Everyone Dies (Every1Dies)

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What happens when grief is too large to stay silent? In this episode of the Everyone Dies podcast, we explore the death of a child and how profound loss reshapes the human heart. Inspired by the film Hamnet, author Neil Perry Gordon shares his journey of losing his son, Sam, and how grief often finds another form in art and creativity. This is a conversation about learning how love continues after death and why grief changes the imagination forever. https://bit.ly/4dLOCDV

We discuss:

• The emotional connection between Hamnet and Hamlet
• How parents survive the death of a child
• Why grief often appears indirectly through creativity
• The difference between healing and continuation
• How art can help grieving people feel less alone

A month after we started this podcast in 2020, Charlie’s son Michael was murdered. Last year at this time we published a podcast, written by Charlie, titled “When your child is murdered”. We deliberately did not say Michael died, because that implies something very different than the senselessness and harshness of murder. Michael was 23 at the time he was shot, and we mourn along with Charlie and Michael’s mother, Kim. We dedicate this second week of May podcast to Michael and his family…and to all the families grieving the untimely deaths of their children. 

In This Episode:

00:00 - Intro - Memorial Episode, 6 Years Since the Murder of Charlie's Son
00:55 - Reading by Neil Perry: "Hamnet, Hamlet and the loss of my son"
10:14 - Intro to S6E7 Rebroadcast: Grieving a Child That Was Murdered
11:58 - Road Trip, New Hampshire
13:51 - Recipe: Poutin
15:41 - Remembering Michael, Charlie's Murdered Son
23:55 - Eric Clapton: Tears in Heaven
25:48 - Outro

Related Episodes:

• S6E7: Traumatic Grief, Grieving a Child that Was Murdered
• S1E52: Coping with a Child’s Death
• S6E34: Surviving the Waves: Tips on How to Live Alongside Grief
• S1E12: Traumatic Grief
• S4E39: Traumatic Grief: What it is and How to Find a Therapist to Help Manage It
• S6E45: When Closure Isn’t Possible: How to Find a Way Forward Through Grief

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Jay Leno’s story shows that “for better or worse” isn't just a vow—it’s a reality. Explore the quiet devotion of caregiving and love in the face of dementia. https://bit.ly/4uCKH23

In this Episode:

• 00:00 - Intro: The Reality of "Showing Up" in Dementia Care
• 02:21 - Denisa Lady Newborough: 14 Languages, 5 "Shareholders," and One Extraordinary Life: A look at the audacious life of a high-society rebel.
• 02:45 - Uncle Louie’s Chicken Wings Marinara: A recipe for a crowd, straight from the Leno family archives.
• 07:54 - More than Words, For Better or Worse: A deep dive into Jay and Mavis Leno’s 45-year journey through the "tide" of dementia.
• 12:27 - The Millions of Unseen Caregivers: Recognizing the quiet labor of love performed by 50 to 60 million Americans every day.
• 14:36 - A Tribute to Greg: Honoring a community member’s legacy and his final reflections on finding peace caring for his wife with memory loss.
• 16:38 - Outro: Every Day is a Gift

#DementiaCare #CaregiverLife #AlzheimersAwareness #EndOfLifeCare #GriefSupport #CaregiverSupport #LoveAndLoss #MarriageGoalsRealLife #AgingParents #SeriousIllness #HospiceEducation #EveryoneDiesPodcast #EveryDayIsAGift #JayLeno

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Indigenous maternal health is in a critical state, but we can change that.

Learn why 93% of pregnancy-related deaths in these communities are preventable. Explore the healthcare gaps for First Nations and how restorative midwifery is working to save lives.  https://bit.ly/4uncumO

What You'll Learn:

• The 93% Preventability Gap: While 87% of all U.S. maternal deaths are preventable, that number rises to 93% for Native American and Alaska Native populations, signaling a critical failure in the care pipeline.
• The Postpartum "Blind Spot": 68% of pregnancy-related deaths occur between one week and one year after birth. Most of these happen after 43 days postpartum, a period when many mothers lose insurance or clinical support. 
• Leading Causes are Treatable: Mental health conditions and infections are the top underlying causes. These are highly manageable when caught early, yet they often go unnoticed in "medical deserts." 
• The Power of Advocacy: Learn why every mother should explicitly state, "I was pregnant within the last year," to every healthcare provider they see to trigger appropriate clinical protocols.
• Restoring Traditions: How Indigenous-led midwifery and the Momnibus Act are working to dismantle systemic bias and return to culturally safe birthing practices.

