Regina Swarn Audio Series Presents
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Regina Swarn Audio Series Presents
Caregiving, Grief, and Grace: A Faith-Fueled Journey
A quiet truth runs through this conversation: when one person is diagnosed with cancer, the whole family feels it. We sit down with Minister Jaretta Ford—niece, caregiver, single mom—to talk about stage 4 lung cancer in a non‑smoker, the gritty reality of home care during COVID, and the slow, invisible toll of depression that can shadow even the most faithful hearts. It’s raw without being bleak, honest without losing hope, and grounded in the small daily rituals that restore dignity and keep a household standing.
Jaretta opens up about bathing and dressing her mother when weakness set in, the late‑night prayers, and the moments of joy that broke through—a smile after a sponge bath, a grandson who learned to fluff pillows just right, lollipops shared shoulder to shoulder. We widen the lens to the mental health cost of caregiving: sleeplessness, irritability, isolation, and the point where “I’m fine” no longer holds. Long before her mother’s illness, Jaretta wrestled with low self‑worth, harmful relationships, and a suicide attempt that ended on a hospital’s sixth floor—a survival she names as grace. The host shares her own diagnosed nervous breakdown after a sister’s death, underscoring that depression is real, common, and treatable.
Amid loss, faith becomes a framework for action, not a shortcut around pain. We talk about building a quiet space for prayer and reflection, asking for help without shame, and honoring memory as medicine. We also spotlight the nonprofit Hope for Healing—its name born of fasting, prayer, and a mission to walk with people through illness, grief, and recovery. If you’re caring for someone you love, or carrying a weight no one else can see, there’s something here for you: practical encouragement, language for what hurts, and proof that small acts—the kind you can do today—change the temperature of a hard season.
If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who needs strength, and leave a review so others can find these stories. Then tell us: what’s one ritual that helps you hold on to hope?
Contact Sister Jaretta Below
http://www.hope4healing3@gmail.com
Music
Commrcoyÿ
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Contact
swarnregina@gmail.com
Hello and welcome back to another episode of Regina Swine Audio Series Presents. We know that this is the month of October and this month every year we celebrate or I shouldn't say celebrate but we have breast cancer awareness. But I guess I kind of like to call it cancer awareness, you know, but anyway, we're gonna talk about a little bit of that today, uh as well as depression and a couple of other things we'll be talking about. I have a wonderful guest on today. She has gone through so many things, and she's still standing. You know, she's still standing through the grace of God, and I'm just so happy to have her on today to tell her testimony and tell a little bit about um how she helped cared for her mom. You know, she was one of the caregivers for her mom. Um but she's gonna talk about her own life as well, how she herself went through depression. I would have to say, long even long before her mom even got sick, she went through a depression. So we're gonna talk a little bit about that today. So welcome again to Regina Sworn Audio Series Presents. If you'd like to contact the show or like to be on the show, please send me an email at SwornRegina at gmail.com. Now we welcome a wonderful guest, Sister Minister Geretta Ford. Good morning, Geretta. Good morning, how are you? I'm great. How are you doing this morning? How are you feeling this morning?
SPEAKER_01:I'm feeling wonderful, well rested, really good.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I am so pleased to have you on. You know, we've talked about this. I I think we've talked about this over the years, having you on to tell your story, and now we got the opportunity to do that, and I'm just so happy to have you here with me to tell your story. And, you know, it's it's a it's kind of a sad story, but at the same time, it's a story of joy and inspiration. So I would love for you to talk a little bit about yourself. Tell us a little bit about yourself first and foremost.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I am, of course, my name is Joretta, and I come from a, you know, a family, like kind of a big family. You know, we had I have five other siblings, and I am a mother of one, an 18-year-old. And um, I hail from a town called Macon, Georgia, is the fourth largest city in Georgia, so it's not too small, but it's not too big either. And um, you know, I just I come from a very diverse background, you know.
