Episode Summary

Siobhan Wilson was born at 27 weeks, weighing less than a kilogram. By 16, she had survived open heart surgery at one month old, roughly 130 resuscitations in the NICU, seven anaphylaxis episodes — including one where paramedics ran out of adrenaline — and founded her own social enterprise at age 6.

In this episode of Grit Diaries, Siobhan shares what it takes to turn a lifetime of medical complexity into a mission to make Australia safer for everyone living with anaphylaxis.

Episode Pillars

● Finding Magic in the Hard Stuff: How Siobhan's mum raised her to see possibility in the world despite a

childhood filled with hospital visits, trauma, and medical uncertainty.

● The Night She Nearly Didn't Come Home: Siobhan recounts the 2024 awards dinner where she won Young

Entrepreneur of the Year — and spent the ride home in an ambulance needing the equivalent of 12 EpiPens.

● What Australia's Labelling Laws Are Missing: Why 'dairy free' on a packet doesn't mean what you think it

does — and how a mashed potato nearly cost Siobhan her life.

● Shame, EpiPens, and Why People Wait Too Long: The embarrassment that stops people with anaphylaxis

from acting in time, and why that silence is deadly.

● What Actually Helps: From breathwork and hand pan music to becoming a sports medic — the unexpected

tools Siobhan uses to heal her brain and show up for others.

The Kintsugi Connection

To see the visual story of Siobhan's journey and explore more episodes of resilience, visit our YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@kintsugiheroes/videos

If Siobhan's story moved you, explore these related Hero conversations:

● Navigating a serious health diagnosis? Listen to Ian Westmoreland's story of launching Kintsugi Heroes while

facing melanoma.

About Kintsugi Heroes: An Australian not-for-profit (DGR endorsed) dedicated to strengthening mental wellbeing through the

power of storytelling.

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