#MaternalHealth #NativeHealth #PublicHealth #PostpartumCare #HealthEquity #HearHer #MaternalMortality #WomensHealth #IndigenousHealth #HealthcareAccess #CDC

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Can knowing your death date help you live longer? Explore the Death Clock app, AI longevity predictions, and how small lifestyle shifts can extend your life. https://bit.ly/4cBBrDK

A study of 60,000 people found that just a few minutes of better sleep, a little more movement, and small changes in diet could add years to your life. Not dramatic changes, small ones.

Now imagine an app that tracks those choices—and tells you, in real time, how they’re affecting the day you’re likely to die. I tried it. It gave me a date. And then, after one good night of sleep, it gave me a different one. 

Today, we’re exploring what happens when technology meets mortality—and whether knowing your “death date” changes how you live. Because Everyone Dies. And every day is a gift.

In this Episode:

• 00:00 - Predicting Mortality: Would You Want to Know Your Death Date?
• 03:17 - Ikaria Longevity Recipe: Zucchini-Herb Pie
• 04:02 - The Voice of Pink Floyd: Clare Torry’s "Great Gig in the Sky"
• 09:09 – An App Called Death Clock: Learn How AI Calculates Life Expectancy
• 11:17 - Preventive Health Protocols: Turning Data into Longevity
• 15:21- Can One Night of Sleep Shift Your Death Date? Learn How a 60,000-Person Study Backs Small Changes in Lifespan
• 17:33 - Facing the Countdown: Listener Perspectives on Mortality
• 23:50 - Active Devotion: Lyrics from "The Great Gig in the Sky"
• 25:10: Outro

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Want to Arrive? Dress for the Slide! 

Motorcycle fatalities are 24x higher per mile than in autos, but you can improve your odds with full-face helmet to guard against head trauma, airbag vests to protect neck and torso, and most of all: situational awareness. https://bit.ly/4tyU033

In This Episode:

• 00:00 - Intro: Beyond the "Suicide Machine" – The Reality of the Ride
• 02:34 - The Last Ride: David Ritter’s Poetic Tribute to Fallen Riders
• 03:33 - The Risk Assessment: Dr. Robby’s Sabbatical and Survival Odds
• 05:03 - The Anatomy of Danger: Speed, Skill, and Vulnerability on Two Wheels
• 10:57 - Armor for the Slide: Why Quality Gear is Your Best Insurance Policy
• 12:53 - Protect the Processor: The Critical Role of Helmets in Impact Survival
• 17:09 - Road Awareness: Identifying and Avoiding the Primary Causes of Crashes
• 19:53 - Outro: Every Mile is a Gift – Ride Accordingly

#MotorcycleSafety #HelmetLaws #TraumaticBrainInjury #PublicHealth #RoadSafety #MotorcycleLife #InjuryPrevention #EndOfLifeEducation #EveryoneDiesPodcast #SafetyFirst #MotorcycleAwareness #ThinkBeforeYouRide

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Why Grief Hits Out of Nowhere, Why it’s Normal, and What Can Help

Grief after five years isn't a sign of failure; it’s a testament to a lifelong bond. When the waves hit out of nowhere, know that your journey is uniquely yours. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3OkXRB4

Is there a Timeline for Grief?

You would think that after five years, grief should get easier. But then it hits you—out of nowhere—like it just happened. And you wonder, “Why am I still like this?”

Nothing is wrong with you. Grief doesn’t follow a timeline.

In this episode, we’re talking about what can help you with your grief after 5 years. What you’re feeling is not only normal…it’s part of loving someone who’s gone from your life.

In this Episode:

• 00:00 - Intro - The 5th Year of Grieving
• 02:00 - A Precocious Spring, the Bane of a Gardener/Winter Crafter
• 04:33 - Jaws is one of UK's Favorite Funeral Songs - See What Else Tops the Charts
• 07:55 - 5 years since the COVID Pandemic Deaths, Long Term Grief
• 08:42 - On the 5th Year of Grieving...Lessons that Most Helped - Kristie, The After Glow blog
• 13:14 - Charlie's Death Cafe Experience, Memories of His Son
• 15:51 - "A Meeting" - Poem by Wendell Barry
• 16:30 - Outro, "Every Day is a Gift"

Related Episodes about Grief and Recovery:

