Iyanla Vanzant discussed the loss of her daughter Gemma and its aftermath with Hoda Kotb on the “Making Space With Hoda Kotb” podcast.
In 2003, Vanzant’s daughter pἀssed away from a rare form of colon cἀncer. Although the loss of a child is traumatic for every parent, the spiritual life coach has learned important lessons from the tragedy.
Kotb brought up the old saying at the beginning of the podcast, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”
Vanzant, who just finished her 10-year career on OWN’s Iyanla Fix My Life, made a further important point.
she said-
“When the student’s really ready, the teacher disappears.”
The news that Gemmia had cἀncer came as a complete shock. In 2002, Vanzant had recently had her daytime talk show, Iyanla, canceled. She was the sole provider for her daughter at the time, and she was going through a divorce.
Vanzant revealed to Kotb that her cherished daughter meant the world to her. She acknowledged that Gemma loved her first, even though she has another daughter and son. She went as far as to suggest they were reincarnated soulmates.
However, the loss of her daughter motivated her to improve herself.
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Vanzant said-
“God must’ve really, really trusted me to give me a soul to bring into life and to trust me with the courage to send her out.”
As she reflected on her daughter’s life and her own, she made a significant declaration “She did everything she was supposed to do in 31 years.” This was a lesson she had not fully grasped before her daughter’s deἀth, but she does now.
Vanzant explained how her past traumas have aided her in not only coping with her daughter’s illness and deἀth but also in assisting others in their own healing. The ability to let go and the desire to trust the process were the two main takeaways from the chat with the inspiring educator.
