Dr. Robert Macauley helps us kick off Season 4 with his powerful book Because I Knew You – How Some Remarkable Sick Kids Healed a Doctor’s Soul. At first glance, a book about children living with and dying from terminal illness might sound unbearably heavy, but listeners will find this episode surprisingly uplifting. Through his words and stories, Dr. Macauley reminds us of the deep goodness and resilience in our world.

His personal journey spans from Episcopalian priest to medical ethicist, and ultimately to pediatric palliative care physician. Woven throughout is how these experiences helped in his own healing from childhood sexual abuse.

Dr. Macauley’s skilled storytelling of the lives of these remarkable children invites us to connect with our own vulnerability, our shared humanity, and the unexpected beauty that can be found even in tragedy. Simply put, he is genuinely human — and we know that will come through in this conversation.

All proceeds from his book go to support the pediatric palliative care program at OHSU, with a portion contributed to Darkness to Light (d2l.org), an organization dedicated to preventing child sexual abuse.

Have feedback about the podcast? Have an idea for a future episode? Get in touch with us: whatnow@hospicepeterborough.org

In this lively short wrap-up to the season the co-hosts take the opportunity to give "shout outs" and thank yous to those who have supported and offered feedback (so listen up, you may hear your name). Julie surprises Red and David with a "lightning round" of questions as a way to reflect and discuss this jam-packed season. It's a short episode and worth a listen: it may prompt you to go back to episodes past and/or remind you of insights and learnings.

Thanks for your ongoing support for this podcast, please consider sharing the podcast with a friend! We will be back in September 2025!

Have feedback about the podcast? Have an idea for a future episode? Get in touch with us: whatnow@hospicepeterborough.org

Regular listeners will remember back in season 2 when Mary-Frances O’Connor joined us to discuss her groundbreaking book The Grieving Brain. For those who haven’t had the chance to hear this episode (S2E9) it is worth the time.

In this episode, we are very pleased to have Mary-Frances return to discuss her follow-up book, The Grieving Body. In this conversation, we explore how grief is experienced in our bodies—specifically the heart and cardiovascular system, the immune and endocrine systems, and cognitively. We answer questions such as: 'Can we die of a broken heart?' and 'Why might we be more prone to illness when grieving?' Our discussion draws on science and research, presented through a compassionate, open-hearted, and accessible lens.

Mary-Frances normalizes and helps us understand how intricately involved our bodily systems are in the grieving process and offers insights on how to care for ourselves and each other.

Have feedback about the podcast? Have an idea for a future episode? Get in touch with us: whatnow@hospicepeterborough.org