Episode Details

EPISODE 661 - Leah Polworth - The heartbreaking news of a terminal diagnosis and the aftermath of sorrow, longing, confusion, and the heartache after loss

Welcome to “Letters to Billy.” This memoir is my legacy. Journaling has always been a means for me to track my most heartfelt thoughts, deepest emotions, epiphanies, and reckonings. I am so pleased I persevered and published this memoir, which was initially intended to be something I could pass down to my son, Billy, when he becomes old enough to read and understand it.

As I delved deeper into writing about my husband Steve’s cancer journey—the knowledge we gained, the decisions we had to make, and the trials and tribulations along the way—it became apparent that my story might resonate with and provide comfort to others whose lives have taken a similar path.

This book explores many themes: finding your soul mate, the wonderful man my husband was, the fleeting yet precious time we were blessed to have as a family, and the heartbreak of a terminal diagnosis. It captures hope, doubt, fear, tenacious love, and the short but intense journey through treatment, followed by the aftermath of sorrow, longing, confusion, and heartache after loss. Suddenly, I found myself a single parent needing to raise a young baby amid crushing grief, to the moments of peace, clarity, and reflection as the grief tide slowly ebbs and joy returns once again.

I hope you find comfort, solace, and perhaps some inspiration from our story. Thank you for joining me on this path of self-discovery and healing.

Book: Letters to Billy: A story of love, loss, lessons and self-discovery

Leah and Steve Polwarth seemed destined for a lifetime of joy. They married in 2017, and by 2019, their hearts swelled with the arrival of their son, Billy. But it wasn't long before their perfect world fell apart - Steve was delivered a life shattering diagnosis.

Despite their unwavering hope and desperate fight, Leah was forced to say a heartbreaking goodbye to the love of her life, leaving her to navigate the suffocating grief of widowhood while raising their son in the midst of the global chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Letters to Billy is a raw and emotional journey through unimaginable loss, yet it is also a celebration of a mother's unbreakable love, fierce resilience and the powerful bond between a mother and her son.

In the face of devastating grief, Leah finds a way forward, discovering moments of grace and uncovering the beauty that can still bloom, even in the darkest of times.

https://letterstobilly.com.au/

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