Heroes in Grief

Liz Wolczko is a bereaved mom, sibling and daughter. Her journey with grief began in 1974 with the death of her oldest brother John. Liz’s 26-year-old daughter and only child, Joana, died in 2008, the same year she lost her sister-in-law and Mother.

Liz and her mother Sally Ketchum, were pioneers in the Hospice movement, creating the first Hospice in Maryland in 1979, that was also the third in the US. Liz didn’t stop there – she was part of creating one of the first Hospices in Southern New Hampshire. As a Hospice Volunteer Coordinator, she recruited and trained volunteers to sit with dying patients.

Shortly after her daughter Joana’s death, Liz became a member of Compassionate Friends, a National non-profit support group for bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents. After benefiting as a member, she became a Facilitator for both the Nashua and Manchester, NH Chapters and Treasurer for the Manadnock Chapter in Peterborough, NH.

In 2023, Compassionate Friends afforded Liz the opportunity become a Grief Educator, certified by world-renowned Grief Expert, David Kessler. Liz went on to study with Emmy-nominated, Public Speaking Coach Rachel Hanfling in her signature program, “Own the Power of Your Story”.

Next up for Liz – turning our grief-denying society into a grief-accepting society by creating a program for high school and college students.

To collaborate with Liz, book her for speaking engagements or to become a client in her private Grief Educator practice, contact her at [email protected]. Follow

@LizKetchumWolczko on Facebook and Instagram.

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization: www.NHPCO.org

Link to Compassionate Friends: The Compassionate Friends Non-Profit Organization for Grief

David Kessler: www.grief.com

Rachel Hanfling (Coach for Public Speaking etc.): https://www.rachelhanfling.com/

========================================

Heroes in Grief: www.heroesingrief.com

Contact Tom: [email protected]

Help support Heroes in Grief by using our affiliate links to wherever you do your online shopping or ordering. Message Tom at [email protected] to inquire or get a link. No extra charges or any cost to you!

Visit the Heroes in Grief shop for products discussed on the podcast & Tom's suggestions: https://linktr.ee/heroesingrief/shop

You can also directly support us here: https://buymeacoffee.com/heroesingrief

Thank you!!!

Your host Tom Bender shares his story of the loss of his son Jeff & what has happened since. Very sorry to Michael G. Reccia, I pronounced his name wrong. The last name is pronounced "Ray-Cha"

Links related to the episode:

David Kessler's site: www.grief.com

Helping Parents Heal: www.helpingparentsheal.org

Helping Fathers Heal Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HelpingFathersHeal

Michael G. Reccia's YouTube Channel for learning how to meditate: https://www.youtube.com/@step-by-stepcourseinhigher2727

Link to support Heroes in Grief: https://buymeacoffee.com/heroesingrief

Tom's email: [email protected]

========================================

Heroes in Grief: www.heroesingrief.com

Help support Heroes in Grief by using our affiliate links to wherever you do your online shopping or ordering. Message Tom at [email protected] to inquire or get a link. No extra charges or any cost to you!

Visit the Heroes in Grief shop for products discussed on the podcast & Tom's suggestions: https://linktr.ee/heroesingrief/shop

You can also directly support us here: https://buymeacoffee.com/heroesingrief

Thank you!!!

Gina Waterman is a certified Grief Recovery Specialist and Grief Coach who walks people through the Grief Recovery Method®, an evidence-based program that eases your emotional pain and shows you healthier ways to cope with life transitions. Her insights into grief and loss run deep. She has overcome emotional and physical pain that overlapped with her full-time family caregiving responsibilities (for her son with autism and brain trauma). After her divorce 6 years ago, she found GRM and it was so transformative that she decided to get certified and take it to the community. She specializes in caring for caregivers, knowing how much unresolved grief affects the entire family.

For over 15 years, Gina has been an active advocate in the DFW disability community, always looking for ways to connect the silos of support groups (autism, Down Syndrome, IDD). She is sought after for her expertise in navigating divorce and special needs, helping children grieve, and co-parenting ‘with a side of autism.’

She has a B.S. in Technical Communication from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Gina worked in the oil and gas business both in Tech Comm and software training for over 15 years. Originally from New Jersey, she has lived in Dallas since 2002.

Episode links:

Grief Recovery Method: https://www.griefrecoverymethod.com/grms/gina-perales-waterman

Grief Recovery Method programs: https://www.griefrecoverymethod.com/our-programs

Loss of Life Advocates: Grief Help in Texas | LOLA

Feeling Free Again podcast by Cole James, President of Grief Recovery Institute: https://www.youtube.com/@Griefrecoverymethod

Gina's email: [email protected]

========================================

Heroes in Grief: www.heroesingrief.com

Help support Heroes in Grief by using our affiliate links to wherever you do your online shopping or ordering. Message Tom at [email protected] to inquire or get a link. No extra charges or any cost to you!

Visit the Heroes in Grief shop for products discussed on the podcast & Tom's suggestions: https://linktr.ee/heroesingrief/shop

You can also directly support us here: https://buymeacoffee.com/heroesingrief

Thank you!!!

