Season 1 of Last Words comes to a close with a personal reflection from host Nic Main.

For the first time, Nic shares the story behind the podcast: recording his mother’s last words before her passing, traveling thousands of miles to meet guests with nothing but an idea, learning to walk alongside the dying through doula and hospice work, and holding space for strangers in their final moments.

This episode is a look at the long road that led here the lessons death taught along the way, the legacies carried, and the moments that reshaped what it means to live.

To the lives who inspired this work:

• ​Shelly Main
• ​Sara Main
• ​Ollie Main
• ​Alexis Rusin
• ​Bradley Rusin
• ​Willow Olsen
• ​Virginia Viviano
• ​Shirley Mueth
• ​Beau Offutt
• ​Janet Archibald
• ​Vange Thompson

This podcast would not be possible without:

You - The Listener.

Production:

Ben Dahlquist - Audio Technician/Editor.

Tom Grady - Website Developer.

Matt Wagner - Graphic Design.

Nick Grady - Guest Coordinator Assistant.

Last Words Season 2 returns in June of 2026.

If this podcast has impacted you, please consider donating at www.lastwordspodcast.org and click donate.

How would you navigate walking through the world with your loved on as they go from age 70 back to the mind of 1 years old?

Larry describes what it meant to keep a vow to his wife Vange, by recreating and re-orchestrating long term memories as his wife Vange saw the present change before her eyes.

In this episode, Larry describes:

• ​Tracking his wife’s smile
• ​Unlocking long-term memory for Alzheimer’s patients
• ​Walking side by side through the mental regression of Alzheimer’s
• ​Using music as a form of comfort for Alzheimer’s patients
• ​What it meant to bring to color Vange’s world in the gray of Alzheimer’s

Most of all, Larry walks us through what it means to truly live out the vow: “Till Death Do Us Part”.

This is Last Words: Death Perception.

This is Larry Thompson.

This episode is in memory of Vange Thompson, who passed away on September 27, 2025.

Her husband, Larry Thompson, shares their story and what it truly means to vow for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.

Larry walked beside Vange through her entire battle with Alzheimer’s with one intention: To keep the vow he made to her.

In this episode, Larry discusses:

• ​Meeting at just 12 and 13 years old
• ​Life and marriage after the Vietnam War
• ​What 51 years of marriage looks like
• ​The importance of adapting with the one you love
• ​The meaning behind making a lifelong vow
• ​How Alzheimer’s can echo through a family tree
• ​Vange’s shift from caretaker to patient
• ​What it means to prepare as a caretaker
• ​The financial reality of the medical system
• ​Building an environment rooted in dignity for someone living with Alzheimer’s
• ​Learning how to communicate with an Alzheimer’s patient

Most of all,

He reflects on what it means to step into the role of a caretaker and why preparation must begin now.

This is Last Words: Death Perception.

This is Larry Thompson.

Host Nic Main’s mother Shelly Main was the first interview ever recorded.

Almost 2 years ago, on October 25th, 2023.

Shelly Main fought the good fight against triple negative breast cancer for almost 2 years.

Taking on over 36 rounds of treatment.

At one point being told she was in remission and could slowly return to living a normal life.

Sadly, that was wrong.

Upon finishing a 5k race and placing top in her age class, she developed a cough that would not go away.

Her breast cancer had spread into her lungs and brain, going unnoticed.

On October 16th, of 2023, she was given 3 months left to live.

Up until that day, Last Words Podcast was an idea that was shelved for over 2 years.

Her death is what ultimately brought it to life.

This is her story.

No prep time, no questionnaire.

Just a small look into the life of a woman who left behind a profound impact.

In this episode:

• ​We begin at the very first decade of her life.
• ​Being born in a pastors home, navigating the small town community.
• ​How she gained the understanding of hard work, through observing the sacrifices of her parents.
• ​Learning how to find her own identity and turning into her own person.
• ​Navigating the touchstones of her life, that brought her into the role of an educator.
• ​Spending almost three decades in education, to embracing the core of who she was across the world in Uganda.
• ​The experiential process of learning that she utilized as a foundation for education.
• ​Learning to be present with those in pain, vs trying to find an outcome.
• ​The role obstacles play in our own lives.

