What was meant to be a five-day trip to visit my daughter for her birthday in Thailand…turned into two very unforgettable weeks in foreign hospitals when Marley had yet another unexpected medical emergency. In this episode, Ryan and I share our experiences with Marley – from having the time of our lives on a tropical island with Marley, to the dreadful night it all went downhill and the hospitals became our hotel.

Without giving it all away, I’ll say this… God has a way of delivering incredible little gifts of light in hard and heavy circumstances. This trip was no exception. A thing that felt so scary to experience on the other side of the world turned into quite the experience full of bonding mother-daughter moments, inside jokes and laughter, and mind-blowing top-notch medical care from Bangkok.

Bonus? If you ever want to REALLY get to know the person you are dating, have a family emergency 30 hours away that extends your trip while being stuck in a hospital room with them. Safe to say, Ryan passed with flying colors.

In this episode, I share:

• Our entire medical experience in Thailand: hospitals visited, cost of care, insurance used

• The story behind it all – including how Marley is healing

• All about our Thailand travels – Bangkok to Koh Samui

• The beautiful gifts of grace that we found along the way

• Some pretty sweet relationship lessons I’m learning from Ryan’s kindness

• Why learning to let someone else lead changed everything

• The hidden strength that emerges when you’re running on empty

If this episode moved you, please like, comment, subscribe, and share. It truly helps our little community grow. ❤️

Watch the full episode on YouTube here or head to https://www.youtube.com/@RealHeidiPowell.

Here are the key moments from the episode:

0:00 The Story Behind This Episode

5:25 The Call Every Parent Dreads

7:25 Fear in a Foreign Hospital

10:58 What Saved Us in Thailand

14:46 First Impressions of Bangkok

18:02 The Side of the City No One Sees

21:43 Jet Lag, Street Markets & Getting Scammed

26:10 When I Finally Let Go of Leading

30:04 Learning to Be Led

33:56 Love That Survives Life’s Tests

37:48 When Parenthood Pushes Your Limits

41:29 Finding Faith in Fear

45:18 The Gift Hidden in Breakdown

49:04 When a 5-Day Trip Turns Into 2 Weeks of Survival

53:10 Gratitude in the Messiest Moments

57:42 The Lesson I Didn’t Expect

1:02:25 The Spiritual Side of Surrender

1:07:01 Parenting Grown Children

1:11:42 The Beauty of Being Fully Present

1:16:18 Coming Home Changed Forever

1:23:22 Why Hard Seasons Reveal Who We Are

1:27:58 How Love Looks Different After This

1:32:43 From Fear to Faith: The Lesson I’ll Never Forget

1:37:16 What I Hope You Take From This Story

Connect with Heidi:


Website: https://heidipowell.net/

Email: podcast@heidipowell.net

Instagram: @realheidipowell

Facebook: Heidi Powell

YouTube: @RealHeidiPowell


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