The Rollercoaster Podcast

What happens when the person you trust most as a child becomes the person who destroys your innocence? And how do you find your way back when that pain follows you into adulthood?

I sat down with Micah and Diana LaCerte for one of the most powerful conversations I've had on The Rollercoaster Podcast.

For nearly a decade, Micah endured childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a trusted church leader who had become a father figure in his life. What followed was years of shame, depression, suicidal thoughts, and a desperate search for peace through fitness, success, and achievement.

But behind everything he accomplished was a little boy who was still hurting.

In this episode:
How a trusted father figure groomed and sexually abused Micah
The devastating impact of childhood trauma, shame, and suicidal thoughts
Why success and fitness couldn't heal his deepest wounds
How Diana helped him find safety, faith, and the courage to speak
The journey toward forgiveness, healing, and breaking the cycle of trauma

What stayed with me most was Micah's courage to confront the very thing he'd spent his life hiding.

His story is a reminder that what happened to you doesn't have to define who you become.

Key Moments:
00:00 The childhood abuse that stole his innocence
03:01 How a trusted father figure began grooming him
06:36 The night his childhood changed forever
09:00 Why returning to his abuser nearly cost him his life
12:09 The family that saved him from his darkest moments
15:42 The hidden pain behind his success
19:30 The grandfather who gave him a reason to keep going
23:07 How one MySpace message changed everything
26:43 The unexpected love story that led to healing
30:17 The moment he finally revealed his childhood abuse
33:49 The detective's phone call that brought everything back
37:34 How he learned to forgive the man who abused him
41:05 The moment he realised he wasn't alone
44:59 Why he wouldn't change his painful past
48:34 Why God allows pain and suffering
52:13 Was God responsible for what happened to him?
55:23 How childhood trauma creates lifelong wounds
59:17 Why success couldn't heal his deepest pain
1:01:07 His message to men suffering in silence

Connect with Me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tyler.hall/

Connect with Micah and Diana:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrhitchfit/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianachaloux/

What do you do when the person you love tells you “I love you,” and just minutes later, your entire world falls apart?

On June 13, 2024, MaKela Allen lost her husband, Michael, to suicide. Just hours earlier, they were planning their future, preparing to move into a new home, and talking about having another child. There was no goodbye. No warning she could have recognized. Just a final text message that would haunt her forever.

I sat down with MaKela for a deeply personal and emotional conversation about suicide, grief, domestic abuse, and the unimaginable reality of raising children after losing their father.

In this episode:
The final moments before Michael took his own life
The warning signs MaKela never imagined could lead to suicide
How she told her three-year-old son his dad was gone
The complicated grief of loving someone who also hurt you
Finding the strength to rebuild a life after unimaginable loss

What struck me most was MaKela’s ability to hold love, anger, heartbreak, and compassion all at once.

Her story is a reminder that grief isn't something we simply overcome. Sometimes, surviving means learning to carry what we cannot change.

Key Moments:
00:00 My husband's final I love you before his death
03:42 The family tragedy before everything fell apart
07:42 The morning my husband took his own life
10:24 I found my husband's car surrounded by police
15:19 The moment doctors told me he was dead
18:22 Telling my three-year-old his dad was gone
21:14 The painful truth about our marriage and domestic abuse
24:08 The suicide note my husband left behind
27:59 Loving someone who caused you so much pain
32:05 Were there warning signs I missed before his suicide?
36:27 How I want my children to remember their father
40:15 Surviving the worst day of my life
43:00 Finding hope when grief feels unbearable

Connect with Me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tyler.hall/
Connect with MaKela:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makelaallen/

Britt Del Toro lost her 10-week-old son, Zeppelin. Later, she survived her own suicide attempt and then lost her husband, Troy, to suicide. Britt talks with me about organ donation, the depression that deepened after the funeral, reaching for help, loving Troy through mental illness, and parenting when you can barely get through the day. She doesn't pretend she has grief figured out, and that's exactly why this conversation matters.

If you're struggling or thinking about suicide, you're not alone. Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, US) or visit https://stayhere.live.

Want to share your story on The Rollercoaster Podcast? Apply here: https://therollercoasterpodcast.com/guest-application

If this episode meant something to you, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It's the #1 way people who are hurting find these conversations.

What happens to your faith when you witness suffering so horrific that you start asking God why He allows it? Alex Barbir, founder of Building Zion, has risked his life to stand with persecuted Christians in Nigeria, where families are being murdered and villages destroyed. He shares what he saw at massacre sites, the mother cradling her murdered son, and how rebuilding villages restores hope for survivors.

Want to share your story on The Rollercoaster Podcast? Apply here: https://therollercoasterpodcast.com/guest-application

If this episode meant something to you, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It's the #1 way people who are hurting find these conversations.

What happens when the person you've loved almost your entire life is suddenly taken from you?

My guest today is Ashley Leatham, who lost her husband, Scott, a 39-year-old firefighter, to a rare and aggressive cancer called NUT carcinoma. What started as persistent headaches turned into a devastating diagnosis, and just five months later, Ashley was holding her husband's hand as he took his final breath.

They had known each other since they were 12. They built a beautiful life, raised two children, and imagined growing old together. Then everything changed.

Ashley opens up about the unimaginable pain of watching her husband fight for his life, the heartbreak of telling their children he was dying, and the final moments she'll never forget.

In this episode:
The warning signs before Scott's devastating cancer diagnosis
How five months changed their family's lives forever
The heartbreaking final days before Scott passed away
Navigating grief, widowhood, and raising children after loss
Finding purpose, faith, and hope when life feels unbearable

This conversation is a powerful reminder that tomorrow is never promised, the people we love are everything, and even in our darkest moments, there can still be a reason to keep going.

Key Moments:
00:00 The heartbreaking final moments of Scott's cancer battle
03:01 A childhood friendship that became a lifelong love
07:50 The headaches that revealed a deadly cancer diagnosis
12:44 The hospital visit that changed everything
16:14 The rare cancer diagnosis and desperate fight to survive
20:11 When chemotherapy led to a terrifying emergency
23:05 Seven organs failing and the fight to stay alive
27:28 The devastating cancer prognosis that shattered their hope
30:18 How facing death changes what matters most
35:16 The powerful life lesson Scott left behind
38:55 The suspected cancer risks inside the fire station
43:23 The heartbreaking news that Scott had weeks to live
46:16 The final family memories before saying goodbye
49:09 Holding her husband's hand as he took his last breath
52:35 The painful reality of grief after losing a spouse
56:06 Finding purpose and hope after unimaginable loss

Connect with Me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tyler.hall/
Connect with Nick & Cassie:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dsnyash/