May 2026 - Praying for a Miracle: A Mother, a Daughter, and Faith in the Face of Uncertainty

[00:00:00] This podcast is powered by The Plug. Expanding The Narrative is your gateway to discovering the heart and soul of community. We bring together voices, stories, and insights that celebrate local heroes, upcoming events, and the spirit that unites us all.

[00:00:43] Well hello everyone and welcome to Expanding the Narrative. I'm your host Ebony Darling, brought to you by Denver Urban Spectrum. Well I think it's safe to say that spring has officially sprung. But then again, this is Denver, so we all know there's still a possibility of snow showing up uninvited. I hope you had a joyful and meaningful Mother's Day.

[00:01:09] As we continue honoring mothers who are with us, those preparing for motherhood, and those we carry lovingly in our heart. And yes, I'm going to brag just a little. I was absolutely pampered by my beautiful family, and trust me it was much needed and greatly appreciated. Speaking of Mother's Day, our cover story this month pays tribute to a mother and daughter holding tightly to faith while praying for a miracle.

[00:01:39] Their story is one of strength, love, and hope in the face of uncertainty. You'll hear more about Stephanie and Sydney during our Spotlight on Success segment. Also in this issue, we continue highlighting voices helping shape our communities. The Black Women's Leadership Collective has launched One Million Black Voters Rising, a bold multi-year initiative focused on civic engagement and empowerment.

[00:02:08] Ladies, we can make it happen. And I know many of you have probably already seen Michael in theaters. I know I thoroughly enjoyed it. But if you haven't gotten enough of the King of Pop and all the excitement surrounding the film, then don't miss MJ the Musical opening Wednesday, May 31st at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in the Buell Theater. Trust me, this Broadway production is one you do not want to miss.

[00:02:37] Denver Urban Spectrum contributor Gabrielle West recently caught up with Devin Boyles. Devin portrays Joe Jackson in the production. He spoke about his personal health journey, life on the road, and his perspective as a Black actor in today's entertainment industry. So tell us a little bit about, well, for the folks who haven't been had the pleasure of seeing this when it was here in Denver before. Tell us about your role and what people can expect from your performances.

[00:03:07] Yeah. I played Joe Jackson, who was the infamous father of the Jackson Five and the father of Michael Jackson. I also played Rob. Rob was a fictional character we built into this show. And he kind of serves as Michael's right hand man. He served as Michael's choreographer. He serves as Michael's director of this dangerous tour that we built. Right. And then obviously with Joe and I think both of these characters, whether what they lay similarly is that they both really want the best for Michael.

[00:03:36] They're both there to help aid assist Michael. They go about it in different ways. You know, Joe was a very assertive man and he has some behaviors that in a 2026 lens may not be the most agreeable on. But at the same time as me as an actor, I have to ask why he did the things he did and why he said the things he said. And and we take you do that.

[00:04:00] We take you through the almost the the origin, the inception of Joe's hand on Michael's career and his mentalities. We take you to the Jackson five air, the Motown era and the Barry water area and the Quincy Jones and all that good stuff. And throughout this timeline, we see Joe's shadow, Joe's remnants, Joe's residue on Michael's perfectionist mentality.

[00:04:26] We take you through all that. We take you through the Thriller album and all that good stuff. And we just we just bit by bit, piece by piece allow you to be exposed of Michael's artistic journey. His endeavors is his process, his eternal dialogue, you know, is was his inner monologue, things like that. So it's a beautiful show. It's a and I thought you were talking about the dancers and singing and everything. That's just kind of a script itself. Iconic.

[00:04:54] Yeah, it was really beautiful. I can imagine and I want to put words in your mouth, but as a black man that you may feel a sense of responsibility to protect other black men, including notable folks like the character you're playing.

[00:05:14] What can you talk to me about the the efforts that you go through to, I guess, protect the perception of Joe, if that makes sense? Or I don't know if it's like a connection that you have to his life and what he tried to instill in Michael and how that shows up on stage.

