Job rejection led to Istanbul, and something bigger
Alyssa couldn’t find work in Australia. Then a UN internship in Turkey changed everything. Kintsugi Heroes. Alyssa applied for jobs across Australia and hit wall after wall. When a UN internship came up in Istanbul, she took the leap. That decision led her to the person and the life she’d build, and taught her that […]
How to make someone feel seen today #kindness #shorts
Stories about growing up with disability, mental health, and what it means to see the person first. Sally Pymer was diagnosed with chronic lung disease at 19, told she’d have emphysema by 40, and spent decades running from that truth. But growing up with her brother’s severe disabilities taught her something the world forgot: how […]
Why people hurt the ones they love
Duncan Schieb on seeing past the harm to the pain underneath, real stories of resilience. Duncan learned to recognise a pattern most people miss: when someone hurts you, it often signals they are hurting themselves. This shift from blame to understanding became the turning point in how he rebuilt his relationships and his life. 🎙️ […]
Beyond the Label: How I Learned to See the Person, Not the Disability
Stories about growing up with disability, mental health, and what it means to see the person first. Sally Pymer was diagnosed with chronic lung disease at 19, told she’d have emphysema by 40, and spent decades running from that truth. But growing up with her brother’s severe disabilities taught her something the world forgot: how […]
The pub where mental health is just another conversation
Australian mental health crisis: what actually works when a mate is struggling. Stuart O’Neill survived a suicide attempt in Taiwan and rebuilt his life by opening a coffee shop, then Australia’s first mental health pub, where ordinary conversations save lives. ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses suicide, grief, which some listeners may find distressing. If […]
One page, one person: Cathy Hockey on disability inclusion and what it really takes to lead
The one-page profile that changed everything ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses grief, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you’re not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au Eighteen years ago, Cathy took a job leading a small employment program for people with intellectual […]
Paul Jamieson: Nine Years After the Wakeboard, the Mango, and the Hand Squeeze That Said He Was S…
For almost two years after his brain injury, Paul Jamieson could not eat or drink anything. When his speech pathologist finally decided he was ready to try, she asked him what he wanted. He said mangoes. He still remembers exactly what it tasted like. Nearly nine years ago, Paul was wakeboarding on a lake in […]
Sally Pymer on Learning to See the Person
The person, not the disability ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses addiction, grief, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you’re not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au Raised in a family where her brother Jeffrey had severe disabilities, Sally learned early to see […]
The weight of letting go | Naomi O’Byrne | Golden Threads
⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses grief, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you’re not alone — help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au Naomi O’Byrne’s story spans 27 years of motherhood shaped by her daughter Sarah’s complex disabilities. What began as discovering developmental delays […]
“Give People a Chance and Watch Them Shine” | Julie Fisher | Golden Threads | Kintsugi Heroes
Two years before Julie Fisher fell pregnant with her third child, the universe set her up. She’d just made a friend whose daughter Amy had Down syndrome. Julie watched the playground, asked the questions, and quietly decided that if it ever happened to her family, she would want to know. Two years later, an ultrasound […]