Holyoaks Rise: Stories of Rising Through the Unexpected

19) Raising a Daughter with Smith-Kingsmore Syndrome: A Medical Mom’s Journey (Part 1)

In this episode of Holyoaks Rise: Stories of Rising Through the Unexpected, Amanda sits down with Jasmine, a homeschooling mom and medical mother whose oldest daughter lives with Smith-Kingsmore syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that has brought significant medical challenges, developmental delays, feeding difficulties, and a severe seizure disorder. Jasmine shares the story of her family, the journey toward receiving a diagnosis, and what life really looks like raising a child with complex medical needs. She opens up about the uncertainty, heartbreak, advocacy, and resilience that have shaped her family’s path. In Part 1, we discuss: • The dreams and expectations Jasmine had before motherhood • The first signs that something might be different with her daughter • The long road to receiving answers and a diagnosis • What Smith-Kingsmore syndrome looks like in everyday life • Navigating medical emergencies and ongoing care needs • The realities of medical motherhood that many people never see • Advocacy, resilience, and learning to adapt to the unexpected • What she wishes doctors, therapists, educators, and others understood about families like hers This conversation offers an honest look at life behind the appointments, therapies, hospital visits, and daily caregiving responsibilities that come with raising a medically complex child. Join us next week for Part 2 as Jasmine shares more about her daughter beyond the diagnosis, sibling relationships, a second diagnosis in the family, and the hope that has carried them through some of their hardest seasons. If this episode encouraged you, please follow, share, and leave a review to help more families discover stories of hope and resilience. Follow for more rise stories.

18) You Don’t Have to Win to Rise: Lessons from Odyssey of the Mind World Finals

After a two-week break from the podcast, I’m back with unexpected lessons from Odyssey of the Mind World Finals. What started as a trip to support my children quickly became a powerful reminder of what it means to grow through challenges, face fears, embrace teamwork, and keep moving forward when things don’t go as planned. In this episode, I’m sharing the behind-the-scenes reality of World Finals—the sacrifices, setbacks, victories, and moments of courage that most people never see. We’ll talk about confidence, resilience, medical motherhood, homeschooling, entrepreneurship, and why success isn’t always measured by trophies or outcomes. Whether you’re raising children, navigating a medical journey, pursuing a dream, or simply trying to make it through a difficult season, this episode is a reminder that rising often happens long before anyone notices. In this episode:• The hidden work behind every success story• What Odyssey of the Mind taught me about courage• Why confidence comes after action, not before• The power of teamwork and community• How growth can matter more than winning• What “rising through the unexpected” really means If you’ve ever felt discouraged, overwhelmed, or uncertain about your next step, this episode is for you. Because sometimes the greatest victory isn’t winning. Sometimes the greatest victory is becoming the person who was brave enough to try. As I watched students solve problems, overcome setbacks, and keep moving forward under pressure, I couldn’t help but see the same lessons I’ve learned through medical motherhood, NICU life, adoption, caregiving, and building Holyoaks Rise. Sometimes growth isn’t measured by the outcome. Sometimes it’s measured by who you’re becoming along the way. This experience reminded me that resilience isn’t built when everything goes right. It’s built in the moments when things don’t go according to plan and you choose to keep showing up anyway. Subscribe, follow, and share with someone who needs encouragement today. Holyoaks Rise: Stories of Rising Through the Unexpected Warm Memories - Emotional Inspiring Piano by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ I8h8

17) 16 Years, 5 Kids, and More Plot Twists Than We Planned | Our Anniversary Story

