In Conversation with Lillian Lin: A Story of Resilience

Norm sits down with Lillian Lin for an intimate and wide-ranging discussion, exploring the extraordinary tapestry of her life experiences. Lillian discusses her medical odyssey, beginning with a stage four neuroblastoma diagnosis as an infant that recently led to kidney transplant surgery. She reflects on how her health journey has shaped her relationship with her teenage son, whose interest in pursuing medicine stems partly from witnessing his mother's medical experiences.

Norm and Lillian explore the complexities of organ donation, including the emotional challenges that accompany the process. Shifting to lighter territory, Lillian recounts how a chance job as a cocktail waitress became the gateway to her finance career, leading her through the high-pressure worlds of Kidder Peabody and Goldman Sachs trading floors, as well as her professional time in London.

Personal milestones weave throughout their conversation, from meeting her former husband through work to navigating the complex journey of surrogacy, complete with its legal and financial complexities. Lillian's worldview comes into sharp focus as she describes her volunteer work at orphanages across Africa, Guatemala, and Vietnam, experiences that provided profound contrast to her finance career's intensity. She talks about her transition into real estate, her move to Pine Plains attracted by a property with prohibition-era history, and her current pursuits including piano and pickleball. Through it all, Lillian's story is one of resilience, the importance of maintaining perspective, and how life's unexpected turns can lead to meaningful discoveries about ourselves and our capacity for growth.

Produced by Norm Magnusson, Jennifer Hammoud, and Matty Rosenberg @ radiofreerhinecliff.org

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