The Bonus Years: Recent Episodes
Brooke Gurrad
Every year of life past your diagnosis is a bonus, but that doesn't mean it's easy. Brooke was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis, went into liver failure, and received a liver transplant--all at age 20. She is a coach for chronic illness & organ transplant patients, providing support that comes from years of coaching and personal experience. If you're looking to hear real stories from real people, this podcast is for you.
In this episode, you get to hear a conversation with my friend Jenny about all things life, health, heartbreak, and adventure. Jenny was diagnosed with biliary atresia which led to a liver transplant as an infant. She shares authentically about the relational challenges of chronic illness, living her truth, relationships, and career. She took a dreamy trip to Singapore, Vietnam, and Bali and talks about traveling with a transplant and why she spoke out about her health journey. Don't miss this fun chat!
Check out: https://www.bareinc.org/
Connect with Jenny on Instagram: @livermentor4hope
Support the showPlease subscribe & rate our podcast. Every positive review helps us share more stories of connection and hope with the world.
- Website
- Youtube
Brooke & Ali (aka @TransplantBesties) talk on this episode about Ali’s most recent surgery, a freaking abdominal wall transplant!
If that sounds familiar, you’ve probably only heard of it on Grey’s Anatomy (Megan Hunt vibes anyone?).
Ali is always great to have on the podcast because she shares her perspective, wisdom, and experience so authentically.
Beyond her surgery, we talk about:
- what it feels like to be heard and validated by a medical professional
- the value in having a small support system and what it means to hold space in really difficult moments
- the role of fear when walking into the darkness
- Surgery as rebirth
- Having a menty-b and less stressful coping strategies
- Advice for healing and complications post-surgery
Connect with Ali:
on Instagram
on her website
at TransplantLyfe
Support the showPlease subscribe & rate our podcast. Every positive review helps us share more stories of connection and hope with the world.
- Website
- Youtube
Today is an extra special episode where Brooke talks to a new friend, heart recipient, organ donation advocate, and author Hailey Steimel. Hailey shares her story of a congenital heart defect, surgery at age 1, and a much-needed heart transplant as a teenager that came on Valentine's Day, making it even more special.
Hailey is sweet and lovely and talks openly about how it felt to be a teenager in the hospital, requiring an RVAD to stay alive until she got her life-saving gift. Hailey has a relationship with her donor family, and tells us about the dynamics and feelings around that.
Make sure you don’t miss this one, and share it with your friends!
Connect with Hailey:
- Hailey on Facebook
- Hailey on Instagram
- A Heart on Valentine's Day on Amazon
- A Heart on Valentine's Day from Barnes & Noble
Support the showPlease subscribe & rate our podcast. Every positive review helps us share more stories of connection and hope with the world.
- Website
- Youtube
In the first episode of 2023, Brooke has an eye-opening conversation about how housing can prevent folks from getting an organ transplant.
Our guest is Denise Redeker, founder, and CEO of the Heartfelt Help Foundation, a non-profit focused on making housing happen for transplant patients and bridging the financial gap that insurance doesn't cover.
Denise is a heart transplant recipient and as such, brings a fresh perspective to the organ transplant space when it comes to housing.
Donate to Heartfelt Help Foundation:
https://www.heartfelthelpfoundation.com/
Partner with these organizations to prevent cardiac death in young people:
https://viaheartproject.org/
https://www.kylejtaylor.org/#/
https://epsavealife.org/
Support the showPlease subscribe & rate our podcast. Every positive review helps us share more stories of connection and hope with the world.
- Website
- Youtube
Philip Jones is a kidney transplant recipient who has battled Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) for over two decades. At age 4, Philip had strep throat, which attacked his kidneys and caused them to fail and fall to 30%. At age 17, Philip received a life-saving kidney transplant. Three years later, his body rejected that kidney causing him to face many other illnesses and dialysis. Amidst all this, Philip decided to go back to school and get his degree, and in March of 2021, Philip started A Second Chance show that highlights the story of courageous individuals and their fight story.
Be sure to catch his FREE Guide to Transplant Conference on November 4, 2022
3pm PT/ 6pm ET on A Second Chance Show's YouTube Channel.
Website: http://www.a2ndchance.net
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingtestimony12/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GodsLivinTestimony/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnwFT3lQ4vKEuBC7fXb5HVg
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KidneyFighter21
Support the showPlease subscribe & rate our podcast. Every positive review helps us share more stories of connection and hope with the world.
- Website
- Youtube
This special episode was recorded with Brooke and her daughter Brynlee. They talk about what it's like to have a parent with a chronic illness.
*Brynlee notes: At the time of recording, Brynlee was 8. She's now 9 and in 4th grade.
Brynlee answers:
- How can you tell mom's not feeling well?
- What do you do when mom's in the hospital?
- What would you tell another kid who has a parent with a chronic illness?
- When mom can't do her "normal stuff," how does she help you feel loved?
- What do you worry about? What helps?
Take a listen and let us know what hit home with you.
