What do you do when life breaks your heart?
In this powerful episode of The Transformation Code, I sit down with Jessica Janzen, motivational speaker, author, and founder of the Love For Lewiston Foundation, to explore how loss can become a catalyst for healing, joy, and purpose.
Jessica opens up about the day everything changed, losing her six-month-old son, Lewiston, to Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). What followed could have destroyed her. Instead, she made a choice that few ever make: to keep moving, to keep loving, and to live for something bigger than herself.
She shares how grief taught her to slow down, how joy became a daily discipline, and how her son’s short life inspired a movement that has raised millions to support children and families across Canada. The Love For Lewiston Foundation continues to spread awareness for SMA and fund critical medical care while bringing light and laughter to those who need it most.
We dive into what it means to find faith when everything falls apart, why service heals the soul, and how small acts of love can create ripples of change far beyond what we can see. Jessica’s story is raw, honest, and deeply human, a reminder that even when life doesn’t go to plan, we still have the power to choose hope over despair.
If you’ve ever faced loss, burnout, or the pressure to keep it all together, this conversation will meet you exactly where you are, and help you remember that joy is not something we find when life is easy; it’s something we build when life gets hard.
00:00 Intro
02:10 The moment that unlocked a new way to live
04:30 How losing Lewiston gave me permission to go all in
07:05 The diagnosis that changed everything
10:15 The day everything fell apart
14:40 Making a vow that saved our marriage
16:00 “We will bring the joy”, the decision that changed everything
18:45 Dance parties in hospice: choosing joy in the darkest place
21:10 How grief became the start of purpose
22:55 Transforming pain into service
25:40 Why asking for help builds strength, not weakness
27:50 How community helps us carry the weight of grief
31:30 Finding light again through gratitude and faith
33:00 How to create joy when life feels too heavy
35:20 Small acts of kindness that heal the heart
37:10 What it means to work hard for joy
39:00 Turning pain into rocket fuel for purpose
41:10 How perspective shifts everything
43:00 Life on the other side of loss, refusing to quit
45:00 The power of relentless belief and action
46:30 Creating a life of meaning after tragedy
48:10 The heart behind the Love For Lewiston Foundation
49:50 Following the nudges that lead to joy
51:00 How helping others helps you heal
52:10 Hope, purpose, and joy after loss
53:30 Jessica’s final message: Go bring the joy
About Jessica Janzen:
Jessica Janzen is a motivational speaker, author, coach, and philanthropist who embodies what it means to turn pain into purpose. After losing her six-month-old son Lewiston to Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Jessica made a life-changing decision, to live with radical joy.
She and her husband founded the Love For Lewiston Foundation, a Canadian non-profit that has raised over $3 million to fund medical research, support families, and bring moments of joy to children facing critical illnesses.
Through her keynotes, book, and advocacy, Jessica shares a message of hope and resilience reminding people that even in heartbreak, there is still light to be found. Her energy, authenticity, and humour inspire audiences to move from problem mindset to possibility mindset and to live “wide awake,” grateful for every breath.
Jessica’s mission is simple but powerful:
Choose movement. Bring joy. Spread love.
Tune in and let ‘The Connection Code’ activate something deep within.
With love and abundance,
Sam
----------------------------------------
Follow Sam: @samchurchofficial
Follow Jessica: @thejessicajanzen
Website: www.jessicajanzen.ca
Love For Lewiston Foundation: www.loveforlewiston.com