The Full Catastrophe: Losing a Son and Learning How to Live Again
This week’s episode is a special live recording from Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs, where Heather sits down with author Casey Mulligan Walsh to talk about her deeply moving memoir, The Full Catastrophe.
Orphaned by twelve, the only surviving sibling, and later a mother navigating divorce and the unraveling of her family, Casey opens up about the grief that shaped her life—and the unimaginable loss of her firstborn son, Eric, at age twenty.
With raw honesty and powerful spiritual reflection, Casey shares how she’s found meaning through the pain, and how love, resilience, and hope carried her through her family’s darkest moments. This conversation is a testament to surviving the unimaginable—and learning how to live again.
FIND CASEY: https://caseymulliganwalsh.com
Northshire Bookstore: https://www.northshire.com
Find Heather and Jake's Help from Heaven:
❤️ APOY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aplaceofyespodcast/
❤️ Heather's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathersstraughter/
❤️ Jake's Help from Heaven: http://jakeshelpfromheaven.org/
❤️ Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@APlaceofYesPodcast
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A Late Diagnosis: Losing My Mom to Rare Disease
At just 19 years old, she lost her mom to Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency—a rare genetic disorder that went undiagnosed until it was too late. In this episode, she shares what it was like to watch her mom suffer without answers, and how the grief of that experience changed everything: her family, her future, and her sense of self.
She and Heather talk about the ripple effects of rare disease, the deep frustration of medical uncertainty, and how she’s turned her pain into purpose as a nurse. This conversation is a powerful reminder of how devastating it can be when rare disease goes unseen—and how healing begins with telling the truth.
Find Heather and Jake's Help from Heaven:
❤️ APOY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aplaceofyespodcast/
❤️ Heather's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathersstraughter/
❤️ Jake's Help from Heaven: http://jakeshelpfromheaven.org/
❤️ Jake's Help from Heaven IG: https://www.instagram.com/jakeshelp/
❤️ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jakeshelpfromheaven
❤️ Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@APlaceofYesPodcast
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Losing my Partner to Addiction
Tattoo artist Emma Rose opens up about the heartbreaking loss of her boyfriend, who died from an overdose after a long battle with addiction. In this raw and honest conversation, Emma shares what grief has looked like for her in the aftermath—how she’s navigated guilt, anger, and the complicated layers of loving someone who struggled.She and Heather also talk about addiction as a whole—how to support someone who’s struggling, the emotional toll it takes on those who love them, and what Emma wishes more people understood about addiction and loss.
Addiction Support Resources:
SAMHSA National Helpline (U.S.)
24/7 support for those facing substance use disorders.
📞 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
🌐 samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
Shatterproof
A nonprofit offering education, advocacy, & community.
🌐 shatterproof.org
Partnership to End Addiction
Personalized support for navigating a loved one’s substance use.
🌐 drugfree.org
Find Emma: https://www.instagram.com/erose.art/?hl=en
Find Heather and Jake's Help from Heaven:
❤️ APOY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aplaceofyespodcast/
❤️ Heather's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathersstraughter/
❤️ Jake's Help from Heaven: http://jakeshelpfromheaven.org/
❤️ Jake's Help from Heaven IG: https://www.instagram.com/jakeshelp/
❤️ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jakeshelpfromheaven
❤️ Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@APlaceofYesPodcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Losing a Son to Rare Disease: Parental Isolation & Grief
Dr. Al Freedman knows firsthand what it’s like to be a parent in the rare disease world—his son Jack lived with Spinal Muscular Atrophy for 26 years. In this conversation, he joins Heather to talk about the deep grief and isolation that comes with rare parenting, and what it means to lose a child to a disease no one else seems to understand.
As both a psychologist and a rare disease dad, Dr. Freedman brings a unique perspective—sharing how his personal experience shaped the work he does to support other families navigating similar journeys. This episode is a testament to the love, resilience, and heartbreak of rare parenting—and the community that can be built around it.
Connect with Dr. Al: https://www.rarecounseling.com
Find Heather and Jake's Help from Heaven:
❤️ APOY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aplaceofyespodcast/
❤️ Heather's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathersstraughter/
❤️ Jake's Help from Heaven: http://jakeshelpfromheaven.org/
❤️ Jake's Help from Heaven IG: https://www.instagram.com/jakeshelp/
❤️ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jakeshelpfromheaven
❤️ Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@APlaceofYesPodcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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What It’s Like to Lose Your Best Friend at 18
Aubrey Ide was only 18 when she lost her best friend Olivia Allen to cancer. In this episode, Aubrey sits down with Heather to share what it’s been like to grieve so young—how the loss changed her, what she misses most, and the milestones that feel so different without Olivia there.
She talks about the things they didn’t get to do together, the deep loneliness of losing a friend at that age, and what healing looks like nearly a year later. This episode is a raw and honest look at a kind of grief that’s often overlooked—and the power of friendship that never really ends.
Find Heather and Jake's Help from Heaven:
❤️ APOY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aplaceofyespodcast/
❤️ Heather's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathersstraughter/
❤️ Jake's Help from Heaven: http://jakeshelpfromheaven.org/
❤️ Jake's Help from Heaven IG: https://www.instagram.com/jakeshelp/
❤️ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jakeshelpfromheaven
❤️ Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@APlaceofYesPodcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“A Place of YES” is a podcast about using your grief to create something good. The non-profit Jake’s Help From Heaven releases weekly episodes showcasing the good that has been done in the 14 years since Jake’s death. You’ll meet mothers who know Heather’s grief and her joy. You’ll get to know the children that have been helped by Jake and you’ll meet the people who have helped make all of this joy possible.
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