“[My connection with Jesus] didn’t look like what I thought it had to look like. It didn’t have to take place in a church building. It didn’t have to involve worship or the bible. It felt a little risky at first, but I’ve met God in the ER, in the hospice, in death, in life, and in birth. I can meet him everywhere. And that’s truly what has sustained me. He is everywhere, and I can meet him everywhere. -Michaela Evanow
How does grief affect you? How do you cope with the trauma of losing a child? What do you do with the anxiety and PTSD that comes along with such trauma? Michaela Evanow shares her story about loss, anxiety, finding community and sustaining her faith in this month’s installment of Sisters in Mental Illness.
About Michaela:
I’m a wife and semi-crunchy mama of a girl and boy. After doulaing in Vancouver, I became a medical mama when my daughter, Florence Marigold, was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy—a muscle wasting disease. I have a nomadic heart, though I haven’t left our home in years. I adore Eastern Europe, India, thrifting, coffee with cream + honey and global maternal healthcare. I write about the messy, salty glory of mothering a terminally ill child and finding the goodness of God in grief at MichaelaEvanow.com
Post mentioned in the video: http://michaelaevanow.com/2019/04/07/the-mother-of-all-grief-posts/
Read more of Michaela’s posts on SheLoves: https://shelovesmagazine.com/author/michaela-evanow/
Part 1 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIEd8gAnGYE):
Part 2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fmikcf0YYc):
Part 3 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaF1E7suydk):
Sisters in Mental Illness is a vlog series where Shaley Hoogendoorn has real conversations with brave SheLovelys who are willing to share their experience living with a mental illness. We live in a time where one in four people struggle with a mental health disorder, so these conversations are very important. We will share ALL the stories—stories of sadness, madness, shame and struggle. The more we talk about hard things like mental health, the better we can understand and walk with and alongside our Sisters in Mental Illness. We can remind each other that our stories are not over yet. Together we can smash the stigma and stereotypes of mental illness, ONE story at a time.
Email subscribers, please click through to the website to watch the video. If you are struggling with any mental health issues, we hope you will reach out and seek professional help.
Shaley Hoogendoorn is a speaker, vlogger and mental health advocate who aims to dismantle the stigma around mental health and create a safe community for those that struggle. She lives with bipolar ll, and is passionate about educating and empowering others about mental health disorders. She talks to other women about living with mental illnesses at SheLoves Magazine in a monthly segment named “Sisters in Mental Illness.” Shaley is also an elementary school teacher and an event planner. You can connect with her on instagram @messybeautywithshaley and Facebook @ Messy Beauty with Shaley.
