reads (free books for families about cancer, feelings, grief) Click here for a free program for parents with metastatic cancer and health care professionals Check out our Other Helpful Resources page for more support Email Carissa directly

    Resources We Trust: Bright Spot Network - Teaching Kids About Cancer
  3. Jul 7

    Resources We Trust: Wonders & Worries - Helping Kids Facing Parent Illness

    Your child already knows something is wrong. They sense the changes in your stress, notice the shifts in your routine, and feel it in your heartbeat when something's on your mind. So the real question isn't whether to tell them—it's how. Wonders & Worries answers exactly that. Julie May, National Outreach Coordinator and child life specialist with 23 years of experience, shares how this national nonprofit supports children ages 2–18 navigating a parent's serious illness or injury—from cancer and ALS to burns and spinal cord injury. And it's completely free. Wonders & Worries takes complex adult themes and packages them into something a child can actually hold and understand. Whether in-person or virtual, families can access curricula, parent webinars on specific conversations (How do I talk about hair loss?), and a curated resource library. Bringing your child into your illness journey isn't a burden. It's an invitation to belong. They're already walking this with you. Let's help them find their role. 00:00 How to Talk to Kids About Illness 02:04 Meet Wonders and Worries: Free Support 04:03 Expert-Led: Why Child Life Specialists Matter 07:23 Virtual Support: 6 Sessions to Cope Better 14:17 How to Access Free Resources 16:03 Don't Be Afraid: What Kids Already Know Helpful Links: Wonders & Worries website The WonderWorks® kit was created to help families with children and teenagers navigate the challenges of a parent’s serious illness or injury from the comfort of home. Julie May's email: Julie@wondersandworries.org Call 1-844-WE-WONDER (1-844-939-6633) or email at helpline@wondersandworries.org for help. Wondercast podcast: https://wondersandworries.org/resources/podcasts/ Use this link to listen to the Wondercast episode that featured Inheritance of Hope Check out the Inheritance of Hope Resource Directory for this resource and more.

    Resources We Trust: Wonders & Worries - Helping Kids Facing Parent Illness
  4. Jun 30

    Resources We Trust: Find Comfort with GriefShare

    When grief feels isolating, and your questions seem unanswerable, where do you turn? In this week's episode, Sam Hodges, President of Church Initiative (the parent ministry of GriefShare), joins us to discuss this Christ-centered grief support resource that creates space for honest conversation and community. Learn what it looks like to find relief and how GriefShare groups help people move from being comforted to becoming comforters for others. Additional Resources Not ready for a group yet? Sam and the Church Initiative team have created several books to help you understand your grief—whether you're wrestling with loss, searching for permission to feel what you're feeling, or wanting to understand what Scripture says in the middle of your pain. All are available at the GriefShare bookstore and on Amazon (Living Without Mom, "Is My Grief Normal?", Loss of a Spouse, What God Says About Your Grief, and more). 0:00 Finding Comfort After Loss: What Really Helps in Grief 1:24 What Is GriefShare? An Introduction to Christ-Centered Grief Support 4:05 How Grief Support Groups Help You Heal: The Power of Community 6:46 The GriefShare Approach: Healing Through Scripture and Safe Spaces 9:02 How to Find and Join a GriefShare Group Near You (13-Week Program) 11:34 Best Grief Recovery Books and Resources from Church Initiative 14:15 Prolonged Grief Disorder: When to Seek Additional Grief Support 16:32 How to Start a GriefShare Group at Your Church 17:54 Moving Forward in Grief: Sam Hodges on Hope and Healing Helpful Links Visit GriefShare: https://www.griefshare.org/ Find a group near you: https://find.griefshare.org/find Browse books on the GriefShare bookstore: https://griefshare.org/bookstore Check out the Inheritance of Hope Resource Directory for more resources.

    Resources We Trust: Find Comfort with GriefShare
  5. Jun 23

    Resources We Trust: Funeral Registry Support Through GiveWillow

    When someone experiences a loss, friends and family often ask, “What can I do?” GiveWillow provides a simple answer. In this episode, April McClure, Chief Engagement Officer at GiveWillow, shares how the first funeral registry platform, often described as “a wedding registry, but for funerals”, helps families communicate their needs during one of life’s most overwhelming seasons. Inspired by the founder’s own family experience with sudden loss, GiveWillow allows loved ones to offer meaningful support in ways that matter most. Families can create a personalized registry for funeral expenses, meals, pet care, errands, memorial projects, charitable donations, and other practical needs. Supporters can then choose exactly how they want to help, easing both financial and emotional burdens. GiveWillow makes needs visible and easy to fulfill, transforming gestures of support into meaningful action. The service is completely free, fully customizable and designed to meet people wherever they are in their grief journey. Maybe you know someone in need of this service. 00:00 Introduction & GiveWillow Overview 01:44 Introducing GiveWillow: A New Resource for Grief 03:05 How GiveWillow Started: Founder's Story of Loss 05:14 Understanding the Funeral Registry Concept 09:04 How GiveWillow Supports Grieving Families 09:25 What Can You Add to a Funeral Registry? 14:57 Managing Grief Finances: Practical Support for Families Learn more about GiveWillow here. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

    Resources We Trust: Funeral Registry Support Through GiveWillow
  6. Jun 9

    Resources We Trust: Caregiver Help from The Negative Space

    What happens to the caregiver when all eyes are on the patient? Today's guest has dedicated her life to answering that question. For so many families in the Inheritance of Hope community, the caregiver's experience lives in the quiet spaces: between hospital visits, sleepless nights, and the relentless work of holding everything together, often unseen. In this episode, Ellie sits down with Allison Breininger, founder and executive director of The Negative Space, a nonprofit built on one powerful truth: caregivers are part of the story too. Allison has been caregiving for her husband Sean for 15 years as he lives with a rare genetic disease. Out of her own experience, she created an organization that is changing the way caregivers of all kinds are seen, heard, and cared for. From virtual support groups to a free online resource library, The Negative Space offers real, accessible tools so that no caregiver has to navigate their journey alone. If you've ever felt like you're in the background of your own life, this episode is for you. 00:00 Introduction to The Negative Space 02:50 How The Negative Space Was Founded 05:49 Caregiver Resources Offered by The Negative Space 10:49 Understanding the Caregiver Experience 13:52 Free and Accessible Support for Caregivers 18:44 Encouragement for Caregivers 22:42 How to Connect With The Negative Space Want to learn more or find support? Start here. The Negative Space Explore The Storyline - a library of on-demand tools designed to meet caregivers wherever they are, whatever moment they are in. Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

    Resources We Trust: Caregiver Help from The Negative Space
5
out of 5
15 Ratings

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