[00:05:35] I think I think thank you for that question. I honestly think that, you know, for me, one of the similarities I have with Joe is that I also have a black father, you know, said it's so like they are growing up and I wasn't the I was a class clown at one point in the time in my life. You know, so I went through a phase of my life where I was disciplined from my father and not even close to the extremity of Joe Jackson.

[00:06:04] But that's a vessel for me to connect through. And I remember having a conversation with my dad, my own personal father about, you know, when it comes to not punishing, but disciplining your kids and teaching them. What's the mentality that you had when I was little? You know, it's it's it's always I want the best for you. I'm doing this for your good. Some people call it tough love. You know, that's a vessel that I that I dove into on the flip side of that.

[00:06:30] You know, when you ask about how do I protect, you know, black men and bring awareness to that. Anytime I do a talk back or Q&A with kids or communities or, you know, you know, groups of people always try to debrief it by saying Joe was a human. And I think that's one thing I wish society would see black men more as as human.

[00:06:57] And we have we have backgrounds. We have traumas. We have, you know, bruises and we have scars that we have all conditioned ourselves at the best of our abilities to navigate. And we have to hold grace for that. And we have to hold forgiveness for that. And we have to hold understanding. And there are some groups of people that we give that to more than others, unfortunately.

[00:07:19] And so, like I said, as an actor, it's my job to understand why Joe did the things he did and why he said the things he said and why he had this relationship with Catherine and why he had this relationship with his kids and why he was why he was the way he was. And we may never know. The man is no longer with us, you know, the same time. But for me, it's there to understand when you grow up in Gary, Indiana, you're dealing with gang violence and poverty.

[00:07:45] It's it's it's important to understand the why, you know, there was no other option for him. He was doing the best that he he felt that he had the tools equipped with. Why are you the way that you are? You know, no, that's real. I love that. We do a better job at seeing other people's humanity, especially right now when so many, you know, things are going on around us. I absolutely have to do that today.

[00:08:24] Denver Spotlight on Success. Welcome back to Expanding The Narrative on Denver Urban Spectrum. I'm your host, Ebony Darling. Today's story is one that sits at the intersection of love, resilience and urgency.

[00:08:45] We often hear about organ donation and statistics, but today we're slowing that down and bringing it in to the heart of a real family. I'm joined today by a mother and daughter whose bond has been tested in ways that most of us can't even imagine. What you'll hear today is not just the story about illness. It's a story about love, presence and what it means to walk with someone through the unknown.

[00:09:14] And as you listen, I invite you not just to hear their story, but I want you to feel it. I want you to feel it in your heart because for this family, this is an abstract. It's real life and it's now. Let's begin. Welcome, Stephanie. Welcome, Sydney. So happy to have you today. Thank you. Good to be here. Fantastic. Well, before we talk about everything you've been navigating, I want to first ask you, how you doing?

[00:09:45] Doing good. Doing good. No complaint. I love that. I love that. Well, tell me about the two of you. What is your relationship like as mother and daughter? I would say that I grew up very close with my mom. It was always just me and her. We always had a relationship where I could tell her anything. She was always my biggest advocate, biggest support. That's beautiful. Yes, yes.

[00:10:13] Probably when she was younger, it was about authority and having a supportive and nurturing role. But as she's grown older, it's beginning to shift toward more of a partnership, mentorship type role with respectful boundaries and expectations. I love that. I love that. So you used to say, I'm not one of your little friends. Now you are one of her friends. Exactly. I'm not your friend. I love that. I love that. Thanks for sharing that. I want to stay with this for a moment.

[00:10:41] When you look at your daughter, Stephanie, what are the first things that come to your heart? And who was she beyond her illness? I would say she is the most compassionate person I know. She has incredible wit. I think that she got that from me. She's a boy with a soft heart. She loves her fur baby, Ace. I call him Ace Duncan. Just very creative. She has numerous accomplishments academically and athletically.

