Hope Heals: A True Story of Overwhelming Loss and an Overcoming Love

When all seems lost, where can hope be found? 

Katherine and Jay married right after college and sought adventure far from home in Los Angeles, CA. As they pursued their dreams--she as a model and he as a lawyer--they planted their lives in the city and in their church community. Their son, James, came along unexpectedly in the fall of 2007, and just six months later, everything changed in a moment for this young family. 

On April 21, 2008, as James slept in the other room, Katherine collapsed, suffering a massive brain stem stroke without warning. Miraculously, Jay came home in time and called for help. Katherine was immediately rushed into micro-brain surgery, though her chance of survival was slim. As the sun rose the next morning, the surgeon proclaimed that Katherine had survived the removal of part of her brain, though her future recovery was completely uncertain. Yet in that moment, there was a spark of hope. Through 40 days on life support in the ICU and nearly two years in full-time brain rehab, that spark of hope was fanned into flame. 

Defying every prognosis with grit and grace, Katherine and Jay, side by side, struggled to regain a life for Katherine as she re-learned to talk and eat and walk. Returning home with a severely disabled body but a completely renewed purpose, they committed to celebrate this gift of a second chance by embracing life fully, even though that life looked very different than they could have ever imagined. In the midst of continuing hardships and struggles, both in body and mind, Katherine and Jay found what we all long to find . . . hope, hope that heals the most broken place, our souls. 

An excruciating yet beautiful road to recovery has led the Wolf family to their new normal, in which almost every moment of life is marked with the scars of that fateful April day in 2008. Now, eight years later, Katherine and Jay are stewarding their story of suffering, restoration, and Christ-centered hope in this broken world through their ministry Hope Heals.

Katherine Wolf is a survivor, communicator, and advocate. Originally from the South, she met her husband, Jay, in college. They married and moved to Los Angeles to pursue law school for Jay and the entertainment industry for Katherine. Their son, James, was born in 2007 and six months later, Katherine’s life nearly ended with a catastrophic stroke. Miraculously, she survived and continues her recovery to this day, including having a miracle baby, John, in 2015. Katherine and Jay have shared their journey of steadfast hope and whole-hearted living with hundreds of thousands of people at live events in thirty states, and to millions more online since 2008. They released their first book, Hope Heals, in 2016 and in 2017 launched Hope Heals Camp, a healing community for families with disabilities like them. Katherine, Jay, and their two sons currently reside in Atlanta. Connect with them at hopeheals.com or @hopeheals on social media.