When Caregiving Means Sleeping in a Van: The Story Behind Daisy’s Place

On this week’s Hope for the Caregiver, I spoke with Carolyn Wheeler O’Byrne from Florence, Alabama—a mother whose fierce advocacy for her 17-month-old daughter, Daisy, turned into a decades-long mission.

Carolyn recounted the terrifying season when Daisy was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, endured failed procedures, experimental treatments that nearly killed her, and infections that pushed her to the brink. Through nights spent in hospital windowsills and even a van in the Vanderbilt parking lot, Carolyn fought for her child’s life with grit and faith.

Now, twenty years later, Daisy is thriving—and Carolyn has transformed her pain into purpose by founding Daisy’s Place, a nonprofit home that provides weary caregivers with food, showers, clean clothes, and, above all, dignity. Instead of parking lot vans, families now find refuge in fully furnished bedrooms, stocked kitchens, and the compassionate presence of someone who truly understands.

This episode is a reminder that caregivers are not alone, that faith sustains when resources collapse, and that one woman’s determination can ripple out to bless countless others.

👉 Listen now and learn more about Daisy’s Place at daisys-place.org

This week on Hope for the Caregiver, I opened the program by discussing my new Blaze Media article, Reckless Hate Cannot Win: Christ Has Already Broken It. The piece grew out of the grief and reflection surrounding Charlie Kirk’s sudden death. Dana Perino’s emotional appeal on Fox for a “circuit breaker” to the fury in our culture resonated deeply with me—but I reminded listeners that no human breaker exists. History shows reform, politics, and revolutions can only reset the current for a time. The real interruption came at the cross, where Christ absorbed the full voltage of human hatred and divine justice.

I drew on Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, where Aragorn responds to Theoden’s dread of “reckless hate” with the charge, “Ride out and meet them.” Charlie Kirk did that in his generation, but even more so, Christ rode out from heaven to confront and conquer hate forever. Luther echoed this courage with “Here I stand, I can do no other.” The hymn he gave the church, A Mighty Fortress, still proclaims: “The body they may kill, God’s truth abideth still.” That’s where I called caregivers—and myself—to stand, not with bravado but with scars, anchored in Christ who rewires the entire system. Hate cannot win.

From there, I introduced my audience to Carolyn Wheeler O’Byrne and her remarkable journey with her daughter, Daisy. Her story of motherly intuition, pushing past dismissive doctors, surviving terrifying nights in hospitals, and even sleeping in a van outside Vanderbilt, is a vivid picture of caregiver authority and sacrifice. Carolyn’s testimony reminded us of the courage every caregiver must summon, often in the most isolating and exhausting circumstances.

We closed with this week’s hymn in our series, Hymns Every Caregiver Ought to Know: “Blest Be the Tie That Binds.” Written by John Fawcett in the 1700s after he chose to stay with a small country parish rather than leave for a prestigious London pulpit, the hymn captures the communion of saints—the bond of love that unites us in Christ. As caregivers, we are not laboring unseen or alone. We are part of that great invisible church, surrounded by a cloud of witnesses who cheer us on like fans welcoming home a walk-off home run.

That tie binds us, sustains us, and reminds us: healthy caregivers make better caregivers.

In this episode of Hope for the Caregiver, I open with the story of a 1950s chemist who failed 39 times before discovering something simple yet world-changing. His quiet persistence became a picture of what caregivers need when our hearts feel rusted and stuck. We can’t muscle our way through this life; we need grace that loosens what strain has tightened.

That theme of letting go of force carries through the whole show. I share a personal story from the 2004 Republican National Convention, when Gracie sang at Madison Square Garden and the White House unexpectedly asked us to stay for President Bush’s speech. While I was panicked and trying to control everything, my father told me, “Sit down and be still.” It became a defining moment—reminding me how often our Heavenly Father speaks the same words into our chaos.

I also reflect on my recent Blaze Media article, “School Shootings and the Street Called Straight,” exploring how Paul faced the full measure of suffering ahead of him and still pressed on. That same Spirit sustains us when the caregiving road looks dark and unending.

Then I share part of my conversation with DJ and Jessica Rowland, a couple navigating Huntington’s disease. Their love, resilience, and commitment to live fully—despite grief and fear—show how loosening our grip can make space for grace.

I close at the Caregiver Keyboard with a hymn every caregiver should know: “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” Written by Helen Lemmel at age 55, this hymn calls us to lift our gaze from what we can’t fix and rest it on the One who carries us.

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