Deadly Serious Conversations

Every life is a collection of stories—big and small, joyful and heartbreaking, ordinary and extraordinary. These stories shape who we are and how we’re remembered.

Eastern Palliative Care run an award-winning biography program where their volunteers work one one-on-one with clients to allow them to record and tell their life stories. 

 Today I am interviewing Annie – one of their wonderful volunteers.

Eastern Palliative Care 

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you had a loved one die overseas?  Or, perhaps it is their wish for their body to be transported back  to their home country?  Today I am chatting to Ghislaine from a family-run business based in Melbourne called Repatriation Solutions to discuss the implications of moving someone’s body to another country after they die.

Repatriation Solutions 

In today’s episode, we’ll discuss the deeply sensitive and seldom-discussed topic of baby loss — a subject that makes many uncomfortable yet is so vitally important. 

These are sobering statistics.  

Miscarriage occurs in one in four pregnancies.   
 
Six babies are stillborn in Australia every day, with one in 120 births being a stillborn baby or a newborn death.

These statistics are a reality that often leaves people unsure how to respond, creating an uncomfortable silence.

Today, I am honoured to speak with Nicole Hasseldine. 

Nicole’s experience is personal: her daughter Isla passed away at just six days old. 

In this conversation, Nicole shares what it’s like to endure and navigate this type of profound loss, and how we can all offer more compassionate support for families experiencing such unimaginable grief.  
We all have a responsibility to do this type of loss better. 

Since Isla died, Nicole has turned her pain into purpose, dedicating herself to creating a space for professionals working with bereaved families. 

She is the founder of Isla Grief and Loss, whose mission is to support healthcare professionals supporting families who have lost a child.

In this episode, we hope to break through the discomfort and encourage listeners not to shy away.  Nicole will help us explore how to offer meaningful support in the face of such loss so that we can all respond with the compassion and the presence these families truly need.

RIng Theory

Isla Grief & Loss

Welcome to another episode of Deadly Serious Conversations, where today we are joined by Dr. Susan Palmer from Gather My Crew, an incredible organisation dedicated to helping people rally around loved ones during times of crisis.

When someone’s world is turned upside down – whether that’s through illness, the loss of a family member, or any other life-changing event – it can be hard for people to know exactly how to offer help. 

That's where Gather My Crew steps in, making it easier for people to support each other in meaningful ways. 

Susan will share with us how this wonderful platform connects communities, offering a way to give practical help during those moments when it's needed most.

Gather my Crew

When someone dies suddenly there is so much death administration to start taking care of.  It’s hard to know where to start.   

Many people are surprised to learn that it can be a very long & sometimes complicated process dealing with wills, estates, and all sorts of death administration. 

 Today on Deadly Serious conversations I have a wonderful chat with Danielle from Sage Executor Solutions about the role of an executor of a will and some of the things that  are important to know to make the process easier, less stressful and more efficient.  

Today, I have a special episode featuring Dan from 'All about me films'- a Melbourne-based company dedicated to preserving life stories on Film for future generations.
We delve into the importance of storytelling for family history and how it gives us a sense of belonging that can shape who we are today.
This episode reminds us that we continue to exist long after we are no longer physically here, living on through the stories and memories we leave behind.
So whether you're looking to preserve your own story or would like to encourage your loved ones to document their story,  this episode will inspire you to see the value in capturing part of your family's history.

All about me Films 

I am often asked how to support children who are grieving I am no expert but I am delighted to share this episode of the podcast,  where I have a chat to Scott Andrews from the National Centre for Childhood grief.

Knowing how to support a child deal with loss and grief can feel overwhelming.   It's hard to know what is the right thing to do to help them.   Scott offers gentle suggestions on language to use, whether they should be involved in the process and how grief may show up for children.

Scott is incredibly experienced in this area and shares his wonderful insights on how to help children grieve in healthy ways.

This is an invaluable episode for everyone to learn what we can do to support children and help them feel less alone and isolated in their grief. 


National Centre for Childhood grief

Most people are familiar with the traditional burial and cremation practices, such as using a cemetery, or storing the ashes in an urn.   Some people choose to scatter their loved ones ashes but do not realise that this may be harmful to the environment.  

Mornington Green Legacy Gardens in Victoria are beautiful botanical gardens situated on the Mornington Peninsula.  

They offer an environmentally safe way for people to go back to nature after they die.  

The cremated ashes are scientifically treated to avoid causing any harm and are infused into a carefully chosen tree in their beautifully landscaped gardens or forests. 

The Legacy Gardens also offer future generations and loved ones a place to come and visit to watch as the tree grows and blossom.  It also provides a beautiful space in nature for families to gather, celebrate, and connect  

In this episode I chat with Luke Roberts, the co-founder of Mornington Green Legacy Gardens to hear more about this innovative practice

On this episode of the podcast, I have a wonderful conversation with Lesley who works as the co-ordinator of the Body Donation program at Melbourne Uni. 

Body donation is when someone chooses to donate their body after their death so that it can be used in the training and education of future healthcare professionals including medical, dental, physiotherapy, science and nursing students.   

Through the incredible generosity of donors, the university can provide these students with hands-on learning experiences to advance their medical knowledge that is crucial for their training & potentially impact countless lives for generations to come. 

This is a fascinating conversation offering a glimpse into what the body donation program entails.

Melbourne University Body Donation Program

This episode of the podcast is one that challenges the conventional narratives surrounding end-of-life ceremonies and funerals.  

In it, I have a wonderful chat with Tim and Paul, whose mum Mary Anne decided to face her own mortality and embraced the idea of a living wake after deciding not to continue treatment for Bowel cancer.  

 
Often at funerals, people remark to me that it is a shame that the person who died didn’t hear all the lovely things that others had to say about them.   

But Mary Anne got the opportunity before her death, to be with her family and friends and to hear the many reasons they loved her at her living wake.  

Her loved ones shared and stories and memories and were able to express their gratitude to Mary Anne so she was able to hear how people felt about her before she died.  

Tim and Paul offer their different perspectives on this celebration of their mums’ life.  

Living wakes or funerals are certainly not for everybody, but the landscape of funerals is changing as we explore alternatives to the solemn occasions that funerals traditionally have been.   

Whether you are curious about the concept, planning such an occasion for yourself or a loved one, or seeking a fresh perspective on one of life’s inevitabilities, this episode has it all.  

 
Fiona Garrivan Celebrant