All Episodes

November 16, 2022 79 mins

When Hillary Whittington discovers she’s expecting a baby girl, she and her husband, Jeff, are deliriously overjoyed.  Pink & white nursery – check; endless supplies of dresses and bows – check.

Then, only months after Ryland is born, Hillary and Jeff realise something isn’t quite right.  When they call out, Ryland doesn’t respond. 


After consulting with specialists, it’s confirmed that their beautiful baby girl is deaf.

The miracle that is cochlear implants allows Ryland to hear and Hillary’s tireless efforts helps Ryland learn how to speak.  This gorgeous couple believe they’ve overcome their toughest challenge as parents.

But as soon as Ryland learns to talk, Hillary & Jeff know they HAVE to listen… I mean really listen.

 Because as soon as Ryland gains the power of speech, Ryland insists, “I am a boy!” 

 After finding a deeply disturbing statistic that 41% percent of people who identify as transgender attempt to take their own lives before the age of 20, Hillary and Jeff make it their mission to love & support their child — with no strings attached.  

 But please be under no illusion. Loving with no strings attached, isn’t always easy.  Sometimes it’s downright agonizing and can be oh so isolating.  And that’s what is so exquisite about the Whittingtons.  They simply tell it like it is.  I hope you come to love this family as much as I do.

 If anything you hear during this episode is triggering in any way, please reach out to someone who can keep you safe.  And please remember if you’re in Australia, you can phone Lifeline at any time on 13 11 14.


BUT BEFORE YOU GO…

Find out more about Hillary here

 Purchase Hillary’s remarkable memoir, “Raising Ryland, Our Story of Parenting a Transgender Child with No Strings Attached” here 

 Follow Hillary on Insta here

 Follow Hillary on Facebook here

 Follow Hillary on Twitter here

Watch the Whittington Family: Ryland's Story here

Find out more about Tam here

 Follow Tam on Insta

 Follow BRAVE JOURNEYS on Insta

 Join the conversation and chat about the episode here

 

NEED MORE INSPIRATION?

 Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes here

 
CREDITS:


 Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday

 With thanks to my special guest: Hillary Whittington

Audio Editor: Zoltan Fecso

 With very special thanks to George Weinberg and Ursula Ferguson 

BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrungwho are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.