CASE STUDIES

In this episode of Case Studies, Casey back sits down with Doug Cartwright; entrepreneur, author, speaker, and longtime friend; for one of the most personal and powerful conversations ever shared on the show. After being diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer, Doug opens up about the months leading to his diagnosis, the emotional weight of confronting mortality, and the perspective shift that followed.  Together, they explore faith, friendship, resilience, and the surprising gifts that can emerge from life’s most difficult challenges. Doug shares how his relationship with God has deepened, why relationships have become his highest priority, and how a renewed sense of urgency has sharpened his appreciation for everyday moments. He also discusses the cutting edge treatment options he is pursuing, including a groundbreaking CAR-T clinical trial at the University of Pennsylvania, and the resourcefulness required to keep fighting when the odds are stacked against him.  Doug’s perspective is a powerful reminder that life’s greatest challenges often reveal what matters most.To support Doug’s treatment, medical expenses, and clinical trial journey, you can donate here: gofund.me/0ef9a2dae  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Case Studies, Casey sits down with Heather and Don Van Boerum — a Utah couple whose ordinary trip to Costco became a moment that divided their lives into before and after — for an honest conversation about trauma, faith, marriage, and what it means to find joy on the other side of the unthinkable.Heather opens up about losing both legs below the knee in a parking lot accident just days before Christmas, navigating 14-plus hours of surgery, and the quiet spiritual premonition she'd had only a week before it happened. Don, a trauma surgeon who has spent his career walking into the worst moments of strangers' lives, reflects on what it was like to jump into the back of an ambulance and realize it was his wife — and the dark night he spent wandering back to the Costco parking lot wondering if they'd made the wrong call.The conversation explores the thin line between survival and loss, the choice to compete instead of collapse, the son who wrote a forgiveness card to the driver before his mom had even thought to be angry, and the kind of joy that can only be found on the other side of deep suffering. Heather and Don talk about what presence actually means, how tragedy clarified their marriage, and why four and a half years later, neither of them would trade what this experience has given them.This episode is a powerful listen for anyone navigating hardship, anyone who's ever questioned whether faith holds up under real pressure, and anyone who needs a reminder that the richest lives are rarely the ones that went according to plan.00:00 — Introduction & How They Met11:00 — Life Before the Accident11:54 — Just a Normal Day16:18 — The Moment of Impact22:32 — Don Hears It Happen25:06 — "We Have Her Limbs"33:30 — The Surgery That Lasted Until Christmas Eve36:22 — "This Is My Wife, Let's Get Going"47:42 — Choosing to Win49:44 — The Christmas Eve Surgery57:54 — "Will You Make Up My Difference?"01:03:10 — The Card01:13:00 — Beauty From Ashes01:18:23 — What We Know Now01:26:38 — Happy vs. Joy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.