How to Overcome the Odds with Focus & Determination

What do you get when resilience meets relentless optimism, when a rare diagnosis collides with adolescent dreams, and when the will to take one more step becomes a mission to change lives? You get Rylan LaPlante—a 24-year-old student, fundraiser, and champion for hope whose story will leave you both humbled and inspired. Diagnosed at eleven with a rare genetic disorder that took away his movement, speech, and sense of certainty, Rylan spent more than 1,000 days in hospital, learned to type with his toes, and grappled with belief, identity, and the limits of medicine. In this episode, Rylan details his ongoing recovery, including his first step in twelve years and a recent 10K walk in support of the Alberta Children’s Hospital—while unpacking the power of community, the gift of support, and the everyday work of never giving yourself an out. If you’ve ever wondered what real resilience looks like or how one young man finds hope after setback after setback, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.