I Lost My Dad to Brain Cancer—And I’m Learning to Live With My Grief
Leah Stern was more than just a daughter—she was her dad’s best friend. When he died of glioblastoma, her world broke open.
In this emotional and raw conversation, Leah shares how she’s navigating life without him, the jealousy she feels when others still have their dads, and how grief doesn’t always look like tears—it can show up as rage, loneliness, and quiet resentment. This episode explores what it really means to lose a parent before you’re ready.
THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY SARATOGA CASINO & HOTEL: https://saratogacasino.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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How 2 Families Found Hope in Adaptive Equipment
This week’s episode is sponsored by Freedom Concepts, creators of custom adaptive tricycles, Chill-Out Chairs, and early intervention equipment that help individuals of all ages and abilities experience mobility, comfort, and dignity.
Heather shares the powerful stories of two families whose children’s lives changed dramatically after being matched with Freedom Concepts equipment. From new levels of independence to moments of pure joy, this episode is about what happens when kids finally get the tools they need to thrive.
This episode is sponsored by Freedom Concepts, a company designing innovative, customizable mobility and seating solutions that empower individuals of all abilities to live with dignity, independence, and joy.
Check out Freedom Concepts: https://freedomconcepts.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/
❤️ Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@APlaceofYesPodcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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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
“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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