• S3E20: Riding the Wave: Navigating the Second Year of Grief
• S5E35: Growth and Remembrance: What to Expect Your Third Year of Grief
• What’s in Your Library? Building Grounding Resources through a Practice of Mindfulness
• S6E24: Grounding Techniques “Life Hack”: Your Secret Skill for Surviving the Bad Days
• S4E18: How to Exorcise Depression and Anxiety with Exercise
• All Grief Content

#GriefSupport #LongTermGrief #Bereavement #GriefJourney #YouAreNotAlone #MentalHealthMatters #HealingAfterLoss #EveryoneDiesPodcast #GriefAwareness #GriefIsNotLinear #LifeAfterLoss #jaws #CovidGrief #PandemicLoss #WhatHelpsGrief

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Healing from grief isn’t just emotional—it’s spiritual. Learn how to nurture your soul while navigating the psychological journey of recovery. https://bit.ly/4md1ENF

Why  Spirituality is Important

Grief affects every part of our lives — our emotions, our relationships, our bodies, and our sense of meaning. Yet one area is often overlooked in grief care: the spiritual self.

Whether or not you identify as religious, spirituality (where we connect with the earth, ourselves, and others) is the place where we ask life’s biggest questions. Why did this happen? What does this loss mean? Who am I now?

In this episode, we explore how grief often forces us to confront our beliefs about meaning, purpose, faith, doubt, and connection. 

We Discuss:

• Why spirituality is often the "missing link" ignored in grief treatment.
• The concept of spiritual bypassing—using faith to avoid the pain of mourning.
• How grief can shake—or reshape—your worldview and faith.
• Finding a holistic balance: How to hold both psychological healing and spiritual exploration at the same time.
• Why grief requires embracing “both/and” instead of either/or 

For many people, healing from loss involves more than emotional processing. It involves rebuilding a worldview that has been shaken by death. Grief is messy. Faith questions can be messy too. But exploring them may be one of the most important parts of healing.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Intro-Learn About the Link Between Sprituality and Healing from Grief
• 01:22 - Happy 6th Anniversary! We're Venturing into Season 7
• 02:04 - To Die For: A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes
• 04:12 - Whanitta Sheetz’s Fried Ripe Tomato
• 05:35 - Spirituality: The Missing Link That Can Prevent Grievers from Moving Forward*
• 11:05 - Connecting to Spirituality through Nature: Sunlight and Tomatoes
• 20:24 - Gathas for the Practice of Mindful Living - Thich Nhat Hanh
• 28:48 - Outro-Every Day is a Gift

 *Content in this episode is shared with permission from WhatsYourGrief.com 

#GriefSupport #SpiritualGrief #GriefHealing #FaithAndGrief #LossAndMeaning #GriefEducation #BereavementSupport #GriefJourney #EveryoneDiesPodcast #TalkingAboutDeath
 

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Why Treating Suffering is Always the Moral Choice

Does morphine hasten death at the end of life? This is one of the most common—and most distressing—questions families ask in hospice and palliative care.

In this S6E52 episode, we dive into a gripping storyline from the HBO drama The Pitt, where a patient named Lisa chooses to stay in the ER to manage her terminal cancer pain rather than return home. When the medical team expresses concern that her escalating morphine doses might kill her, the department chief cites the “Principle of Double Effect.” But what does that actually mean for those of us in the real world caring for a dying loved one?

Join us as we break down this centuries-old ethical framework and apply it to modern hospice and palliative care. We explore:

• The Four Conditions: The specific moral “rules” that distinguish between providing relief and causing harm.
• Intent vs. Consequence: Why your goal to relieve suffering is the most important factor.
• The Science of Safety: Why 20+ years of medical studies prove that appropriately managed opioids do not hasten death.
• Overcoming Guilt: Remembering that the illness is the cause of death—not the compassion you provide in the final hours.

Suffering at the end of life is not necessary. Whether you are a healthcare professional or a family caregiver, this episode offers the ethical and scientific clarity you need to provide comfort without fear. 

Episode Web page:  https://bit.ly/endoflife-myths 

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Intro: The Pitt, Paper Charting, and the Loss of Cursive Handwriting
• 08:11 - Aristotle: What is an Ideal Life?
• 11:46 - From "The Pitt": What is the Principle of Double Effect and How it is Applied in Healthcare?
• 19:04 - The Fact: Opioids Do Not Hasten Death in Terminally Ill People; the Value of Comfort at the End of Life
• 21:39 - A Nurse's Letter on How to Help People Facing the End of Their Life
• 23:00 - Outro: Every Day is a Gift

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How do you navigate a world that feels empty after a 38-year conversation ends? In this episode of Everyone Dies, we dive into the "radical honesty" of actor Richard E. Grant as he navigates the profound grief of losing his wife, Joan Washington. We explore why he rejects the idea that "time heals" and instead advocates for an unfiltered, open approach to bereavement.

