Once Upon A Gene

From Hopeless Grief to Heavenly Hope: Brittni Lamb on Surrender, Faith, and Raising a Son with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia SPG3A

·30 min·3 clips
Brittni Lamb shares how God restored her hope after feeling completely hopeless raising her son with SPG3A.
Effie Parks introduces the episode by explaining her hiatus and excitement to return with guest Brittni Lamb, a friend she has met in person multiple times. Brittni is a mother of three, including a son named Jameson who has SPG3A, a rare genetic condition. The episode centers on a post Brittni made about grief, loneliness, and hope, which Effie reads aloud. Brittni describes a six-month period of depression after Jameson's diagnosis, marked by crying, foggy thinking, and mom guilt. She recounts a specific moment of breaking down in her room, where she prayed and felt God tell her to surrender, shifting her perspective from trying to control everything to trusting in divine support. Brittni discusses her Christian faith, noting how previous experiences like her father's death and miscarriages deepened her relationship with God. She explains that healing came through daily steps, including weight training, which she started to build strength for carrying Jameson but found it also improved her mental health by providing tangible goals. Brittni emphasizes the importance of self-care, community with other special needs parents, and finding glimmers of hope in small moments, such as her daughters interacting with Jameson. The conversation touches on the challenges of balancing caregiving with parenting typical children and the guilt that can arise. Brittni offers advice for parents feeling hopeless, suggesting journaling, reconnecting with past joys, and seeking support from friends or therapists. She reflects that if she could go back, she would tell her earlier self that she was made for this journey. The episode concludes with mutual appreciation between Effie and Brittni, highlighting how Effie's podcast provided early comfort to Brittni.

As heard by us

A grounded conversation about how small, measurable routines can help restore a caregiver's sense of strength.

Brittany's conversation starts in the strain of caregiving, then finds its way toward surrender through small practices she can return to. The most resonant thread is the contrast between caregiving's relentless, often unseen labor and the concrete progress of exercise.

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Why you'd press play

You get a caregiver's reset built around surrender, small health choices, and the visible encouragement of getting stronger.

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