1. Empowerment through Wellness: Jodi O'Donnell-Ames Christopher MacLellan 49:05

Jodi O’Donnell – Ames is a professional speaker, wellness and empowerment coach, author, podcaster, and tireless advocate for Lou Gehrig’s disease, or ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). Jodi is also the founder and current board member of Hope Loves Company, a non-profit organization committed to providing educational and emotional support to children and young adults who have had or have a loved one battling ALS in their lives.

Now on her second career after caregiving has ended, Jodi is helping people change their lives by empowering people to live happily through wellness in body, mind, and spirit.

Listen in and learn how Jodi is creating Healing Ties all around us!

You Might Know Me As The Bow Tie Guy - "Wearing a bow tie is like wearing two smiles."

When people ask me, "why did you create the Whole Care Network"... I always come back to our caregiving experience and how fortunate I was to find resources that helped me and my partner Richard Schiffer manage our caregiving journey. Every caregiver has a story; through our stories, we find validation, resources, and respite to help manage our caregiving day.

We were fortunate to have our story chronicled in a 2015 Pulitzer Prize-nominated 3-part story, “In Sickness and In Health: A Couple’s Final Journey,” which told our journey of caregiving. The story told of the challenges LGBT partners have in dealing with the medical and legal system, but it also told of the love and joy my partner Richard's last years had on our relationship.