SPEAKER_00:Wow. Now you know, Geretta, you know, this is breast cancer month. This is um I like to call it, I don't know why when I when I talk about breast cancer, I can't help but talk about cancer because I know of so many friends, uh, even in even in my our family. I didn't say this, Gireth is my niece, y'all. Sorry. I you know, I should have said that because I'm what I'm about to say is gonna fall into line with them and say, but Gireth is my niece, her mom, uh her beautiful mom is with the Lord right now, but you know, her mom is my sister, and uh Geretta is my niece, and so you know, we've been talking about doing this for for a while, but we do have a history in our family of cancer, in our family, and we are not gonna claim it. We're not we're not claiming it, but in our family, in our family tree, would you have you know a history of cancer, you know, and um shorty you can touch a little bit on that, can't you?
SPEAKER_01:Yes. So, you know, um I myself personally have never gone through it, but you know, if like you just said, my mother, God rest her beautiful soul, she endured it. And um one the thing of it about cancer, when the person who has cancer is diagnosed with it, the whole family has it. Because it impacts the whole family. Sure. You know, so she man, she was a warrior, you know, being the person to watch her, she was a one of a woman of God, of course, and but being the person to watch her, how she endured, all of the the shots, all of the doctor visits, all of the chemo, all of the radiation. She had about, I want to say, either five or six tumors on the brain that God had shrank without radiation. No, he just shrank them because of her faith, you know, and and his word. And it wasn't a dull moment, you know, even during her battle in the beginning when she we first found out she was diagnosed with she started out with stage four. And with stage four, I I know, right? With stage four lung cancer, um, no, she was never a smoker. She was never a smoker. Wow. You know, she never complained about the diagnosis. She knew immediately that God was going to heal her, whether it be on this side or the other side. She knows it's it was just amazing to watch her go through all that she did. She would still sing her songs for the Lord, you know, raise up praises unto the Lord. You know, she would still, you know, just endure so many things. Right. And I was just blessed to be able just to be there 95, my son and I actually, um, because we all lived in the same house. But my son and I 95.5% of the time was there to care for her. And so I wouldn't trade that for anything.
SPEAKER_00:Wow. And another thing when you said that about the uh tumors, you know, on the on the brain. And I didn't know that, you know, you know, we knew she was sick. I didn't know she had the tumors tumors like that on the brain and you know, and she never smoked, you know, you you got you guys gotta listen to this. She never smoked, so you don't have to be a smoker, you know, to get the lung cancer. I don't exactly know where it it comes from, but she was not a smoker. She never smoked and you know, and since we're talking about that, you know, my sister Laura, you know, she actually died of breast cancer, you know, she you know that's another family member right there, you know, two sisters right there. And um she uh passed away from breast cancer itself and it was it was a tough time. It was a just a very, very, very tough time. And sometimes you just don't never know, you know, you just don't never know what life is gonna throw at you, but you have to accept the will of God. You have to accept God's will. And you know, back to you, Jaretta, I don't want to take away from your your story. Um back to you and your mom. Your mom, again, she wasn't a smoker, and a lot of times people think that you have to s be a smoker to get lung cancer, and you you really don't have to be a smoker at all. Your mom did not smoke.
SPEAKER_01:No, she didn't. She was really an angel here on earth is what she was. And um she just she in like I said, she endured that trial, that fiery trial that she had to face. You know, and she won, you know. Um it it brought about a lot of change. Now I'm not gonna, you know, you know, sugarcoat anything. It was challenging. It was challenging being, you know, her primary caretaker, um, because I still had to be a mom. You know, I still had to be um there for my son. I still had to work or try to work. Um, but I gave up working to care for her. And um this is during 2020 when COVID was on the rise. And so it was really bad. And so not only did I battle at that time job loss, I battled losing, we you know, we battled losing our grandmother in January 2020. And um, like you just talked about your sister, my aunt Laura in July 2020. And then of course my mom passed in November 2020, November 3rd, actually. And so um all these emotions, you know, come flooding back. But, you know, I battled depression at that time as well, because being without a job and bills were going up, you don't know how you're gonna pay them. But still you feel in your mother, you know, that needs to be bathed. She needs her medicine, she needs her uh meals every day. So you go through this this internal thing like, God, where are you? You know, you go through this thing like, Lord, I need help. And um I I needed rest as well. And so there are many times and nights that I cried out to God and asked God to help me, you know, give me strength, give me what to do, give me how to do it, um, and do it with love.
