006: Whitney Woods: Wrestling with the fear of dying and hanging on to hope: the story of how she overcame serious illness

In this episode, Whitney Woods opens up about her childhood and what it was like to have a brother diagnosed with cancer at a young age. Years later, Whitney found herself in her own battle with severe illness. Whitney tells the story of how she found out she was sick, and the research it took on her behalf to figure out what she needed to do to survive. In 2012, at just 26 years old, Whitney went through a 14 hour surgery to remove a vital organ and reroute her entire internal system-- a total pancreatectomy with an auto islet cell transplant. During the months leading up to this big procedure, there was a lot of discomfort not only physically but mentally. You see, Whitney always wanted to be a wife and mom, but she didn't know if that day would ever come. She talks about what it was like to not be able to walk, eat, go out with friends, or drive a car because of all the medications she had to take. She begged God for her life and told Him all of her desires, which ultimately came true, but not without its own set of complications in IVF and pregnancy. Whitney's positivity, hope for the future, and the impact of the support from her family and friends are all definitely heard throughout this entire episode and sure to leave you inspired!     WEBSITE: www.thepurposedplatform.com/podcast INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/katiellisroberts