#320 | NAVIGATING MOTHERHOOD AND GRIEF | WITH HALEY SMITH
Tue Nov 18 2025
Welcome Back, to the Happy Mama Movement Podcast
In this heartfelt conversation, I met with Hayley Smith to discuss the often hidden experiences of motherhood, particularly in the face of grief and illness.
Hayley shares her journey as a mother of three, focusing on the harrowing diagnosis of her daughter, Elsie Rae, with cancer. They explore the emotional turmoil of navigating a child's illness, the lack of support for parents, and the importance of normalizing conversations around grief. Hayley emphasizes the need for emotional tools and community support, reflecting on her own experiences with grief and the cultural stigmas surrounding it.
We Discuss:
Normalizing motherhood includes discussing grief and illness.Motherhood expectations often differ from reality.The diagnosis process can be overwhelming and chaotic.Emotional support for parents is often lacking in medical settings.Cultural practices around grief can provide valuable insights.Advocacy for better support systems is essential for families.Community support can significantly impact coping with illness.
ABOUT HALEY:
Hayley is the founder of Cancer Dancer, a heart-led platform supporting mothers and families through the emotional and physical challenges of cancer. A mum of three, Hayley’s world changed forever when her youngest child was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at just 22 months old. This wasn’t her first encounter with cancer—she lost her father to the disease as a teenager, whilst her mother survived cancer. These life-shaping experiences led her on a 30-year healing journey.
MAKE-A-WISH:
· Since 1985, Make-A-Wish Australia has granted over 11,000 unique, inspiring and extraordinary wishes across the country
· Make-A-Wish Australia is currently supporting over 900 kids on their wish journey
· Make-A-Wish Australia is a registered Australian children’s charity that relies on its volunteers, donors and supporters to make wishes happen
· For everyone involved, wishes have a remarkable, uplifting and positive impact - well beyond the wish itself
. Make-A-Wish Australia creates life-changing wishes for children with a critical illness
CONTACTS:
FACEBOOK: /cancerdancer
IG: /cancerdancer.co
LINKEDIN: cancer-dancer
WEBSITE: www.cancerdancer.co
Chapters
00:00 Normalizing Motherhood and Grief
01:37 The Journey of Motherhood Before Diagnosis
03:30 The Diagnosis: A Mother's Intuition
08:49 The Shock of a Life-Altering Diagnosis
12:39 Finding Support in Crisis
21:23 Grieving Expectations and Reality
25:00 Exploring Grief Rituals and Acceptance
30:51 Navigating Guilt and Strength in Adversity
37:11 Transmuting Emotions: From Guilt to Strength
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Welcome Back, to the Happy Mama Movement Podcast In this heartfelt conversation, I met with Hayley Smith to discuss the often hidden experiences of motherhood, particularly in the face of grief and illness. Hayley shares her journey as a mother of three, focusing on the harrowing diagnosis of her daughter, Elsie Rae, with cancer. They explore the emotional turmoil of navigating a child's illness, the lack of support for parents, and the importance of normalizing conversations around grief. Hayley emphasizes the need for emotional tools and community support, reflecting on her own experiences with grief and the cultural stigmas surrounding it. We Discuss: Normalizing motherhood includes discussing grief and illness.Motherhood expectations often differ from reality.The diagnosis process can be overwhelming and chaotic.Emotional support for parents is often lacking in medical settings.Cultural practices around grief can provide valuable insights.Advocacy for better support systems is essential for families.Community support can significantly impact coping with illness. ABOUT HALEY: Hayley is the founder of Cancer Dancer, a heart-led platform supporting mothers and families through the emotional and physical challenges of cancer. A mum of three, Hayley’s world changed forever when her youngest child was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at just 22 months old. This wasn’t her first encounter with cancer—she lost her father to the disease as a teenager, whilst her mother survived cancer. These life-shaping experiences led her on a 30-year healing journey. MAKE-A-WISH: · Since 1985, Make-A-Wish Australia has granted over 11,000 unique, inspiring and extraordinary wishes across the country · Make-A-Wish Australia is currently supporting over 900 kids on their wish journey · Make-A-Wish Australia is a registered Australian children’s charity that relies on its volunteers, donors and supporters to make wishes happen · For everyone involved, wishes have a remarkable, uplifting and positive impact - well beyond the wish itself . Make-A-Wish Australia creates life-changing wishes for children with a critical illness CONTACTS: FACEBOOK: /cancerdancer IG: /cancerdancer.co LINKEDIN: cancer-dancer WEBSITE: www.cancerdancer.co Chapters 00:00 Normalizing Motherhood and Grief 01:37 The Journey of Motherhood Before Diagnosis 03:30 The Diagnosis: A Mother's Intuition 08:49 The Shock of a Life-Altering Diagnosis 12:39 Finding Support in Crisis 21:23 Grieving Expectations and Reality 25:00 Exploring Grief Rituals and Acceptance 30:51 Navigating Guilt and Strength in Adversity 37:11 Transmuting Emotions: From Guilt to Strength Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.