[00:11:11] She stuck to mommy's script. I would always say there's a method to mommy's madness, but she stuck to my script. Even many times she didn't quite understand the reasoning around the script. So, you know, for example, every child deserves a good education. And if not an excellent education, no matter where you live or your educational background, your social demographic.

[00:11:37] So there was intentional things that I did educationally that was part of the script. So I can make sure she was set up for success. That's beautiful. Thank you. You know, there's always a moment when things kind of shift. When it becomes more than just a concern. So can you take us into that moment when you realized that something was serious? And what did you feel? Taking us back to the most recent moment when she had the emergency.

[00:12:05] I had just arrived kind of just to hang out with her a little bit. You know, again, moving from that mother role, you know, to the friend role and stuff. So and she was on the phone with her doctor when I just arrived. And she had told me that the doctor wanted her to come to ER. I mean, that's kind of when my feelings were at that moment that it was it was serious. And, you know, I'm a calm person to an extent.

[00:12:33] So I just said I need to stay calm because I didn't want to trigger any anxiety in her. Then we just went into the mode because I just got off work. I was just coming to hang out. So I have nothing to do that evening. So I was like, OK, let's let's go. You know, let's do this because we have to go. We both love to travel. So one of the things we always have this bag, our travel bag, that's kind of always. I love that. With your basics, your essentials, a blanket, a neck pillow, your toiletries.

[00:13:03] So we just gathered a few items. She had some stuff in the bag. Same bag she takes when she travels with her. And then the necessary items that she needed. I anticipated her staying overnight. So nightgown, stuff like that. So, yeah. And I just figured once I got to a place at ER and where she needed to be, then I would start making the phone calls. As a parent, the natural inclination is to fix it. You know, she has a little boo-boo. You kiss it and make you go away.

[00:13:33] OK, well, when this, when your child goes through what your child is going through, it's not something you can easily fix. How do you navigate that? You know, it can be difficult because I want to place myself in her shoes immediately. So when I watch her reactions, her strength, her resilience, I mean, it's truly amazing. I just believe God has prepared me through my health and my strength to make sure I can be the most supportive as possible for her. Beautiful.

[00:14:01] Well, Sydney, I want to bring you into this. Before all of this happened, how would you describe yourself? What did you love? What things filled your days? So I've always been an athlete growing up. I played volleyball, did swimming, basketball. I was always a leader involved in different clubs. Even in college, I co-founded an organization called Students for Accessibility. So that was a really big thing for me.

[00:14:30] I was the manager of a coffee shop. I worked in a lot of different offices on campus. So I would say I was very involved and very active. Very much so. That's wonderful. That's a beautiful picture of who you are. I see you doing all of that, too. I really do. Tell me, what's been the hardest part of your journey? Not just physically, but mentally, emotionally? I would say the hardest part is just having continuous faith.

[00:14:58] Just because you never know what the next day may bring or when I could get a transplant or even looking forward to the time of when I would start dialysis. I knew it was coming, but it was just never like an exact date of when I would begin that type of stuff or when I would start to feel more sick, things like that. So just trying to continuously stay having faith.

[00:15:26] Do your days still feel normal most of the time or do you feel weak or what are your symptoms that you experience? I would say my days seem more normal now that I am on dialysis. Okay. Just because I am feeling a lot better now that I'm having my treatments. I do dialysis six nights a week. So it's pretty natural for the most part.

[00:15:54] Just have most of my nights taken away from me. Just having to, because I have to set up, things like that. But it's pretty normal for the most part. I'm just happy to be feeling a lot better. I'm happy about that, too. I am. What still brings you joy and what makes you feel like yourself? What still brings me joy is my dog Ace that my mom talks about. Taking him on walks, especially since we've had a lot of nice weather here lately. It's been good to get outside.

[00:16:24] I like to do artsy things. I do my black girl coloring books. I love that. And Legos. So I enjoy just doing things like that and hang out with family and friends. Beautiful, beautiful. You know, as I listen to both of you, I think what stands out is not just what you're going through, but how you're going through it together. It's a beautiful sight. It really is. What have you learned about each other through this? And what has your journey revealed about your love?