Tom & DeeAnn are both local award winning vocalists. Although not acquainted personally they were connected on social media. When Tom lost his son Jeff, DeAnn messaged him because she has also experienced the horror of losing her son William.

Join with us as Tom & DeeAnn share their common plight in music & their losses.

From DeeAnn's website:

Hailing from a small steel town outside of Buffalo, DeeAnn was raised in a musical family, learning standards that would eventually become part of her repertoire. In addition to the smooth vocal stylings of her father Frank, she was inspired early on by Buffalo Blue Note legend, DoDo Green and attended multiple jazz jams. During her early days as a pop/rock singer, she won Best Female Vocalist at the Buffalo Music Awards two years in a row. Her later success as a country artist earned her placements on numerous radio CD compilations, resulting in airplay throughout the U.S and Europe. When she returned to music as a jazz-blues singer in the mid-2010’s, she won Best Female Blues Vocalist at the Buffalo Night Life Music Awards and her 2019 EP Stay Here won Best Jazz CD from JazzBuffalo.org. 

The singer soon had a painful story to tell. The tragedy of losing her 23-year-old son William Michael Tompkins to a motorcycle accident, after she and Odel had completed most of the tracks of “It’s My Time’ threw DeeAnn’s life into a tailspin and delayed the project indefinitely. Her original concept was to record an album of old standards, and the two had 90 percent of them.    

When DeeAnn came back to the project she added a few new, very personal songs, starting with a heartrending, gospel-influenced version of “You Are My Sunshine”, a song she sang to William to put him to sleep when he was a child. Odel’s sensitive yet rousing and inspirational production features members of the Buffalo Philharmonic String Quartet (Roman Mekhulnov).

DeeAnn's website: https://deeannmusic.com/

Link to support her son William's Scholarship Fund (click dropdown on "Designation" and select "William Michael Tompkins '16 Scholarship Fund"): https://www.canisiushigh.org/support/gift

DeeAnn's "It's My Time" album: https://music.apple.com/us/album/its-my-time/1692844770

DeeAnn on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3TQejr5SYcgEAec0DJDaEb?si=gXj1hudfQXO_G-gSg0Mtcw

YouTube link to William's Song: https://youtu.be/K7ONV7IUmIU?feature=shared

========================================

Heroes in Grief: www.heroesingrief.com

Help support Heroes in Grief by using our affiliate links to wherever you do your online shopping or ordering. Message Tom at [email protected] to inquire or get a link. No extra charges or any cost to you!

Visit the Heroes in Grief shop for products discussed on the podcast & Tom's suggestions: https://linktr.ee/heroesingrief/shop

You can also directly support us here: https://buymeacoffee.com/heroesingrief

Thank you!!!

Tom & Mark have an entertaining discussion about Mark's journey and his son Markus.

A little about Mark...

On November 3rd, 2000, my life changed forever when I got the phone call informing me that my son Markus had been in a serious car accident, and we needed to get to the hospital ASAP.

I was 41 years old and owned a successful business in general aviation. I am a licensed aircraft mechanic with inspection authorization by the FAA. I have ratings and certificates to operate multi engine aircraft in instrument conditions. I have worked in research and development for various projects in aviation and have also assisted in the investigations of several fatal aircraft accidents. Things must make sense to me on a scientific and practical level proven by facts and evidence.

I have spent a lot of time researching how any of the events following the phone call could make sense on any level. I still have questions however I have found a lot of scientific data and enough consistent circumstantial evidence.

Is it possible that us parents who have a child depart before us are given an opportunity to explore a fascinating though scary world where the real truth lies?

The main link to the Markus Project: https://cardinaltoys.com/collections/themarkusproject

The Markus Project on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMarkusProject

More about Mark's beliefs:

https://cardinaltoys.com/blogs/news/proof-that-its-known-when-we-get-here-and-when-we-will-leave

https://cardinaltoys.com/blogs/news/why-do-we-believe-what-we-believe

========================================

Heroes in Grief: www.heroesingrief.com

Help support Heroes in Grief by using our affiliate links to wherever you do your online shopping or ordering. Message Tom at [email protected] to inquire or get a link. No extra charges or any cost to you!

Visit the Heroes in Grief shop for products discussed on the podcast & Tom's suggestions: https://linktr.ee/heroesingrief/shop

You can also directly support us here: https://buymeacoffee.com/heroesingrief

Thank you!!!

Chelsea Ohlemiller is an author and speaker passionate about the awareness of grief’s impact. She has an active and engaging social media presence and is well-known for her blog, Happiness, Hope & Harsh Realities. Her first book titled, “Now That She’s Gone” will be released in August. She has been featured in the national bestseller “So God Made a Mother” and two Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She’s also been published online by platforms such as Her View From Home, Christianity.com, (in)courage, Love What Matters, Scary Mommy and more. She lives in Indianapolis with her husband and three children, which are the driving force behind all that she does.

Links:

Book: https://hopeandharshrealities.com/book/

Facebook: @hopeandharshrealities

Instagram: @hopeandharshrealities

TikTok: @chelseaohlemiller

========================================

Heroes in Grief: www.heroesingrief.com

Help support Heroes in Grief by using our affiliate links to wherever you do your online shopping or ordering. Message Tom at [email protected] to inquire or get a link. No extra charges or any cost to you!

