Change Happened, Then What? | Real Stories After Life Changes

When the Map Disappears: A Brain Aneurysm, Recovery, and Learning to Live a Different Life

What happens when the life you planned suddenly disappears?
In this episode of Change Happened, Then What?, Andrew Davie shares his powerful story of surviving a ruptured brain aneurysm and the long road back to rebuilding his life. What began as an ordinary trip to the airport quickly turned into a life-threatening medical emergency that would force Andrew to rethink everything he thought he knew about his future.
Before the aneurysm, Andrew’s life was filled with creativity, teaching, and writing. After emergency brain surgery and months of intense recovery, he found himself facing a very different challenge — learning how to reconnect with himself emotionally while navigating a completely new version of life.
Andrew opens up about the physical and emotional realities of brain injury recovery, the identity shifts that often follow major trauma, and how the unexpected events of the pandemic created space for deeper healing. Along the way, he discovered a new purpose helping others as a counselor and supporting his mother during her battle with ALS.
This is a story about resilience, perspective, and what it means to realign your life when everything you once planned changes.
Because sometimes the map disappears… so you can learn how to navigate by something deeper.
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If you'd like to support the show, just click the link | Be a part of the Change Happened communityEnter to win the "What Changed Me Community Challenge" | Enter to Win! To join our mailing list and learn more our guests visit | Changehappenedpodcast.comReady to get your discount on Pure Energy Apothecary products Click the link below | 20% off PURE ENERGY NOWLooking for your customized Dear Sweet One lullaby find them here | Shop Now Dear Sweet One Follow along on Instagram @Change Happened for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Got a story to share or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at Changepodcast@yahoo.comand maybe your "Change Happened" moment will be next.

Dalton's Recovery: The Labrador Who Learned Patience

Heather Holt invites listeners into a warm, ordinary day turned tenderly chaotic when her 85‑pound Labrador Dalton wakes up post‑surgery, baffled by a shaved leg and a humiliating stocking. Through Dalton’s amusing first‑person update—peppered with peanut butter bribes, cone avoidance, and a too‑energetic housemate named Waylon—we feel the tug between impatience and healing.What unfolds is a small, honest story about recovery: the slow, stubborn steps, the unexpected comforts, and the quiet lessons in learning to wait. By the time spring returns, the promise of play feels sweeter, and Heather’s gentle narration turns a medical update into a human (and canine) reminder to find smiles in the messy middle.
If you'd like to support the show, just click the link | Be a part of the Change Happened communityEnter to win the "What Changed Me Community Challenge" | Enter to Win! To join our mailing list and learn more our guests visit | Changehappenedpodcast.comReady to get your discount on Pure Energy Apothecary products Click the link below | 20% off PURE ENERGY NOWLooking for your customized Dear Sweet One lullaby find them here | Shop Now Dear Sweet One Follow along on Instagram @Change Happened for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Got a story to share or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at Changepodcast@yahoo.comand maybe your "Change Happened" moment will be next.

From Kidney Transplant to Marathon: Mark Maselli

When Mark Maselli was five years old, he watched his grandmother go through dialysis and made a quiet promise to himself: that will never be me. Years later, Mark was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (PKD), the same genetic kidney disease that had already affected generations of his family. In this powerful episode of Change Happened, Then What?, Mark shares his kidney disease journey, the emotional reality of facing dialysis, the Facebook post that led to three donor matches, and the extraordinary moment a newly discovered family member became his perfect kidney donor match.
After receiving a life-saving kidney transplant in November 2023, Mark chose not to waste his second chance. Just 346 days after surgery, he ran the Las Vegas Marathon—despite never being a runner before. This is a story about kidney transplant recovery, resilience, gratitude, mindset, organ donation awareness, and the power of taking the first step when life changes everything. If you are looking for an inspiring story about PKD, dialysis, kidney donation, transplant recovery, marathon training after surgery, and what it means to rewrite your future, this episode is for you.
 