[00:16:54] I would say this new chapter and journey have brought us even closer together. It lets me witness her strength and resilience every day. It also encourages me to keep growing as a supportive parent and caregiver. Most importantly, it reminds me to be attentive and listen closely to her needs and her wants and wishes as we move forward on this path. Beautiful. What about you, Sydney?

[00:17:26] Yeah, I would say that it's definitely brought us closer. I always knew that my mom was, like, very supportive. But now, like, I really understand how supportive she is being there every day. Like she said, always being attentive. I can really notice those things and be grateful for them. Beautiful. Yeah, but we've been playing more games. Uno and Slapjack. So who's the best at Uno? Just let me know, right? Yeah, I'm competitive. Oh, my.

[00:17:56] We're about neck and neck. You're not going to let her win? No, no. Absolutely not. But life is funny. No, no. That's those life lessons. I'm still like competitive out here. Mom's slapping the cars down on the tape. Yeah, that's right. Oh, that's so funny. And this is where your story reaches beyond just the two of you. If someone listening right now could be your match, what would you want them to understand?

[00:18:21] And not just about your need, but about the life that you hope to have. I would say it's a decision of ultimate generosity. It would be a selfless act that provides comfort and peace of mind to someone facing an uncertain future. The gift of life represents a second chance to do ordinary things. It would be transforming a story into one of legacy and hope. Beautiful.

[00:18:52] What are you both holding on to right now? What keeps you going? What keeps me going is just knowing that I'm already feeling a little bit better now that I'm on dialysis. That was the main goal was just like to feel better. Yes. Because some days can definitely be very challenging. But just continuing to do the things that I love, surrounding myself with people who love and support me. Yeah. That's beautiful.

[00:19:21] I would say as long as she's feeling better, I'm feeling better. I'm all good. But mostly I would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the family that came when I sent out the urgency. The family and friends. And I'm saying friends, too, as part of this family, even though my blood doesn't run through them. They're family. And they just dropped everything. And just those that came to the hospital, those in the background, those that were taking care of Ace Duncan.

[00:19:51] I would just be remiss. I just want to acknowledge them and all the prayer warriors and circles supporting Cindy and me from near and far. We are facing this together. And without prayers, I just think it would be impossible. And then also to our amazing PD dialysis team at UC Health, especially our PD nurses. And they know who they are. We continue to be appreciative of all their hard work, their efforts, their advocacy on her behalf, too.

[00:20:18] And just we are deeply grateful to everyone who has taken the important step of being tested as a potential donor. And as well as those thinking about it, as well as those who wish to help but aren't able to do so. That's beautiful. Thank you. Well, thank you both for your honesty. You guys are just beautiful. I wish we had videotaped it because you're just beautiful. And Sydney, your smile just lights up the room. I'm so honored to have met both of you. And thank you for sharing something so personal. It really wins a lot.

[00:20:48] I think what stays with me is this. This is a story about love that refuses to give up. Mom's always there. And it's also a story about you, Sydney, a daughter who continues to fight even when it's difficult, even when there's pain or even through your hard days. So I salute you, both of you, for that. Now, for those of you listening, this is where you come in. Somewhere out there, there is a match.

[00:21:14] Someone who has the ability to change everything for this beautiful family. Not someday, but right now. What would they need to do, Stephanie? They can reach out to Advent Health Transplant Institute at Porter. They're one of the leading centers for kidney and liver transplants. Beautiful. You can either Google them. They have a form to complete online.

[00:21:38] Or you can give them a call at 720-242-0329. 720-242-0329. Fantastic. So if this story has moved you, if you felt a little tug in your heart like I did, don't ignore it. Learn more. Make those calls. And consider what it might mean to give someone not just more time, but more life.

[00:22:06] This has been Expanding the Narrative on Denver Urban Spectrum. I'm your host, Ebony Darling. And today, we are reminded that sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is show up for one another. Thank you both. Here's what's cooking in the community.