When we got married 16 years ago, we had plans. What we didn’t plan for were five kids, a NICU journey, foster care, adoption, complex medical diagnoses, countless appointments, sleepless nights, unexpected detours, and all the ways life would rewrite our story. In this special anniversary bonus episode, my husband and I sit down together to look back on sixteen years of marriage and the plot twists that shaped our family. We share funny memories, hard seasons, lessons learned, and the moments that reminded us that even when life doesn’t go according to plan, there is still joy to be found. Whether you’re navigating marriage, parenting, medical challenges, adoption, or simply the unexpected turns life brings, we hope this conversation encourages you to keep showing up, keep loving well, and keep rising through the unexpected. Because sometimes the best parts of the story are the chapters we never saw coming. In this episode:• How our expectations compared to reality• The biggest plot twists of the last 16 years• Lessons we’ve learned about marriage through difficult seasons• Humor, survival mode, and finding joy in the chaos• Why we wouldn’t trade this journey for anything If this episode resonates with you, please follow, share, and leave a review. It helps more families discover stories of hope and resilience. Holyoaks Rise: Stories of Rising Through the Unexpected Topics discussed include marriage, parenting, medical motherhood, NICU life, foster care, adoption, resilience, survival mode, family life, and navigating unexpected life challenges. Warm Memories - Emotional Inspiring Piano by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ I8h8

16) Learning to Dream Again After Survival Mode | Medical Motherhood, Identity & Healing

For years, survival mode was necessary. Medical motherhood, NICU life, caregiving, night shifts, trauma, responsibility, and simply trying to hold everything together can slowly become an identity. But what happens when you finally begin asking yourself who you are outside of survival? In this deeply personal episode, I talk honestly about ambition, fear, vulnerability, healing, motherhood, identity shifts, and what it feels like to dream again after years of simply making it through hard seasons. This episode explores: ● survival mode and emotional exhaustion ● medical motherhood and caregiver identity ● learning to hope again after trauma ● the fear of chasing dreams publicly ● rediscovering purpose after hardship ● healing beyond survival ● motherhood, resilience, and personal growth If you’ve ever felt stuck in survival mode or wondered whether you’re allowed to want more from life after difficult seasons… this episode is for you. Because surviving was important.But maybe surviving isn’t the end of your story. Welcome to Holyoaks Rise — stories of rising through the unexpected. For years, I was focused on getting through the next appointment, the next diagnosis, the next challenge. Somewhere along the way, survival became normal. This episode is a personal reflection on what happens when you finally have enough space to ask a new question: What do I want now? Wondering if I can dream again.. Topics discussed include medical motherhood, survival mode, caregiver burnout, identity after trauma, healing, resilience, personal growth, NICU life, and learning to dream again after difficult seasons. Warm Memories - Emotional Inspiring Piano by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ I8h8

15) Baby Jessica: The Girl the World Refused to Leave Behind

Rise Story In 1987, the world held its breath as 18-month-old Jessica McClure fell 22 feet into a narrow well in Midland, Texas. For 58 hours, rescue crews dug through rock by hand while millions watched and prayed. But this story isn’t only about a rescue.It’s about exhaustion. Fear. Human determination. Parents waiting helplessly. Rescue workers refusing to quit. And what happens when ordinary people rise in impossible moments. In this episode of Holyoaks Rise: Stories of Rising Through the Unexpected, Amanda walks through the real timeline of Baby Jessica’s rescue, the emotional weight carried by her family, and the lessons medical moms and survival-mode families can recognize inside this unforgettable story. This episode of Holyoaks Rise was inspired by publicly available historical reporting and research surrounding the 1987 rescue of Baby Jessica McClure in Midland, Texas. Primary references include: ● Inside the Well: The Midland Texas Rescue of Baby Jessica by Donna Guthrie and Chip Hickey ● Archived news coverage from CNN, ABC, NBC, and local Texas reporting ● Public interviews with rescue personnel, family members, and medical teams involved in the event ● Historical timeline documentation and published rescue accounts available through public media archives This episode is intended for storytelling, educational, and inspirational purposes. While every effort was made to present the events respectfully and accurately, portions of the episode may summarize or paraphrase publicly reported information for narrative flow. Holyoaks Rise does not claim ownership of historical events, news facts, or quoted public statements referenced within the episode. Topics Discussed • Baby Jessica rescue • Jessica McClure • Midland, Texas rescue • Crisis response • Human resilience • Community support • Survival and hope • Parenting through uncertainty • Strength in adversity • Rising through the unexpected Warm Memories - Emotional Inspiring Piano by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/