Find us on Instagram @thebonusyears
Check out our website for support and chronic illness coaching: http://www.brookegurrad.com
If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend, rate it, and subscribe.
Support the show
Katybeth Eller-Rawley, therapist & life coach, takes us through her story of leaving evangelicalism, loving Jesus, coming out, falling in love, and the safe spaces she wants to create for the queer community. She shares what she's learning as a caregiver to her chronically ill wife, and how it differs from being a professional counselor.
Join us as we listen, learn, and find hope in her story.
Find out more.
Support the show
CONTENT WARNING: Sex, sexual health, and addiction. In this episode, we discuss sexual health, AIDS, sex, and addiction. Please listen when you can fully engage, and without kids around.
Daniel is a natural entertainer and his openness about typically taboo subjects is disarming and refreshing. In this episode, Daniel & Brooke talk about the journey to his diagnosis of AIDS and anal cancer, his advocacy work, and all the many things he does now to make a difference in the lives of the people around him.
Support the show
On today's episode, we listen as Alisha tells her story from liver failure to transplant to recovery.
Mentions:
- familial living donor
- addiction
- post-transplant hospital trauma
- learning to eat
This episode mentions Frontline Coffee Co. Use code THEBONUSYEARS at checkout for 20% off your coffee subscription purchase.
Read more about Alisha here
Support the show (http://www.buymeacoffee.com/thebonusyears )
This week on The Bonus Years, Brooke chats with Alisha Emerald about her path to diagnosis with Glycogen Storage Disease. Alisha has been sick her whole life and shares her journey to self-love and acceptance so authentically. Join us for this 3-part series you won't wanna miss.
Show Notes & Links
Support the show (http://www.buymeacoffee.com/thebonusyears )
In the second part of my conversation with Denise, we talk about what prompted her to start The Heartfelt Help Foundation and how it's helping patients with financial needs to get listed for a transplant.
www.thebonusyearsblog.com/podcast
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
Today on The Bonus Years Podcast, I chat with Denise Redeker about giving birth to her son changed her life through a heart transplant.
Denise is well-spoken and easy to listen to and her story is engaging. Join with us as we talk transplant, death, coronavirus, and helping others.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
This week, guests Sam & Lindsey Marks talk to us about what it's like to live with a chronic illness and what it's like to become a caregiver for your partner.
Sam & Lindsey bring a unique blend of laughter, love, and honesty to our conversation. This episode is a must-listen!
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
On today's episode of The Bonus Years, I have a conversation with liver transplant recipient Kimberly Cooley. We not only hear her transplant story, but what it's like living during a global pandemic in Mississippi. We're talking about some difficult topics like inequity in healthcare between black and white women, vaccinations, and common myths we encounter about organ donation.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
In this special episode, Brooke talks about the feelings she experiences during the anniversary of her liver transplant each year.
Brooke shares her yearly rituals & remembrances, as well as the personal dynamics of grief and gratitude she experiences.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
Best Self
We asked 6 different people who are a part of the transplant community one question: what's been the most challenging thing about the pandemic? and Brooke & Ben chime in with their own experiences too.
You'll hear from some amazing people:
Alisha Emerald || @alisha.emerald || 9 months post-liver transplant from Alberta, Canada
Meghan Smith || @meghanmakingmoves || 1.5 years post-liver transplant from Baltimore, Maryland
Jay Erve- heart & liver recipient (2008), awaiting kidney transplant from Naperville, Illinois
Jen Rohe || @thismommysheart || 3 years post-heart transplant from Lacey, Washington
Kimberly Cooley || @kmcooley || 3 years post-liver transplant from Mississippi
Cody Reynolds || @cody_reynolds87 || dad of a 21 month old waiting for liver transplant
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
We continue Brooke’s transplant journey with part four of the story, the process of waiting for and finding the perfect liver. We talk about how the transplant list works in the US, how long Brooke would’ve lived without a new liver, and what it’s like to wait for that new organ to arrive. Expect raw emotions when it comes to how Brooke processed the rapid failing of her liver and the need for a transplant, all before she turned 21.
Mentions:
- Sunriver, OR
- Best Self Co
- LIFERS TLC on YouTube with Jay and Laura
- Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
For National Siblings Day, Brooke & her sister Allison tattle on each other. We talk about what season of the year represents us best, who’s the favorite kid, the fun of a long con, and Ben’s grandfatherly love for George W. Bush.
Mentions:
- Cards Against Humanity
- Best Self Co
- Miss Congeniality
- Pocahontas
- Kazoos
- Fair vs. Equal
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
In part 3, Brooke moves from a rural hospital’s ICU to a transplant center and begins discussion of needing a transplant.
Mentions:
- Gottman Institute app: card decks
- complimentary breakfast
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Vanderbilt Tranplant Center
- Ochsner Medical Center
- McDonalds
- Ben’s promise to edit the podcast and the realization he never does
- Brooke’s love for food no matter the circumstance
- Why is your liver so cool? a slideshow
- How to be an organ donor
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
In part 2 of Brooke’s story, she goes back to school to sing and her liver gets worse.
