Facing Illness & Family Hardship while living a life for Community and Kin with Jan McCall

Connecting Seniors (Kintsugi Heroes)

Jann McCall grew up in Russell Lea in Sydney, with a multicultural and religious background. Her upbringing shaped her outlook on life, emphasising faith, family, and adaptability amidst evolving societal changes.

Jann's practical decision to become a primary school teacher aligned with her family responsibilities. Teaching allowed her to positively impact young lives. Despite the bureaucratic changes over time, she remained committed to children’s development until health issues resulted in her decision to leave teaching.

Her health issues included a stroke and breast cancer followed by increasing mobility problems. She had intense rehabilitation and adapting to new physical limitations. Despite these, she maintained a positive outlook, emphasising resilience and communal support.

Bringing up three daughters, Jann navigated health and financial challenges. Her family’s unwavering support was crucial. She highlights the importance of open communication, empathy, and adaptability within her marital life, celebrating 41 years of a successful marriage.

Jann's interests in travel and family history provided joy and fulfillment. She engages in planning trips, creating photo books, and genealogy research both for herself and others.

Community support is important to Jann, particularly her church community and longstanding friendships. During COVID, she stayed connected through Zoom dinners and church groups, highlighting the importance of maintaining social bonds for well-being.

With unwavering faith in God's plans, Jann embraces life’s uncertainties with optimism. She finds joy in daily interactions and contributions, believing in the purposeful existence of every individual. Her positivity influences those around her, fostering hope and resilience.

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We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

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Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

This Limited Kintsugi Heroes podcast series was made possible with grant funding from the NSW Department of Communities & Justice Connecting Seniors Grant Program. To find out more about the program, head to https://www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/connecting-seniors-grant-program-2025.