SPEAKER_00:Because we're on the subject of that you you went through depression, you went through a great depression during the time of your your mom's you know illness and afterwards too. And and that's what you're speaking of, and we you know, yeah, I want to know more about that because I know we talked about it before, but touched on it a little bit, but yeah, I would like to know more. I love my audience to know more because you when you got a s a sick person that you're caring for, people don't think that they think that you're healthy, then they're then you're gonna be all right. If they're sick, you're gonna be okay, but it really breaks your body down little by little. And and I know you went through depression. I want it I want to hear about that. You were about to tell that, and I'm sorry I interrupted, so but please proceed with that. I want to love to hear that.
SPEAKER_01:Well, you know, I found myself been, you know, I didn't realize I was depressed until I noticed that I wasn't sleeping. So I noticed that I would be easily angered at other people, you know, or constantly crying, you know, crying because not because I had to be a caretaker, but crying because, you know, I I wanted to heal my mother's pain. You know, I wanted to make her better. So that along with seeing my son cry because of the situation, um, that made me depressed, you know, and I didn't want to go anywhere, didn't want to do anything. I constantly stayed around my mother as if somehow being around her, she wouldn't leave here. You know? Why? As if like I could be her protector. You know, so that's how that was uh depression is real. It is real and I've been through it many times in my life.
SPEAKER_00:It is real. I mean, you touched on them a couple of other times that you went through it when you know, even some years before your mom took sick, you know. And we're kind of jumping the we're kind of jumping the rails a little bit here, but we're we're also speaking about depression a little bit today as well. And you know, you you you've been through some rough times, um, Geretta. You've been through some very rough times that I didn't even know about. I didn't even know about some of the things that you had gone through. And um I hate to say that, but can you tell us about it? I mean, it it's something that I feel like people need to hear hear these stories because it helps people.
SPEAKER_01:Oh yes, of course. You know, um even way, like you said, way before my mother got sick, you know, um I like my mother was a single parent, you know, raising all of us. And so my dad was never really there, you know, in my life at all. So I grew up looking for, I guess you could say, love in all the wrong places. And so, and I didn't really love myself at the time. I didn't really see myself how God saw me because I really didn't know the Lord at the time. So I battled depression. I battled, you know, feeling, you know, low self-esteem, self-worthlessness, um, falling for anything or anyone that said, quote unquote, I love you. And so that all that depression, which led to um attempting to commit suicide, you know, because of the depression. Um there were, you know, many times, even when I lived, I had for a brief part of my life I moved to Atlanta, you know, because I wanted to be like everybody else, you know, and um I fell for a bunch of lies at the time that um this guy was telling me, and and I went through depression because, you know, and I would allow him to treat me any kind of way because I didn't love myself, I didn't know myself, I didn't know who I was, you know, and I tried to commit suicide, I tried taking some pills and I tried, you know, to drink myself to death. I tried many different things. All of it derived from being depressed, all of it derived because you know, also too, I was out of God's will, you know, for my life.
SPEAKER_00:And we know how when you're out of God's will that a lot of things can happen when you're out of God's will, and because that's that's a bad place to be. Yes, bad place to be. And just you again, you were talking about you trying to take you trying to take your life during this time.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, during this time, and I lived in Atlanta, and um and I had a bad relationship at the time, and so I was impressed at how, you know, how he was abusing me um more so emotional and verbal than physical. And so um I tried taking some pills and I wind up. I was walking through this, I never will forget. I I was walking through this park um over in East Point, and I took some pills. I took some pills, but I by the grace of God, and it was totally God's grace, I was at a in a park by a major street. But I woke up in Greater Hospital. I don't know how I got there. I don't know. All I know was that I was on the sixth floor and I didn't have any phones or anything in my room, and I had to get um help. I had to get a I see a psychiatrist, you know, to talk. And so anything could have happened to me between the time I took those pills and the time I woke up at the hospital. But that was God's grace. Even in the midst of my trouble, my storm, my disobedience, my depression, his grace was still sufficient for me.
