# Caregiving for Her Mom with ALS and Finding Light Through Hockey — with sports host Evanka Osmak

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-hart-of-it-all-with-teri-hart-7518851/caregiving-for-her-mom-with-als-and-finding-light-through-hockey-with-sports-host-evanka-osmak
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-hart-of-it-all-with-teri-hart-7518851/caregiving-for-her-mom-with-als-and-finding-light-through-hockey-with-sports-host-evanka-osmak.md
Podcast: [The Hart Of It All with Teri Hart](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-hart-of-it-all-with-teri-hart-7518851)
Published: 2026-04-14T08:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/the-hart-of-it-all-with-teri-hart/episodes/caregiving-for-mother-als-evanka-osmak
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/68d4132807474c67716dc5f6/e/69dd4901ea8ef7a4e0516c95/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-hart-of-it-all-with-teri-hart-7518851/episodes/caregiving-for-her-mom-with-als-and-finding-light-through-hockey-with-sports-host-evanka-osmak
Duration seconds: 2815

## Resource

Most people don’t realize how much caregiving reshapes you until you are living it. When sportscaster Evanka Osmak’s mother was diagnosed with ALS, everything changed quickly. What followed was a period of intense caregiving, difficult decisions, and the emotional weight of watching someone you love decline. In this episode, Evanka reflects on that time with honesty and clarity. She shares what it looked like to balance her career with being present for her mom, Jeanne, and how she navigated the uncertainty and pressure that often comes with end-of-life care. She also speaks to the ways she coped, including moments where she found herself compartmentalizing just to get through the day. Evanka’s experience is also at the heart of her new book, "When the Game Changes: Losing My Mum and Finding Myself", where she explores her mother’s illness and death, and the unexpected role hockey played in helping her reconnect with herself. In this conversation, she opens up about finding small but meaningful pockets of relief, and why those moments mattered more than she ever expected. We also talk about the importance of honest conversations around end-of-life wishes, the role of community during overwhelming times, and the reality that caregiving is not something you are meant to do alone. Evanka shares what helped her navigate that period and what it looked like to keep showing up through it. This is a grounded, deeply human conversation about love, loss, and what it means to keep going when life asks everything of you. If you are supporting someone through illness, or trying to make sense of your own experience with grief and caregiving, there is a lot here that will stay with you. Resources: Read Evanka's new book, "When the Game Changes: Losing My Mum and Finding Myself" https…

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