Take It From Us with Kent Johns
Take It From Us is the voice of lived experience. In this podcast, you'll hear real people share honest stories about mental health, addiction, trauma and recovery - straight from their own journeys.
They'll tell you what actually worked, what didn't, and what they wish they'd known sooner.
Host Kent Johns is a former broadcaster-turned-health-coach who believes everyone has a story to tell if people take the time to really listen.
So settle in, you're going to hear some stories. Take it from us - and from them.
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If you need support, click here for helpful links, phone numbers and resources:
https://ember.org.nz/resources/in-a-crisis/
Take It From Us with Kent Johns
Jamie Summers: I had a stroke at 39 - now I'm warning other construction workers about their health
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Jamie Summers had a stroke in 2019. He was 39, working in construction. High stress, poor diet, no exercise. The lifestyle caught up with him.
Six and a half years later, he's still dealing with it. The fatigue is relentless. When his physical health dips - injuries, setbacks - his mental health crashes hard.
But Jamie's also doing important work as the co-founder of Health15, going into construction sites across Aotearoa testing workers' blood pressure and checking for atrial fibrillation. The numbers are stark: only 30% of workers tested have normal blood pressure. Some have been dangerously high. There have been ambulances called.
Jamie doesn't dress it up. A stroke changed his life forever. And he's trying to get construction workers to take care of themselves before something like that happens to them.
For more information: https://www.stroke.org.nz/
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If you need support, here are helpful links, phone numbers and resources: https://ember.org.nz/resources/in-a-crisis/