We also tackle the complex realities of spousal loss through a listener's story of grieving a partner lost twice—first to addiction and finally to illness. From the unexpected relief that can follow years of chronic caregiving stress, to the heartwarming story of NFL players are joining the ranks of the most trusted profession, this episode is a safe space for the raw, honest, and often unspoken truths about death and dying.   https://bit.ly/4sWAJrl

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The Most Trusted Profession: Why nurses have topped Gallup’s honesty and ethics poll for 24 consecutive years and how former NFL stars are now joining the ranks.
• Richard E. Grant on Love & Death: A look at the actor’s journey through spousal grief and why he continues his 38-year "conversation" with his late wife through nightly letters.
• Challenging Grief Platitudes: Why "time heals" might be the wrong way to look at loss and how to navigate around the "hole" left behind instead of trying to fill it.
• The Power of Radical Honesty: How laying bare your life and secrets can become a therapeutic act of protection during bereavement.
• Grieving a Complex Partner: A raw account of losing a spouse to addiction and the "messy" administrative and emotional reality of cleaning up a life left behind.
• The Taboo of Relief: Understanding the sense of peace that can occur when the chronic stress of a partner’s terminal illness or struggle finally ends.
• Safe Spaces for Death Talk: Why having a community to discuss the "unfiltered" side of death is essential for healing.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Intro; Saks 5th Avenue Closure and the Rising Thrift Store Trend
• 03:48 - The Most Trusted Profession: Nurses and NFL Players that Transitioned to Nursing
• 07:32 - British Actor Richard E. Grant on Love, Grieving his Wife, and Learning Openness from His Traumatic Upbringing
• 17:03 - The Importance of Safe Places for Talking About Death and Grief
• 19:38 - The Raw Reality of Death: Widowed Twice, the Complex Loss to Alcoholism, and Cleaning a Messy Life
• 22:46 - Outro; Every Day is a Gift

#EveryoneDies #GriefSupport #EndofLife #DeathEducation #Podcast #S6E51  #Grief #Widow #Nursing #DeathAndDying #MentalHealth  #RichardEGrant #SpousalLoss #GriefRecovery #HonestConversations #Widowed

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Have burning, electric shocks, tingling or numbness after chemo? Learn why and how to manage it.  https://bit.ly/3Nra074

We dive into a common but often overlooked side effect of chemotherapy: chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Up to 40% of cancer survivors who receive certain chemotherapy drugs experience tingling, numbness, pain, or weakness in their hands and feet. 

We’ll unpack which drugs are most likely to cause CIPN, why it happens, what symptoms to watch for, and how to manage or even improve function over time.

From medications to physical and occupational therapy, balance training, and lifestyle strategies, this episode offers evidence-based insights to help cancer survivors and caregivers better understand and cope with CIPN.

In this Episode:

• 00:00 - Intro: Understanding Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN)
• 02:07 - Marge Simpson and Santa's Little Helper's Visit to "The Pitt" ED
• 05:33 - What is Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN)
• 06:29 -  Why Chemo Causes Pins and Needles (The Science of Nerve Damage) 
• 09:11 - Is there Hope of Recovering from CIPN? Treatment Options and Lifestyle Considerations
• 13:40 - The Lived Experience of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
• 20:54 - Outro

Resources: 

• Download our CIPN Symptoms & Safety Infographic Here 
• S5E34: How to Avoid Falls, the Leading Cause of Death for Older Adults (Discusses many of the fall mitigation steps that can help someone with peripheral neuropathy)
• S6E5: Understanding Cancer Treatment Options: Chemotherapy
• S1E03: What is Palliative Care? (Learn how palliative care envelops symptom management along a treatment path, such as chemotherapy side effects.)
• S4E37: A Family’s Perspective on Palliative Care – with Connie Baker
• S5E25: The Important Role of the Microbiome to Your Health and Immune Function (Good nutrition is important to neuron regeneration)
• S5E4: Inflammation: What it is, How It Causes Disease, and How You Can Decrease It
• All Cancer Topics (Everything You Wanted to Know About Cancer, But Didn’t Have Anyone to Ask)

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