Air of Optimism
Air of Optimism is a 6 episode collection of conversations with my incredible friend, Bernadette. Bern was born with Cystic Fibrosis in 1967 - a time when very little was known about the disease. Bern has an incredible attitude and drive to survive. Please join us as we walk through her life from early childhood, to becoming a Registered Nurse, to pregnancy and ultimately receiving a lung transplant. We explore life after transplant and have an incredibly touching conversation with Bern’s daughter who is now 24. I would tell you to grab a tissue however, I think you will see that Bernadette’s ”air of optimism” in everything she shares is contagious and uplifting. This journey is also a tribute to science and the incredible advancements related to the detection and treatment of CF resulting in an amazing expansion of quality and quantity of life!
Episodes
In episode 1, we meet Bernadette, born in 1967 as a triplet and one of 8 kids. Bern and her sister were diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at a time when very little was known about the disease. This episode is our first glimpse into Bern's incredible attitude and ability to stay positive. This episode also surprised us as we reflected on Bern's mom's challenges raising 8 kids and refusing to accept the doctor's prediction that her tw...
Episode 2 takes us through Bern's teen years and the decision to go to nursing school. We learn about a guardian angel who helped make that a reality. In this episode, we see how Cystic Fibrosis began taking it's toll and shaping her future. One point of clarification in this episode - Bern is Canadian. When we reference how she discovered she was diabetic, we reference a high blood sugar in mmol/L instead of mg/dl. 20 mmol/L is eq...
Episode 3 - in this touching episode, we explore the natural desire to be a parent and the challenges associated with Cystic Fibrosis. We explore Bern's journey but also discuss some of her close friend's experiences with pregnancy.
In episode 4 we see our first glimpse when the incredible challenge of facing mortality shakes Bern's optimistic approach to life. In this moving episode we share in the moment she gets the call saying they've found a match for a lung transplant. How do you say goodbye to your daughter as you head into a surgery that potentially could end your life - or - be the ticket to a whole new chapter...
Episode 5 is a an incredible conversation with Bern's daughter Danica. As Bern and I were building our recordings, we realized, the story would not be complete without hearing from her daughter. In this episode, Danica and I explore growing up with a mom with Cystic Fibrosis and the moment the call came for the lung transplant. No doubt, listeners will be blown away by Danica's poise and vulnerability.
In our 6th and final episode, Bern explores new challenges that come after being a transplant recipient. Her incredible gratitude for life shines through and is contagious. Thank you for listening. We hope you may consider donating to Cystic Fibrosis research and talk with your family about the impact of being an organ donor.
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