Content note: this episode includes a detailed conversation about the death of a child. Please listen when you have the capacity.
This week I sat down with a dear friend Jodie, a mother of three sons, to talk about her youngest, Jacob, who passed away in January 2026. Jacob was born with a significant brain injury, lived with cerebral palsy and was non-verbal and wheel-chair bound. Jodie shares what it took to raise him as a mother of a child with disability, a single mother, the instincts she learned to trust, and the moment she surrendered at his bedside.
Jodie shares about the sense of freedom that she felt, alongside the shame and guilt that came with it when her youngest passed away. She shares that two things can be true at once. You can grieve the life you imagined and still feel excited about the one you are now free to create.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
- Trusting your gut: the instinct that something wasn’t right during her pregnancy with Jacob, and her father’s lifelong advice to trust her gut.
- Curiosity and kindness: Jodie’s advice for how to approach a child with a disability and their parents.
- Letting him go: the decision to turn off life support, and the advice that he wouldn’t die alone.
This is a tender and honest conversation for anyone navigating grief, caregiving, motherhood or a life that looks different to what you imagined.
Mentioned in this episode:
- Whāngai: a Māori practice of raising a child within the wider whānau.
- Wairua: spirit.
- Tikanga: customary practices and protocols.
Links and Next Steps:
Watch the first episode where Jodie takes me through my Pepeha journey here: https://theartoflisteningtoyourbody.com/jodie-treanor/
Connect with Jodie here: [email protected]
You can also connect with Jin on social media:
Instagram: @theartoflisteningtoyourbody
Facebook: @drjinong (personal) or @theartoflisteningtoyourbody
Website: https://drjinong.com and https://theartoflisteningtoyourbody.com/
The Art Of Listening To Your Body
My name is Dr. Jin Ong I’m a cathartic release therapist, professionally trained as an osteopath, psychosomatic therapist, western acupuncturist and herbalist.
I’m fascinated by the mind-body connection and how your physical body is a manifestation of your emotional state.
My aim is to create awareness to the underlying emotions behind pain, injury and disease in the body as well as behvioural dysfunctions and mental imbalances. I do this using a unique blend of eastern and western philosophies and a good dose of intuition.
I love reading the body and what it's really trying to tell us through it's physical presentation, injury, pain or illness. I call it the art of listening to your body. It's all about understanding yourself and others on a deeper level.
I guide people to recognise their purpose in the world by bringing light to the issues that hold them back. I do this through an intuitive understanding of how the body speaks to us and help clients develop their emotional awareness and take actionable steps to achieve their goals.
If you want to learn to tap into your innate intuitive sense in an easy to understand way come and join me.
Pain stories are fascinating and there is so much we can learn from them. Join me as I'm joined by inspirational people who share how their life changed after their painful experience- what they had to surrender to and how their life looks now.