[00:22:25] And speaking of unforgettable entertainment, in addition to MJ the Musical, jazz artist Nina Freeland and the legendary Count Basie Orchestra will perform as part of Gerald Albright's Lone Tree Sessions on Wednesday, May 13.

[00:22:47] Also making headlines in the arts community, Avenue Q has opened at the Town Hall Arts Center and runs through June 7th. The Arvada Center has announced its 2026 through 2027 season. While the Denver Art Museum is currently featuring Stars We Do Not See, an Australian Indigenous art exhibition running through July 26th.

[00:23:12] And later this month, Cleo 2 and the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance will perform at the Lone Tree Arts Center on Sunday, May 17th. And of course, don't forget to check out Denver's favorite jazz venue, Dazzle Denver. As we head into the summer months, North Glen Arts presents Madam Hair, along with a Juneteenth celebration kicking off in June.

[00:23:37] There's also an upcoming basketball camp, plus the Best Success Summit and Expo. Now, I'm not going to spill the beans about the Winter Park Jazz Festival and its must-see headliners. If you haven't picked up the latest issue of Denver Urban Spectrum yet, well, you better ask somebody. You can find these events and activities online at denverurbanspectrum.com.

[00:24:01] Denver was also fortunate to welcome Charles Blow, Harvard Fellow and former New York Times columnist to the city. He hosted the Reimagining Local News docuseries, traveling across America to spotlight the people and innovative models, proving that local journalism can still thrive and serve communities powerfully. And before we close today's program, here's a short audio clip from what he discovered during his visit to Denver.

[00:24:29] In a crisis, you can hope for a savior or you can build your own solutions and reimagine what's possible. I'm in Denver to see how the Colorado Media Project did that for local news. So explain to us the origin story of the Colorado Media Project. So the Denver Post, which of course was the flagship remaining newspaper in Colorado, was going to be bought by a hedge fund. And I think everybody was pretty alarmed.

[00:24:55] And that led to a conversation about getting the community engaged in trying to design a solution for what's now called this desert that was to come in Colorado. So we created the Colorado Media Project. From the beginning, we've never been in this work for just saving one news outlet, not one newspaper, not one type of news. A healthy ecosystem of local news includes all sorts of information sources.

[00:25:24] We do need to find ways to sustain the type of local news that really connects our communities, gives us the information that we need, and that is useful to helping us navigate our daily lives. We had kind of three objectives within that initiative for media.

[00:25:41] And one of them was to shift narratives that were harmful to vulnerable communities, to increase the diversification within the workforce in media, and then to provide accurate, on-time, easy-to-access information to all Colorado's. When you were wrestling with the problem of the Denver Post, one option would have been to buy it. Of course, you know, maybe some billionaire could have stepped in and fronted the money.

[00:26:06] But why was that not the feasible long-term solution? Partly it's because Colorado's not that big a place, and so we don't have that many billionaires. But I think more importantly, that's not how things generally in Colorado have gotten done. It's been a very collaborative place. Historically, journalism is a very competitive field. The group of journalists that exist here in Colorado today are extremely collaborative.

[00:26:33] They're coming together in ways that are really creative and refreshing, and they're really community-focused. Philanthropy, I think, has played a big role and will continue to play a big role in supporting that mind shift from this very competitive environment. And how do we actually amplify each other's work?

[00:26:54] The Colorado Media Project has catalyzed support for a wide range of successes, including launching a new digital statewide news source for accountability journalism, and keeping dozens of small local papers in local hands.

[00:27:30] Don't forget, we can find businesses, events, and community happenings in the print edition of Denver Urban Spectrum or online at DenverUrbanSpectrum.com. And if you'd like to join our mailing list, simply email us at dusonline.net. Thanks so much for listening.

[00:27:53] And until next time, I'm Ebony Darling, reminding you to stay informed, stay inspired, and keep expanding the narrative.