Sep 9, 2019
In this week’s episode, Eva shares her feelings about the recent passing of Sean Stephensen. This is the first time Eva has ever talked about death on the podcast, and as you know, the podcast is typically upbeat. But Sean was a guest on the podcast and someone our whole family considered to be a hero. While those who loved Sean were devastated to learn this tragic news, Eva does have an uplifting message about how Sean’s legacy can and will live on. She also shares practical advice on how to deal with the loss of someone you admire. For those of you who are not familiar with Sean Stephensen, he was born with a condition called osteogenesis imperfecta -- causing him to have fragile bones that break very easily. By the time Sean was 18 years old, he had suffered more than 200 fractures in all parts of his body. The condition also stunted Sean’s growth, and as an adult Sean stood 3 feet tall and lived his life in a wheelchair. Sean became affectionately known as a 3 foot giant, because despite all the medical challenges he has faced over his life, he made the decision to lead an extraordinary life. In the process, he inspired millions worldwide, including Sir Richard Branson, President Clinton, Tony Robbins and the Dalai Lama. He was also a great inspiration to our family. Before the Dream Big Podcast had landed big name guests and racked up millions of downloads, Sean agreed to be Eva’s guest. He was so kind and gracious, and shared a powerful story that forever impacted the way our family looks at challenges (Eva shares that story on this podcast, but we encourage you to listen to the original interview). In the title of this episode, we refer to Sean as a hero. He was not a hero with a cape. Far from it -- he was confined to a wheelchair. But the doctors told Sean’s parents at his birth that he would live 24-48 hours. He lived 40 years. The fact that he defied those odds and lived such an extraordinary life for that long is heroic. And he’s a hero, Eva and our whole family will never forget. All our love to his incredible wife Mindie Kniss -- we are thinking of you and will never forget your amazing husband.