Episode 8_Russ and Kate Cleveland: Leading from Love and Loss

In this episode, I sat down with Russ Cleveland, who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives. And before long, his wife Kate joined us. What unfolded was not a political conversation, but a human one.Russ and Kate shared how their story began, long before policy or campaigns, when two fourteen-year-olds met on twoboats off the coast of Washington and began a love story that would one day carry them through the unimaginable.We traced Russ’s own journey: from an injury that ended his military career and a cross-country bike ride for childhood health, to cofounding Rocky Mountain Kids. And now, to returning to his Montana roots with a renewed sense of purpose, carrying forward the lessons forged in both love and loss.We spoke about their daughter Madison, about her battle with leukemia, and about the devastation of the loss that has now become their purpose for fighting for those who are still fighting silent battles in hospital rooms across our country as our nation turns its back on them.We talked about the research that saved my son Gentry’s life — research that is now being cut. We talked about how it feels to raise an immunocompromised child in a world where preventable illnesses like the measles and whooping cough are returning, and how families like ours are navigating dangers most people never have to think about.There is a campaign behind this, and the stakes are incredibly high in a political climate that is becoming more divisive by the day. But beneath all of that, this is a conversation about how our children become our why — even in pain and loss.This podcast is dedicated to four remarkable children: Cole, Madison, Ally, and my son, Gentry.Your struggle was valiant, and your story will not be forgotten, even for those who are not with us now. We will carry you with us always.I am personally asking you to share this episode. Russ and Kate’s story carries something we cannot afford to lose. We must return humanity and compassion to politics, and that happens when we lift up the human story before we debate the political one.🎧 Available onSpotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube🌐 www.payloveforward.net🌐 www.resilientstories.com