Wisdom Gained from a Wheelchair and a Three-Year-Old – with Paramjit Oberoi

Episode Summary:

In this moving episode of The Golden Threads Podcast, host Sue Williams speaks with contributor Paramjit Oberoi, whose powerful chapter Wisdom Gained from a Wheelchair and a Three-Year-Old weaves together love, loss, legacy and the fierce determination of a mother’s heart.

Sue opens by sharing that it was a simple, heartfelt conversation in Paramjit’s conservatory that inspired the Golden Threads book itself - making Paramjit the spark behind this entire project.

Paramjit shares the emotional journey of her daughter Sheenam, who was diagnosed with Juvenile Huntington’s Disease (JHD) the day after her father's funeral. That devastating moment became the beginning of a new mission: to fight for her daughter’s quality of life, to follow her heart, and ultimately, to help others. We follow the journey to Kerala for Ayurvedic treatment, the birth of the Sheenam’s Wish charity, making an impact on scientific research and the web of human connection that evolved around Sheenam.

“What is your heart telling you?” Paramjit Oberoi’s father

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• The heartbreak of a devastating diagnosis
• The powerful healing journey to Kerala, and the connections formed there
• How an unfulfilled wish led to the creation of the charity Sheenam’s Wish
• The ripple effect of love: raising awareness, impacting science, and inspiring change
• The importance of carer wellbeing, community support and asking for help
• What it means to turn grief into purpose and challenge into legacy

"She can't talk, but by God can she make a difference." Paramjit Oberoi

Episode Highlights:

0:30 - The conservatory conversation that birthed Golden Threads

3:59 - A double loss: her father’s death and Sheenam’s JHD diagnosis

4:41 - Determination and the search for healing

5:17 - A guiding question: What is your heart telling you?

6:22 - Deep connections and compassion in Kerala

8:05 - The web of love and community around Sheenam

9:14 - A wish that sparked a charity: Sheenam’s Wish

11:15 - Goals and impact of the charity

14:33 - Raising awareness and contributing to scientific research

17:22 - Holding onto hope

18:04 - The Huntington’s Disease Heroes book and navigating anticipatory grief

19:58 - Choosing to make a difference

20:55 - Carers need care too: the case for self-compassion

23:00 - Paramjit’s hard-won wisdom: Reach out. Ask for help. Put yourself in the picture.

If this conversation resonated with you…

Subscribe to The Golden Threads Podcast, leave a review and share it with someone who is caring for a loved one, navigating grief, or working to make a difference against the odds.

Want to read Paramjit’s full chapter?

Order your copy of Golden Threads: Women’s Shared Wisdom from the Tapestry of Life at goldenthreadsbook.co.uk

#goldenthreads #wisdom #self-care #womenofwisdom

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