Life After Fleeing: How I Found My Voice in Australia
Refugees in the world face impossible choices, and Saina Avesta lived through three of them. Fleeing Iran at 18, spending seven years in Turkey with no rights and no safety, then waiting eight years to resettle in Australia, she’s now advocating for other LGBTQIA+ refugees still trapped in processing countries. ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode […]
Choosing accountability: How I survived the darkest moment of my life
Accountability and recovery after life-altering mistakes. At 22, Paul Turley drove drunk and stoned, crashed into an oncoming car, and killed a 62-year-old chef. In hospital, wired jaw and 40 staples, he made two decisions: accept the consequence and make the tragedy mean something. This is his story of prison, rebuilding, and what set him […]
The moment I chose accountability over hiding
Accountability and recovery after life-altering mistakes. At 22, Paul Turley drove drunk and stoned, crashed into an oncoming car, and killed a 62-year-old chef. In hospital, wired jaw and 40 staples, he made two decisions: accept the consequence and make the tragedy mean something. This is his story of prison, rebuilding, and what set him […]
From alone to advocate | Dr. Heena Sinha Cheung | Kintsugi Heroes Shorts
Dr. Heena Sinha Cheung became a voice for survivors after feeling unsupported. Kintsugi Heroes. Dr. Heena Sinha Cheung experienced a moment of isolation that shifted her entire direction. When she felt no one was fighting for her, she made a choice to become that voice for others still waiting for someone to believe them. 🎙️ […]
From Shame to Storytelling: The Unexpected Power of Simply Being There
Mental health awareness looks different when it’s your own child in crisis. Sarah Rosse spent her career helping others navigate mental health emergencies, until October 2023, when her 16-year-old son attempted to take his life. In this episode of Kintsugi Heroes, Sarah shares how the gap between her professional knowledge and her lived reality as […]
They needed me more than I needed safety #wildlife #rescue #shorts
Saengduean faced a choice between silence that might save her life or speaking up to protect the animals she loved. Saengduean confronted a real tension between personal safety and the protection of the animals she was fighting for. She chose to speak, even when fear suggested otherwise. 🎙️ Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6FMrhSM-K4 🎧 Spotify: […]
One Look in an Elephant’s Eyes Redirected Her Entire Life
At 16, Saengduean witnessed an elephant being brutally beaten in the logging industry. That moment redirected her entire life toward animal welfare advocacy. Now she runs a sanctuary that has rescued hundreds of elephants and other animals across Thailand and Asia. ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses trauma & healing, which some listeners may find […]
Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you
Reframing trauma from victim identity to material for growth: Dr Heena Cheung survived childhood sexual abuse and anorexia, then used one sentence to unlock a shift that led her to run for Senate and fight for NDIS housing and migrant women’s rights. This is her story of how life doesn’t happen to you-it happens for […]
Why I spent years refusing the one thing I needed most
Daniel lost his sight at 16 to a genetic condition he couldn’t control. But his story isn’t about overcoming disability. It’s about learning to see differently, finding strength in asking for help, and building a life of purpose beyond what he thought he’d lost. ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses mental health & wellbeing, which […]
Jo modelled what she was teaching her daughter | Jo Tarnawsky | Kintsugi Heroes Shorts
A parent realises she can’t ask her child to speak up if she won’t do the same herself. As Jo’s daughter approached high school, Jo thought about all the advice she’d give her about standing up to bullying and speaking out. That’s when she recognised she couldn’t ask her daughter to be brave if she […]