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Strength Happens.
Real Friends. Real Talk. Real Life
Strength Happens: Real Friends. Real Talk. Real Life is a podcast about what happens when life hands you the unexpected - rare diagnoses, medical detours, and moments of strength you didn't know you had. We are two friends, here to share real stories of parenting through disability and chronic illness, the friendship that hold us up, and the quiet (and loud) ways we show up for our kids--and each other. Because strength isn't something we choose--it's something we build, together.
This podcast is an off shoot of the Halle Grace Foundation, that shares the friendship developed out of the real life of raising kids with disabilities. What started in a preschool classroom for kids with special needs, became a bond built on love, laughter, loss, and late-night texts from hospital rooms. We're two moms who met because our daughters' medical issues ...and we've been walking this road together ever since.
Listen to us on Spotify, Apple and Amazon.
Follow us on Instagram and Tik Tok
Meet the Team
Educator | Advocate | Mom | Runner | Podcaster
Janine Harrity
Janine brings deep compassion, resilience, and a lifetime of lived experience to her work as a mother, educator, and advocate. With a background in early childhood education, she has always been passionate about nurturing growth—in children, in families, and in herself.
Janine is the mother of four, including her oldest daughter Morgan, who was born with complex medical needs. Her journey through the world of disability and caregiving has shaped her into a fierce, empathetic voice for parents navigating similar paths.
In her 50s, Janine is not only running—she’s setting records in local races and redefining what strength looks like at every age. She is the co-host of the podcast Strength Happens with her longtime friend Jill Heilman, where she shares her real, raw, and hopeful reflections on motherhood, marriage, friendship, and finding joy even in the hardest seasons.
Disability Specialist | Adjunct Professor | Mom | Hiker | Podcaster
Jillian Heilman, PhD, CRC
Jill is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and disability specialist with over 20 years of experience helping individuals and families navigate the challenges of chronic illness and disability. Her professional work is deeply rooted in personal experience—she is the mother of three young adults living with chronic illness, and she carries the profound loss of her daughter, Halle, who passed away at age 15.
A runner, hiker, and lifelong learner, Jill finds strength in movement, nature, and meaningful connection. She’s been a close friend of Janine for over two decades, and together they co-host the podcast Strength Happens, where they share honest conversations about parenting, resilience, grief, and growth.
Jill brings clinical expertise, raw honesty, and heartfelt empathy to every space she’s in—creating room for others to be seen, heard, and supported.
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