Wendy Rollin

By Held by Faith Newsroom

Some testimonies remind us that life can change in a moment. Others remind us that even in that moment, God is already there.

In this episode of Held by Faith: The Podcast, Wendy Rollin sits down with Shawna Layland for a powerful and deeply moving conversation about faith, survival, surrender, and learning to trust God when life does not look the way we expected.

Before everything changed, Shawna describes her life as busy, full, and moving at what felt like one hundred miles an hour. Like many people, faith was part of her life, but it had not yet become the deep, personal anchor it would one day become. Then came a medical emergency that interrupted everything and placed her in a season where she had to face fear, uncertainty, and the reality that tomorrow is never promised.

Shawna survived a Type A aortic dissection, a life-threatening condition involving a tear in the body’s main artery, the aorta. Type A means the tear involves the upper part of the aorta near the heart, making it an especially serious medical emergency.

Photo: Shawna Layland shares her testimony of faith, survival, and God’s presence through a life-changing medical emergency.

But Shawna’s story is not only about what happened to her physically. It is about what God did in her heart.

Throughout the episode, Shawna shares with honesty and emotion about the moments that shaped her faith, the peace she experienced when she should have been afraid, and the way God continued to reveal His presence through the hardest parts of her journey. Her testimony points listeners back to a truth that so many need to hear: faith does not mean we will never face trials, but it does mean we do not face them alone.

This conversation is tender, real, and filled with hope. It speaks to anyone who has walked through a frightening diagnosis, a sudden loss of control, a season of waiting, or a life change they never saw coming. Shawna’s words are a reminder to slow down, pay attention to the gifts right in front of us, and trust that God can bring peace even when the circumstances are still difficult.

In sharing her story, Shawna does not pretend the road has been easy. Instead, she points to the faithfulness of God in the middle of it all — the calm in the chaos, the strength in weakness, and the quiet ways He helps us keep going.

Shawna Layland will also be featured in the Podcast Corner of Held by Faith: Being His Witness, a special edition digital magazine coming soon.

This episode is a beautiful reminder that every breath is a gift, every day has purpose, and God can use even the hardest chapters of our lives to encourage someone else.

Watch or listen to Shawna Layland’s testimony now on Held by Faith: The Podcast, available on YouTube, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and other major podcast platforms.

Listen to the full YouTube episode below: