A Story of Resilience by Ugonna Onuoha

Igniting Imagination

Ugonna Onuoha’s daughter Agnes was diagnosed with lupus in third grade and passed away in 2019 at age 23. Ugonna tells the story of Agnes’ illness and death to an audience for the first time in this episode. As a hospital chaplain at Children’s Medical Center, Ugonna has sat with countless families as they navigate illness and grieve loss. She reflects on how going through her own loss has affected her ministry. Ugonna’s deep faith and reliance on scripture is profound; she embodies resilience through her life and it comes through in this powerful recording.

QUOTES

• “Living with Agnes’ illness helped me to begin to talk about my faith in a way that was not outside, but something that was really personal in a way.” -Ugonna Onuoha [04:31]
• “I found God to be real and truthful and honest and a companion and a good God in the midst of that pain.” -Ugonna Onuoha [06:49]

TIMESTAMPS

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:21] Raising a child with lupus
• [06:13] The image of the Good Shepherd
• [10:11] Receiving comfort and support
• [14:38] Taking care of herself
• [17:37] The great pain
• [20:00] Three things to surround yourself with

RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS

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Reservoirs of Resilience is inspired by the monograph written by Bishop Janice Huie. Read the full publication here.

This podcast is brought to you by TMF’s Leadership Ministry. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. For more information and to support TMF’s Leadership Ministry, visit https://tmf-fdn.org/leadership-ministry.