Episode Summary

A deeply moving Christmas-season conversation about love, hope, and the power of never giving up.

How one mother, Kate Markland, transformed just one hour a week with her son into stories that are now changing children’s lives around the world.

Two days before Christmas, this episode feels like a gift.

A reminder that even in the hardest moments, love finds a way to express itself, sometimesthrough stories, sometimes through courage, and sometimes through an unexpectedhug.

In this episode of This Is What I’m Here For, Lisa sits down with Kate Markland, mother, storyteller and creator of StoryQuest™, to share a story that is both deeply personal and profoundly important. For 23 months, Kate was allowed just one hour a week of contact with her son Gabriel, via FaceTime. What could have broken them instead became their lifeline.

Together, they told stories. Those stories grew into The Adventures of Gabriel, a #1 Amazon bestselling children’s book series, and into a storytelling methodology now used in schools across the UK and beyond, achieving 100 percent engagement across hundreds of children.

At the heart of this conversation is a mother’s unwavering love for her child, and a refusal to give up even when the system feels immovable. Kate speaks with extraordinary honesty about the moment her son was taken, the daily discipline it took to keep going, and the choice she made not to become a victim, but tocreate something meaningful from pain.

Just days before this recording, Kate and Gabriel unexpectedly crossed paths and shared a long, warm hug. A moment that carries the spirit of Christmas so powerfully. A reminder that hope does not disappear, even when it has been waiting a longtime.

As the conversation unfolds, Kate shares how their private storytelling ritual became StoryQuest™, a framework that gives children a voice, removes fear of getting things wrong, and allows imagination, confidence and collaboration to flourish.From inner-city Bradford classrooms to international interest across Europe, North America and Asia, this work shows what becomes possible when children are invited to be creators, not consumers.

This episode is about love. About trust. About never giving up on your child or yourself. And about the quiet, determined belief that stories can change lives, and sometimes systems too.

This episode contains references to family separation and may be tender for some listeners. Please take care while listening.

Connect with Lisa

Lisa is an intuitive strategist, coach and mentor supporting women and values-led leaders to reconnect with purpose, self-worth and impact, and find the power of their voice, especially during moments of transition.

If this episode resonated with you and you’d like to explore Lisa’s work further:

🌍 Website: ⁠⁠https://lisabirtles.com⁠⁠

📸 Instagram: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/lisabirtles⁠

💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://linkedin.com/in/lisabirtles⁠⁠

Connect with Kate Markland

You can learn more about Kate and Gabriel’s work, explore their books, and discover StoryQuest™ here:

🌍 Website: ⁠https://theadventuresofgabriel.com⁠

📚 The Adventures of Gabriel (available via Amazon and the website)

🎓 StoryQuest™: Resources and information for schools, educators and communities

Sharing Kate and Gabriel’s story helps amplify work that is already changing children’s lives and giving voice to those who are too often unheard.