Most of all, an honest look into how one feels with one foot in this life and one foot in the next.

This is Last Words.

This is Shelly Main.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the guest(s) and do not reflect the views of Last Words Podcast or its producers.

How would sitting with a cancer patient change you?

For Krista Wilson, it shaped her in ways she could never have imagined, offering a profound

appreciation for life that only comes from being present in those moments.

But how did her journey begin?

She shares the single conversation she overheard that set everything in motion.

In Chapter 2, Krista walks us through:

• ​What it truly means to be part of a cancer patient’s process
• ​The honor of navigating the end of life alongside another human being
• ​Being a voice for the voiceless
• ​The core principles of advocacy
• ​The lasting gift of perspective

Krista opens up about how these experiences have transformed the way she sees her own mortality.

This is Last Words: Death Perception.

This is Krista Wilson.

This episode was recorded more than a year ago, early in the Last Words Podcast lineup.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the guest(s) and do not reflect the views of Last Words Podcast or its producers.

Krista Wilson is the Executive Director of Cancer Pathways Midwest in Evansville, Indiana.

With over 20 years walking side by side with cancer patients, Krista has developed a rare perspective on what it truly means to live, when seen through the lens of terminal illness.

Host Nic Main returns to Evansville to bring Krista’s story forward, not only as a leader and advocate, but also as a Stage 1 Cervical Cancer survivor herself.

In Chapter 1, Krista shares:

• ​Life before and after cancer
• ​The stigma surrounding cervical cancer and HPV
• ​The psychological battles of survivorship
• ​The power of community and the meaning of “I get it” for patients
• ​The definition of Cancer Ghosting
• ​The reality of caregiving

Above all, Krista reflects on the power of simply being present with someone navigating cancer versus the instinct to always take action.

This is Last Words: Death Perception.

This is Krista Wilson.

This episode was recorded more than a year ago, early in the Last Words Podcast lineup.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the guest(s) and do not reflect the views of Last Words Podcast or its producers.

In Chapter 2 of her story, Aril Ferrara brings us into the space where time bends and presence takes on new meaning.

Through her words and her art, Aril defines what it means to create her own greatness in the life she was given, even when the future is uncertain.

She invites us into her journey of self-advocacy, shaping how she wants to be remembered, and expressing her story beyond language.

In this episode she discusses:

• ​How she perceives time since her diagnosis.
• ​What it means to grow when there is “nothing left to be done."
• ​Creating her own definition of greatness.
• ​The role of self-advocacy in her journey.
• ​Leaving behind the legacy she envisions.
• ​The making of “Never the Same”, her original artwork capturing her life story.
• ​Most importantly, she shares her Last Words.

This is Aril Ferrera.

This is Last Words.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the guest(s) and do not reflect the views of Last Words Podcast or its producers.

Three years ago, Aril Ferrera was sketching out the kind of life plans anyone her age might dream of - a career, relationships, a future wide open.

Then at just 25, those plans collapsed the minute she was diagnosed with stage 4 de novo metastatic breast cancer.

Aril wanted to use this platform to show the simple truth and what it’s really like to live with a terminal diagnosis when time itself feels uncertain.

Host Nic Main traveled to Louisville, Kentucky to sit down with her and bring the last three years of her journey to life.

In this episode she discusses:

• ​The process of being diagnosed terminal.
• ​Life plans before and after the diagnosis.
• ​How cancer affects those around you.
• ​“The war on cancer”
• ​Misconceptions of navigating terminal cancer.
• ​Losing her brother, in the face of losing her identity.
• ​Re-learning and re-discovering who she was through new outlets and opportunities.

Most of all, she speaks directly to those who will be diagnosed terminally this year.

This is Aril Ferrera.

This is Last Words.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the guest(s) and do not reflect the views of Last Words Podcast or its producers.