SPEAKER_00:And East Point, I mean, you go back a few years, um, our brother, your uncle, was murdered in East Point. And East Point has waxed a million times worse since then. So, like you said, anything could have happened. I mean, you know, the young woman walking out there like that, I mean, gang and yeah, and it oh god, I don't even want to think I don't want to think what could have happened right now. Um I don't want to think about it, showing you that God was definitely, you know, with you the whole time, you know. That's so sad. But w we're trying to let people know that it is breast cancer uh awareness month, uh cancer awareness month, but depression is real. Don't don't take that as a joke. When someone said that they're depressed or someone said that they're upset about something or or they're going through something, maybe take it seriously, because I'm gonna say this, you know, back to cancer. When my sister passed away of breast cancer, I had a my the doctor called it a m a malnervous breakdown. A lot of people didn't even know that. And he said you had a nervous breakdown. And I was like, and that was right around the time your mom passed away in November. Um uh my sister, Laura passed away in July, and then your mom passed away in November. So and I was thinking, I told the doctor, I remember telling the doctor, I I gotta go to the funeral because, you know, people will be saying that's your sister, you're not at the funeral. And the doctor said, Well, you've taken a chance if you go to the funeral because they might be going to your funeral. And then that scared me. So I kind of stayed away, but I was going through a great depression at the time myself. But I do thank God for for his mercy and and I just thank God for just being in our lives, you know, Jared, because if it w hadn't been for the Lord on my star, what would we be? I love that. That's a song. I think a song. But depression is definitely real. I mean, it i it's so many people out there right now who are listening to this broadcast who are depressed. And and I know that listening to Joretta tell her story, and she's still telling her story, I just kinda chime in a little bit. But she's still t telling her story, but um yeah, it's depression is real. It's real and and sometimes you like in my case, I didn't it was nothing wrong. I was fine. I'd never been like maybe maybe just a little sad, but never nothing major like depressed, like and then a nervous breakdown on top of it. I was like, man, so you just never know what life was gonna happen in your life. So yeah, depression is definitely real. And you know, your story, I well, I I didn't you my niece didn't even know all that those things. I didn't know all those things. I really didn't. Oh god, I didn't know all of that. I knew you had been through depression before. I knew that that you had some things going on, but I never knew to the extent 'cause it sounded like you had kind of lost your mind a little bit too when you was on that sixth floor.
SPEAKER_01:Mm-hmm. I did. I did. I wasn't myself. And you know, is the thing about it is, you know, once we we we're out there in this world, we become, you know, uh I would say toys of Satan. And he gets to have his way with us when we're out of place. And I was out of place. And so I but I just I'm so thankful that like I say, it's the grace of God, something that we don't deserve, but he gives us I thank God too.
SPEAKER_00:I thank him too. I just I mean I I just thank him every day. I mean sometimes I'm driving along and I'm just saying thank you, Jesus, and and yes, I just thank him because, you know, like I said and I continue to say that if it had not been for the Lord, I don't I don't know where I would be. I I have no idea where I would be, but I know I probably wouldn't be here. So, you know, it would be but yeah, but that, you know, that that depression, that cancer, that all those things are real and and and in caring for a loved one the way that you uh help cared for your mother, I mean, that's that's a hard thing to do. It it's easy because you love her, but it it's also it it it it's easy because you love her, but it's what what people don't understand that it's it's hard too because it's almost like you got got the disease because you you you're feeling that burden that you hear them moaning. That's the part that get me when I hear them like when I was at the hospital and I heard this lady like mmm mmm I kept hearing that and then I my mind would just go back on when I was talking to my sister sometime and hear her moaning and it just oh that and you know it's nothing you could do. Nothing you could do but but pray for them. You can't do anything else because you know they're going through this, they're going through that hard battle and it's just oh it's just it's so hard. And so and then that therefore what I was trying to say is you're also going through it. I mean, they're suffering with the pain and all of that, and you're suffering with all these emotions that you gotta go through.
SPEAKER_01:Right. That is true, and um it definitely it is definitely an emotional uh excuse me, roller coaster. Um, because there are times you laugh and then there are times you cry and and and all of this while you're battling things internally, you know, and like my mother, she she um was just she was a joy, you know, and I count it an honor to be able to when I would like she used to like when I gave her a sponge bath. Because you know, she got so weak at one point she couldn't no longer, you know, get in the tub. So I would get the hot water pail with the soap, and then the hot water, you know, bucket or pail that has just the plain water, and I'd wash her down very thoroughly, and then I put lotion and everything on her from her head to her feet. And then I get her dressed and let her lay down or sit down, whatever she wanted to do. And this is something that we did daily, just one of our daily things we had to do. And but the smile on her face, you know, smiling through the pain, she's like, Oh, that feels so good. I like that. Can you put some more you know, it it was just, you know, even though it w is not easy, you know, get getting another adult having to help them up because of the the weight and they can't do it for themselves, God still gave me the strength to do it. And it was I was happy to do it, you know.
SPEAKER_00:Right. God gave God you you said the right thing. God gave you that strength because it had to bring God's strength because you know you you couldn't you couldn't no way you could have said that yourself. Had to be the strength of the Lord. Had to be God's strength, and you know, um you you mentioned your your son your brother has a son, Chris, y'all. He plays drums. He's uh he's a little bit old, he's a little bit older now. But a little bit. And uh he he plays drums, he's a musician, and he sings. And so um, and Chris, he he helped care for his his his grandmother as well. You you want to talk about Chris a little bit too?
SPEAKER_01:Sure. Now Chris is my my son, my definitely my gift from God. Um, but he did help me um care for my mother. And just like when I had my son, my mother was there for him since birth. You know, she played that role because I myself, like I said, you know, have been a single mother since he was born. And um, so my mother, you know, she filled that void being there. So when it was time to take care of her, he helped me. And so he would fluff her pillows, give her medicine, help her walk, read to her, you know, hold her hand. And so even now that he's 18 years old and he was about what five years ago, so he's about twelve, thir thirteen when she passed, um he ha grieves her in his own way, you know. Now we're still in the house where we all lived. Mama lived, grandma lived, you know. So that that in itself has you know, we have memories, but he Christopher is oh my gosh, such an old soul gentleman. He misses her, he thinks about her, he he'll like wear her picture around his neck and you know, um they had a special bond. They really did.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it sounds like it. And then I know one time we were talking, you said how he would he would layer it down I'm not not sure if it was on her chest, but like right there by her head, and he would crying while she was, you know, going through her sickness, your mom and and Chris would lay right there and he would he would cry, you know, and I can just imagine that, you know, on a young young kid, you know. This uh just but just showing that love that he had for for his grandma.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly, you know, he and he would do that. That's probably why, you know, mama would only he could fluff her pillows like she liked, right? You know, not me, not my other adult sisters. She'd call him. She'd say, she'd say, Chris, you yell Chris through that. She'll find the strength to yell Chris through the house, say, Can you come fluff my pillows? And he'd go running, you know, he'd go running. And he would fluff her pillows. And he then, yeah, he'd lay right there with her, he'd sit with her. And the one of the funniest pictures and memories I have of him, they ate puts a roll suckers together. So it's like she's got I got this picture of her with her puts a roll pop, and he's got his laying his head on her shoulder, so they're both enjoying the puts and roll pop together.
SPEAKER_00:So that what a beautiful memory. What a beautiful memory. It's one thing about memories, they're like pictures, you know, if if you hold on to them, they they last forever.
SPEAKER_01:They do.
SPEAKER_00:They last forever. Well, you know, we've touched on a lot of things, but I, you know, I always give the guests a chance to talk about anything else that they want to talk about. If you want to continue to talk about that, or you know a friend, a friend or someone that's going through cancer right now, or you know, if it's something else you want to just touch on, I would be glad to, you know, hear the story or hear you out.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I actually, you know, I want to encourage um listeners, encourage people that, you know, have gone through depression and they're they are going through um being a caretaker, they feel exhausted, feel like there's no way out, and then they're going through single parenting, whether you're a mom or dad, um, know that they're God is there. You know, He is there, He will give you the strength that you need, you know. When it doesn't seem like anybody else is there, I encourage everyone to find that, you know, that quiet place where they can just commune with God and they can call on Him. And if they have to cry, cry. It's okay. Right. Because He said that He'll turn our you know sorrow into joy. He'll give our beauty for ashes, you know. So He'll do all those things. So I encourage everyone that's going through something to lean on Christ. Because I'm telling you, there's no better friend than Jesus. No better friend.
