Don't Forget To Breathe: A Podcast for Living after Child Loss.

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Marissa's daughter, Skylar, died in 2015 at just four years old. More than a decade later, Marissa shares what many bereaved parents quietly experience: the love hasn't changed, the grief hasn't disappeared, and healing can sometimes feel like betraying the child you miss every day.

In this deeply vulnerable conversation, Marissa talks about the physical pain of grief, addiction as an attempt to numb unbearable sorrow, carrying what she describes as "a rock" inside her, and the loneliness that comes when everyone around you seems to move forward while you remain emotionally anchored to the day your child died.

She also shares the hope she's beginning to discover as she starts grief counseling, why saying a child's name matters more than many people realize, and what grieving parents truly need from those who love them.

Whether you're grieving the loss of a child or supporting someone who is, this episode offers honest insight into the lifelong journey of carrying profound love alongside profound loss.

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Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

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Sometimes another person's words express exactly what our hearts have been trying to say.

In this special episode, Bruce and Kristin step away from the traditional interview format to share writings and reflections from several remarkable voices in the grief community, including Jameson Arasi, Paula Griffith, Donna Ashworth, and The Grief Table.

Together, they explore powerful themes including why grief is a lifelong expression of love, how grief and joy can exist together, the difference between memories and missing, learning to "move with" grief rather than trying to move on, and why speaking our children's names keeps their presence alive.

More than a discussion about inspirational quotes, this conversation is an invitation to discover resources that may bring comfort, validation, and hope—whether your loss is recent or decades old.

If you've ever struggled to find words for your grief, this episode may help you find them.

Because while grief changes shape, love never disappears. 

Support the show

Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

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What began as one father's way of surviving the loss of his daughter has grown into something far bigger than a podcast.

In this special episode, Bruce Barker and Kristin Glenn announce the launch of the Don't Forget To Breathe Foundation, a nonprofit created to expand connection, conversation, and community for bereaved parents and those who walk beside them.

Bruce and Kristin share the story behind the foundation, the unmet needs they continue to see in the child loss community, and their vision for creating spaces where grieving parents feel heard, understood, and supported—whether their loss was recent or decades ago.

They also introduce upcoming initiatives including retreats for mothers, fathers, and couples, facilitator training, educational resources, support circles, and new conversation prompt cards designed to strengthen grief support groups.

You'll also hear about the foundation's first public appearances at the upcoming national conferences for The Compassionate Friends and Bereaved Parents of the USA, and learn how you can help ensure that no parent has to navigate child loss alone.

Whether you're a bereaved parent, family member, friend, professional, or someone who simply wants to support grieving families more compassionately, this episode is an invitation to become part of a growing community built on hope, authenticity, and connection.

Together, we're creating connection, conversation, and community—so no one has to navigate child loss alone.

Support the show

Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

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What happens when a journalist who spent decades telling other people's stories suddenly finds himself living the story he never wanted?

In this deeply thoughtful conversation, Bruce Barker and Kristin Glenn welcome author, journalist, writing coach, and bereaved father John DeDakis. Together, they explore the life and legacy of John's son, Stephen, the realities of grief after child loss, and the lessons John has learned through years of writing, speaking, and walking alongside other grieving parents.

The conversation moves from fathers and grief to the power of storytelling, the healing found in authentic connection, and the role of community through organizations like The Compassionate Friends and Bereaved Parents of the USA. John shares honest reflections about masculinity, vulnerability, fear, hope, and why he believes that "hope has to be practical."

Most of all, this episode is a reminder that while grief changes us forever, it can also deepen our capacity for empathy, meaning, and connection.

Whether you are newly bereaved, many years into your journey, or walking beside someone who is grieving, we hope this conversation helps you feel seen, understood, and a little less alone.

Support the show

Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

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As we release this episode on Father's Day weekend, we recognize that this day can carry many emotions for bereaved fathers. It can be a day of love, remembrance, gratitude, heartache, and longing, often all at the same time.

In this special conversation, Bruce and Kristin sit down with Scott Allen to talk about his daughter, Jamie Summer Allen, a gifted mother of eight, talented musician, massage therapist, and deeply compassionate soul whose life touched countless people.