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If you'd like to support the show, just click the link | Be a part of the Change Happened communityEnter to win the "What Changed Me Community Challenge" | Enter to Win! To join our mailing list and learn more our guests visit | Changehappenedpodcast.comReady to get your discount on Pure Energy Apothecary products Click the link below | 20% off PURE ENERGY NOWLooking for your customized Dear Sweet One lullaby find them here | Shop Now Dear Sweet One Follow along on Instagram @Change Happened for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Got a story to share or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at Changepodcast@yahoo.comand maybe your "Change Happened" moment will be next.

From Green to Hope

As St. Patrick’s Day fades and Easter approaches, this reflective Smile Drop explores the quiet space between celebration and renewal.
Through the lens of Catholic tradition and seasonal change, this episode traces the meaning of Lent—sacrifice, awareness, and the subtle lessons learned in childhood that often stay with us for life. A simple memory of giving something up becomes a deeper reflection on letting go, faith, and personal growth.
From the outward joy of St. Patrick’s Day to the introspective stillness of the Lenten season, the contrast reveals something deeper about how we move through both celebration and reflection.
As winter begins to loosen its grip, the story shifts toward spring—longer days, the first signs of daffodils, and the quiet return of hope. Beneath the surface of holidays and traditions, this episode explores the universal rhythm of renewal.
A story about seasons, memory, and the moments that shape who we become—reminding us that even in the in-between, something meaningful is unfolding.
If you'd like to support the show, just click the link | Be a part of the Change Happened communityEnter to win the "What Changed Me Community Challenge" | Enter to Win! To join our mailing list and learn more our guests visit | Changehappenedpodcast.comReady to get your discount on Pure Energy Apothecary products Click the link below | 20% off PURE ENERGY NOWLooking for your customized Dear Sweet One lullaby find them here | Shop Now Dear Sweet One Follow along on Instagram @Change Happened for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Got a story to share or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at Changepodcast@yahoo.comand maybe your "Change Happened" moment will be next.

She Trusted Her Instincts — And It Changed Everything | Motherhood, Intuition & Neurodivergent Parenting

What happens when the life you’ve been told is “right”… doesn’t feel right anymore?
In this deeply personal and eye-opening episode of Change Happened, Then What?, host Heather Holt shares the story of Leah—a mother whose entire world shifted after a single moment she couldn’t ignore.
What began as a quiet realization during early motherhood—holding her “clingy” baby close—turned into something much bigger. After watching a video that challenged everything she thought she understood, Leah found herself questioning long-held beliefs about parenting, connection, and what it really means to trust your instincts.
As her daughter grew, new layers unfolded. Differences that weren’t visible at home began to show up in a traditional school setting, leading Leah down a path of exploring neurodivergence, masking, and what it looks like when a child is trying to fit into a world that wasn’t designed for them.
Faced with uncertainty, lack of clear support, and the pressure to follow the “normal” path, Leah and her husband made a choice—one rooted not in fear, but in intuition.
They chose differently.
From rethinking education to ultimately transitioning into homeschooling, this episode explores what happens when you stop living by default and start making decisions that truly align with your child, your family, and yourself.
This is a story about:
Motherhood and deep connection
Trusting your intuition as a parent
Neurodivergence, masking, and understanding your child
Letting go of societal expectations
Choosing a path that feels right—even when it looks different
Because sometimes… the most powerful changes don’t come from big, obvious moments.
Sometimes, they begin with a feeling you can’t ignore.
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If you'd like to support the show, just click the link | Be a part of the Change Happened communityEnter to win the "What Changed Me Community Challenge" | Enter to Win! To join our mailing list and learn more our guests visit | Changehappenedpodcast.comReady to get your discount on Pure Energy Apothecary products Click the link below | 20% off PURE ENERGY NOWLooking for your customized Dear Sweet One lullaby find them here | Shop Now Dear Sweet One Follow along on Instagram @Change Happened for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Got a story to share or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at Changepodcast@yahoo.comand maybe your "Change Happened" moment will be next.