The Last Words She Texted Before She Was GoneThe Last Words She Texted Before She Was Gone
The Call with Nancy Sabato
Nancy Sabato talks with Tanya James about the suicide of Tanya’s niece Alicia, connecting her story to wider issues of mental health, addiction and church shame. The conversation reflects on finding true worth and healing through Jesus while reaching teens, women and those in recovery with practical, faith-based support.
11:20•27 Aug 2026
Hidden Pain, Harsh Words and Hope: Tanya James on Loss, Faith and Recovery
Episode Overview
- Hidden struggles can sit behind a smile, so honest questions and honest answers are vital.
- Words carry real power; speaking life instead of harm can change or even save someone’s future.
- Women are urged to seek their value in Christ rather than in appearance, attention or relationships.
- Broken self-worth tends to draw more brokenness, making healing through God’s love essential.
- Church communities are challenged to respond to divorce, addiction and pain with love instead of judgment.
“"You attract what you think you deserve, and oftentimes you'll find the wrong people, because broken people attract other broken people."”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol when pain and trauma feel unbearable? This conversation between Nancy Sabato and guest Tanya James centres on the heartbreaking loss of Tanya’s 18-year-old niece Alicia to suicide, and the wider impact of hidden mental health struggles among young people, women and those in recovery.
You’ll hear Tanya recount finding Alicia’s journal after her death and reading what felt like "a stranger's story"—pages full of pain, relationship turmoil and the final text to a boy: "Words hurt, and I'm going to show you how much." That message, sent an hour before she died, becomes a stark reminder of how destructive words and silence can be. The episode moves from deep grief into hard truths about shame, church culture and father wounds.
Tanya talks openly about her own broken relationships, early marriage, and how "broken people attract other broken people" when they don’t feel worthy of love. She urges women to ask God, "show me my value and my worth," rather than chasing attention and approval through appearance or social media. Nancy and Tanya also focus on addiction and recovery.
Tanya describes her ministry with her husband in a large drug and alcohol recovery facility, as well as speaking in schools and military bases about suicide, bullying and mental health. Stories of teenagers raising their hands to admit suicidal thoughts, and soldiers afraid to speak up for fear of losing their careers, underline how widespread these struggles are.
Threaded through the whole conversation is a clear message: Jesus offers "life and abundance" and a love that fills that "God-shaped hole" people spend years trying to satisfy elsewhere. The tone stays honest and compassionate, mixing personal pain with practical encouragement for teens, women, churches and anyone touched by addiction or suicide. It leaves you asking: who around you might be smiling on the outside while silently crying for help?
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