Scott shares Jamie's story, from her remarkable ability to connect with others to the devastating motorcycle accident that took her life seven years ago. He speaks candidly about the shock of child loss, the darkness of early grief, and the years spent learning how to survive, heal, and eventually embrace moments of joy again.

Together, they explore the realities of fatherhood after loss, the wisdom our children leave behind, the importance of finding safe people who can truly listen, and the unexpected ways healing can arrive. For Scott, some of those lessons came through Jamie's children, whose love, honesty, and resilience helped guide him forward when he wasn't sure he wanted to keep going.

This episode is filled with laughter, tears, hard-earned wisdom, and powerful reminders that grief is not something we overcome, but something we learn to carry. It is a conversation about love that continues, even after death, and about the enduring bond between a father and his child.

Whether you are a bereaved parent, supporting someone who is grieving, or navigating Father's Day while carrying the loss of a child, Scott's story offers hope, understanding, and the reassurance that you are not alone.

Support the show

Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

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In Part 2 of I Don't Know What To Say to a Grieving Parent, Bruce Barker and Kristin Glenn continue their conversation for those supporting a bereaved parent.

This episode focuses on why positivity can feel dismissive, why grief cannot be fixed, and why presence matters more than advice, answers, or silver linings.

Bruce and Kristin talk about the difference between support and fixing, the harm of phrases like “stay positive” or “God needed another angel,” and why grieving parents need people willing to stay, listen, and remember their child over time.

They also discuss the importance of supporting grieving fathers, who are often expected to hold everything together while their own grief goes unseen.

This conversation is a compassionate guide for friends, family members, co-workers, and anyone walking beside a parent after child loss.

Support the show

Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

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What do you say to a grieving parent?

For many people, the fear of saying the wrong thing leads to silence, distance, and disappearance. But for bereaved parents, that silence often hurts far more than imperfect words ever could.

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Bruce Barker and Kristin Glenn speak directly to the friends, family members, co-workers, and supporters who want to help grieving parents but feel unsure how.

Together, they share honest insight into:
• Why presence matters more than perfect words
• Simple phrases that genuinely help
• Why saying a child’s name matters
• The impact of silence and avoidance
• Common responses that unintentionally hurt
• How grief does not need fixing, it needs witnessing

This episode is both practical and deeply personal, offering compassionate guidance for anyone walking beside a bereaved parent.

Support the show

Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

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In part two of this heartfelt conversation, Cooper shares what it has been like navigating life after the loss of his brother, Parker, following part one’s conversation with their mom, Jamie.

Cooper speaks openly about the silence that filled their home after Parker died, the loss of motivation that followed, and the way grief evolved over time, from regret about the past to longing for the future they should have shared together.

He also talks about sibling grief being overlooked, the pressure young men often feel to “stay strong,” and why finding someone safe to talk to changed everything for him.

This episode is a powerful reminder that siblings grieve deeply too, and that their voices deserve to be heard.

Support the show

Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

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In Part 1 of this deeply personal conversation, Jamie shares the story of her son Parker, a vibrant, fearless ten-year-old whose life was tragically cut short during the Baja 500 in Mexico.

What follows is a raw and honest discussion about the moments that changed everything, the chaos and heartbreak of navigating unimaginable loss in a foreign country, and the impossible task of surviving while trying to hold a family together.

Jamie reflects on Parker’s larger-than-life personality, his love for football and friendships, and the meaningful ways his presence continues to show up through heart rocks, community, and acts of love. Together, Bruce, Kristin, and Jamie talk openly about grief inside a family, what it means when people call grieving parents “strong,” and why connection with others who understand can become a lifeline.

This episode is heartbreaking, beautiful, and deeply human.

Support the show

Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

Get in touch

We live in a world wired to fix things. But grief, especially child loss, is not something that can be fixed.

In this episode, Bruce and Kristin explore the powerful shift from being a “fixer” to becoming a “witness.” Together, they unpack the instinct to ease pain, the discomfort that often causes people to pull away, and the quiet, lasting impact of simply staying present.

This conversation is for grieving parents, and also for those who love them but don’t know what to say or do. You’ll hear honest reflections on what helps, what hurts, and why consistency matters far more than perfect words.

Because in the face of unimaginable loss, you don’t need to have the answers. You just need to stay.

If you’ve ever wondered how to truly show up for someone in grief, this episode offers a path forward, one rooted in presence, honesty, and compassion.

Support the show

Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support