Mentions:
- Dinosaurs
- Downton Abbey
- Icebreaker Deck from Best Self
- Rothy’s masks
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
This is the beginning of Brooke's story. Not her life story, but the story of when her life changed. She'll be sharing it in parts, so she doesn't overwhelm herself, you, or the people who live this journey with her.
"I'm excited to share with you, but also nervous to discuss all the emotions, stories, grief, hope, and heartache my family has experienced."
Start listening here to follow an ambitious young woman in her 20s as she receives a sudden autoimmune hepatitis diagnosis that quickly led to liver failure.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
This week Brooke is chatting with Wilson's disease survivor and liver transplant recipient Danny Hiles from the UK. You'll hear some talk of pranks, poo, and Cheetos, as well as some great advice on waiting for transplant and recovery. We also discuss what it's like to be high-risk during a global pandemic and how that affects one's mental health.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
Check out the full blog post here as Brooke shares 3 areas where isolation for almost a year has affected her: home, relationships, and feelings about herself.
We talk about fear versus fact, and how we make medical decisions during this strange time, including sending our kids back to school and whether we eat out and attend events.
We're learning to let go of the "shoulds" while managing all the feelings that come up including the ones of celebration and grief.
Listen in as we talk about these things and more with humor and authenticity.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
On this week’s podcast, we talk about Brooke’s disappointments with people claiming to be Christians blindly supporting Trump. Though unusually heavy on church politics discussion, there’s a lot to be shared about how God is love and people often ruin that.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
We talk about chronic illness's effect on marriage, the Ocean’s movie franchise, adoption, favorite holiday flavors, our favorite thing about each other, parenting, morning routines, Ben’s obsession with Chick-Fil-A, and regret.
www.bonusyearsblog.com/shownotes
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
We love spreading holiday cheer, but sometimes Christmas is stressful. When we talk about money and budgets, it takes the glamour and sparkle out of buying gifts (albeit practical). What we remember about the holidays are the memories we make, the traditions we create, and the love and time spent with family. Ben & Brooke dig into some tools for a memorable Christmas.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
As we launch into the holiday season, it’s like none other that we’ve experienced in our lifetime. We have more margin for family and friends but can’t be around them because of COVID-19.
Even people who haven’t experienced depression before this year have likely experienced it in some way since we started isolating more. In case depression symptoms are new to you, and you just happen to feel like you’re in a funk but don’t know why, here’s a little refresher, as well as some ways to fight against the darkness.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
We are acutely aware that the holidays aren’t exactly what we expected as children. Some of the magic is gone, and extra stressors are surrounding us. Over the next few weeks, we will address different areas of our lives that affect us differently during this time of year and share some practical steps to design a life we love and enjoy, even when things are hard.
Ben & Brooke are back at their shenanigans, talking about difficult things with weird humor and self-deprecating stories. Join us!
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
In part 2 of our conversation, Danette continues sharing her grief story with us. Brooke asks questions about mental health, grieving, relationships, and faith.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
This week, Danette shares the first part of her story as we take a look at pregnancy and infant loss. Brooke & Danette talk about what hurts, what helps, and what never gets better.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
Brooke shares a more in-depth perspective of what she's learned on her month-long sabbatical, transforming her thinking, living, and dreaming. In season 2, our podcasts correspond with the previous week's blog post.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
In this first episode of Season 2, we go back and walk through Brooke's liver transplant experience, how life changed after that event, and how others walking through trauma can take steps toward healing.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
In this final episode of season 1, we wrap with 10 Things We're Grateful for in 2020 and talk about what's to come in Season 2.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
For World Suicide Prevention Day, we have guest Sydnee Hetrick to talk about her personal experience with attempted suicide and how she came through it. This episode is a real conversation with difficult questions, and how we can find hope in the midst of pain.
trigger warning/content warning: suicide
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
We talk this week about having a vision for your family, yourself, and your marriage. We explore what a "word for the year" is, and how we implement our word to help us focus all year long.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
Hear how we survived (are still surviving) quarantine. We talk about the changes that come with living through a global pandemic, including job loss, job change, health, parenting, and school. Also, learn what we want to be when we grow up.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
This week on the podcast, Ben and I talk about the word "calling," what it means and how we've redefined our calling over the years.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
This week we talk about how the adoption process went for each of our children, including homestudy, interviews, and meeting birth parents.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
On the podcast this week, listen in as we talk about how we chose adoption, why we chose open adoption, and our advice to families considering it.
We're stoked to share with you!
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
Join us as we dive into the love story of Ben & Brooke.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
This week we dive into limitations and learn what it's like living with chronic illness.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
On this episode, we dive into what chronic illness is, and how it affects our lives.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)
Hello, and welcome to The Bonus Years. On this episode you will get to know Ben & Brooke, and discover what The Bonus Years are all about.
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RKQRTAL6N2BRL)