Visit the Heroes in Grief shop for products discussed on the podcast & Tom's suggestions: https://linktr.ee/heroesingrief/shop

You can also directly support us here: https://buymeacoffee.com/heroesingrief

Thank you!!!

Kelci Jager, a Certified Life Coach, Grief Coach, Registered Nurse, and Author of the book “A Million Miracles and the One That Never Came” found herself navigating the challenging terrain of grief when she lost her 40-year-old husband to leukemia. Left to pick up the pieces of her shattered life as a solo parent to their four sons, Kelci faced the fear of her children losing her too. However, her determination to RISE and thrive became her driving force. With a blend of professional expertise and a deeply personal journey as a widow and solo parent, Kelci possesses a strong foundation and a unique perspective. She is passionately committed to providing support and guiding others on their grief journey.

Website: RISEwithgrief.com

Social Media: 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kelci.calljager

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kelci.jager/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kelci-jager-6a3788a0/

========================================

Heroes in Grief: www.heroesingrief.com

Help support Heroes in Grief by using our affiliate links to wherever you do your online shopping or ordering. Message Tom at [email protected] to inquire or get a link. No extra charges or any cost to you!

Visit the Heroes in Grief shop for products discussed on the podcast & Tom's suggestions: https://linktr.ee/heroesingrief/shop

You can also directly support us here: https://buymeacoffee.com/heroesingrief

Thank you!!!

E13 Thanatologist Michaelene Dowers

Tom & Michaelene discuss work in the death care industry & children's grief. Michaelene has a site for her work in each field; QuietusBee.com & Pollen.Care (links below).

Quietus Bee: https://www.quietusbee.com/

Quietus Bee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quietus_bee/

Pollen Curated Grief Support: https://pollen.care/

Pollen.Care Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pollen.care/

========================================

Heroes in Grief: www.heroesingrief.com

Help support Heroes in Grief by using our affiliate links to wherever you do your online shopping or ordering. Message Tom at [email protected] to inquire or get a link. No extra charges or any cost to you!

Visit the Heroes in Grief shop for products discussed on the podcast & Tom's suggestions: https://linktr.ee/heroesingrief/shop

You can also directly support us here: https://buymeacoffee.com/heroesingrief

Thank you!!!

When Jennifer learned that her friend lost her son in a military training accident, she went from being grief-avoidant to becoming a grief educator, speaker and supporter.  Through customized workshops, conferences and speaking engagements, Jennifer is on a mission to exchange judgement with empathy and compassion by educating individuals and organizations on the importance of grief and mental health awareness, suicide prevention and advocating for recovery friendly workplaces. She believes "normal” is a myth and consults with organizations to break the stigma and reduce the awkwardness and discomfort these topics present. She does this work in honor of Capt. Nicholas P. "Sloppy" Losapio USMC and the crew of Swift 11, and all who choose careers to keep our country and communities safe. 

When she's not trying to normalize conversations around death and other forms of loss that cause grief, she serves the construction industry as a Vice President of Education and Workforce Development for the NH/VT chapter of a construction trade association. In this role, she facilitates leadership programs using the DISC Behavioral Assessment as a foundation. 

Jennifer's credentials include a Master's Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages with a concentration in Life Skills and Career Planning, Certified Behavioral Analyst, Leadership Training and Development, Certified Grief Educator & Coach, Construction Suicide Prevention Trainer, and Mental Health First Aid Responder and Recovery-Friendly Workplace Advocate. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferllandon/

Your Grief Matters Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/866256221464175

Website: https://yourgriefmatters.co/ 

Email; [email protected]

==========================================

Heroes in Grief: www.heroesingrief.com

Help support Heroes in Grief by using our affiliate links to wherever you do your online shopping or ordering. Message Tom at [email protected] to inquire or get a link. No extra charges or any cost to you!

You can also directly support us here: https://buymeacoffee.com/heroesingrief

Thank you!!!

Jason Tuttle is a former stay-at-home parent and married father of 2 kids with multiple physical and cognitive disabilities. Jason lost his 15 year old special needs son 01/28/22. From that day, Jason decided that he wanted to help others while he grieved. So, he created “Letters To Zachary” as an open, raw, vulnerable way to be an example sharing his feelings as well as help others to see a glimpse into the male mind and how it grieves.

Tom & Jason have a blatant discussion about the unique aspects of having special needs children & dealing with the death of Zachary.

Jason also shares about the great way that he honors Zachary through his 'Letters to Zachary' , his passion to be an example to men in grief & other upcoming tremendous projects.

Jason's links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552174684952

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@letters2zachary

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letters2zachary/

Twitter/X: https://x.com/Letters2Zachary

Website: www.LettersToZachary.com

==========================================

Heroes in Grief: www.heroesingrief.com

Help support Heroes in Grief by using our affiliate links to wherever you do your online shopping or ordering. Message Tom at [email protected] to inquire or get a link. No extra charges or any cost to you!

You can also directly support us here: https://buymeacoffee.com/heroesingrief

Thank you!!!