SPEAKER_00:And what better time to lean on him with all the things that we're going through in the world right now? And what better what better person, you know, to lean on than the Lord, you know? What better. Who better? I should say who better. Who better? Yes. Oh my gosh. I am so enjoying speaking with you. Oh my God. I am enjoying this so much. I am just I could just sit here all day and we can just sit here and just talk all day about just not just cancer, breast cancer, whatever, but just life. It just and I'm enjoying talking to you so much. You just don't know. Life are amazing. Well, you know what now You n you know another thing now I know at some point you you're gonna you're gonna come on and let me hear about your love story.
SPEAKER_01:Oh yes, of course. You know, it's everything is not sad, you know. It once you go through the storm, there's always God opens up those clouds. He's sending a beautiful rain. So and the sun is shining. So um yes. God is doing some great, great things.
SPEAKER_00:See, we got that story coming up. We got that story coming up at some point. So I'm I am super excited to hear it because I, you know, as I was telling my last guest when he was speaking about his wife, um, I love hearing love stories. I just I don't know, it reminds me of the old movies. I love black and white movies, and it reminds me of those old movies. I just I just love to listen to old stor I don't know something about stories that remind me of the old movies, man. I don't know if that makes any sense, but that make any sense, but you have been a joy to speak with today. Well, thank you.
SPEAKER_01:So of you, and I'm so glad that I finally had a chance to talk to you.
SPEAKER_00:I mean, we've been just talking about doing this for years. I know. So we're gonna get this together and I'm gonna interview you and you say, Yeah, and I can tell my story and I can do this. And but now you'd finally you finally did it, and I am so happy because I do have a a pretty big audience. God has blessed this audience to grow. And so I'm so happy that they will have a chance to hear your story and to, you know, grab a hold to a little bit of faith, you know, it you don't take a whole lot, just a little bit. So, you know, I'm just thanking God that you were able to come on because I know you're very busy. Do you have a place you want them to write to you, or you got some kind of fan club or some kind of thing you got going on that you'd like people to know about, or anything like that? Well, well, yes.
SPEAKER_01:They can actually reach me um because I am uh founder of a nonprofit as well, so they can just reach me on my nonprofit email. And that's hope e um, the number for healing, h-e-l-in-g um dot com. No, hope for healing, hope for healing at gmail.com. There we go.
SPEAKER_00:You know, I'm listening to what you said hope for healing, and then I'm thinking about how you helped care for your mom and how you went through all the things you went through. Does that have anything to do with the name that you came up with? I mean actually hope for healing.
SPEAKER_01:Wow. Yeah, because the Lord, I had to uh fast and pray before I even God gave me the name for you know hope for healing. And um after fasting and praying, he gave me that name um within about three or four days. And so He gave me the name and He also gave me the mission. So yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And I can hear it in the title, Hope for Hope for Healing. And it's just like letting people know you got hope, and then you can be healed. I mean, in that title, you you can tell you've gone through some things, and I I am so thankful that you were able to come on today and tell your your story and your testimony and and I just appreciate you so much. I love you. I love you, and thank God for you and I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you so much. And you know, course that wants you back on now, and I'm just don't be a stranger. Don't be a stranger. I want you to come back because I know you gotta talk about your love story and and I want to touch again because we're not done with the breast cancer. We're not done with the cancer, we're not done with the depression, we're not done with with that, you know. And maybe there are times that you can come on and just you know, just help me host a show where we just talk about you know, just talk about things like that. You know, I'm looking for that. So I want to do that. And not a lot of people want to do it, so I I hope after today you might say, Yep, yeah, I'm gonna do it.
SPEAKER_01:I'll do it.
SPEAKER_00:You know that. Boy, so but thank you so much. And again, I appreciate you from the bottom of my bottom of my heart. I don't like to say bottom of my heart, I like to say all of my heart. So Yes, ma'am. Well, thank you for having me. Thank you again, and and thanks to everyone who is listening out there to Regina Swine Audio Series presents. I want you all to have a wonderful, wonderful day. And just remember, there is hope for healing. And that's I'm just taking the Tirada's title there, but just remember that you know our thing works well for those who love the Lord. I think that'll work. Have a good day, uh, Tira. Thank you so much. Thank you. Bye bye. Bye bye.