THROWBACK: Sonja Chrystal on growing up with a paraplegic farming dad, no mum, & surviving PNDA

Weeks before Sonja Chrystal was born, her father was in a farming accident and became a paraplegic. Months after she was born, her mother packed her bags and left her paralysed husband and two little girls, and never returned. Her dad and her grandparents raised Sonja and her sister on a cropping and grazing property in the central west of NSW before Sonja found herself living and working in Sydney as a graphic designer. It was there that she met her fiance Jeremy, and the father of her son, Herbie, who just turned one. After her dad passed away, Sonja and her non-farmer husband decided to trade their life in Sydney’s Paddington and moved an hour from Dubbo so Sonja could run the family property. While running the property, Sonja and Jeremey decided to start trying for a baby. Things weren’t as simple as they hoped and after an operation, Sonja was diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis. After booking in for a round of IVF, she then found out she was pregnant. Herbie was born in February 2024, but Sonja had never felt more alone. Sonja is a truly remarkable person and her story is unlike anything I’ve ever heard. From her incredibly unique upbringing, what it was like growing up without a mum, through to isolation, grief, a traumatic birth, a radiant sense of positivity, all while managing a property - we discuss everything including the depths of her postpartum depression and anxiety that she’s been through and survived….. and how telehealth saved her life. This is Sonja Chrystal’s story. A quick warning today’s episode discusses mental health including birth trauma and PNDA if you or anyone you know needs help, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14

You can listen to THROWBACK: Sonja Chrystal on growing up with a paraplegic farming dad, no mum, & surviving PNDA online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

THROWBACK: Sonja Chrystal on growing up with a paraplegic farming dad, no mum, & surviving PNDA is an episode from Motherland Australia by Stephanie Trethewey.

This episode is 70:43 long.

This episode was published on Jan 11, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Motherland Australia when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.