The first season of the podcast series “Stories of Hope” has wrapped up with four episodes, hosted by Athenaida Nega and produced with the support of Motor Oil. The series continues, with four new episodes expected in the coming days, forming the second season. Rooted in real testimonies from members of the “ELPIDA – Friends of Children with Cancer Association” and the “ORAMA ELPIDAS Association,” “Stories of Hope” shines a light on different dimensions of giving and solidarity — through personal journeys that show how a single act can truly transform a life.
“Stories of Hope” by Motor Oil: The episodes
In the first episode, titled “A gift of life,” Nikoleta Evripidou — Greece’s first female bone marrow donor — along with transplant recipient Stefania Manolopoulou and pediatric hematologist Stelios Grafakos, reflect on ELPIDA’s earliest steps and the true meaning of giving.
The series continues with the second episode, “The blessing of giving,” which traces the creation of the Volunteer Donor Registry through the testimony of Ino Konstantopoulou, Secretary General of the ORAMA ELPIDAS Association.
The third episode, “The guardians of hope,” puts the spotlight on the unsung heroes who support children and families every day — told through the stories of oncologists Vasilis Papadakis, Antonis Katamis, and Dimitris Dogani, alongside nurse Alexandra Papasarantopoulou.
The fourth episode, “When a recipient meets their donor,” follows the remarkable journey from registration to finding a matching volunteer donor. Eleni Chalmouki and Maria Vrettou share their deeply moving personal experiences, while biologist Pinelopi Samara explains the role ORAMA ELPIDAS plays in this extraordinary life-changing process.
With the first season now complete, “Stories of Hope” is ready to open its next chapter. Four new true stories are coming soon, continuing to celebrate the power of giving, solidarity, and human connection. All episodes from the first season are available on pod.gr and Spotify, as well as in vidcast format on the pod.gr YouTube channel.
