When "In Sickness and In Health" Happens at 33: Ryan’s Story

For The Hayters: The Stories We Survive · Feb 2, 2026 · 48m

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode discusses medical trauma, brain tumors, miscarriage, and infant loss.

"I’m going to be strong for you." It’s the vow every caregiver makes, but rarely do we talk about the crushing weight of that promise. Ryan Leonard joins me to pull back the curtain on what it’s actually like to be the "well-spouse." When his wife Cheryl—who had already survived two brain tumors—experienced a sudden, sharp pain just four months after the birth of their second child, their world shifted back into a nightmare they thought they had escaped.

Ryan opens up about the "beauty and the…