In this episode, Tracy Dailey and I talk about her journey that began without warning on May 30, 2007. Eight months into her pregnancy and only 24 years old, Tracy was told by her doctor, after performing an ultrasound, that her sweet, precious daughter Emma, had no heartbeat. Everything seemed to slip into slow motion, and denial took over temporarily. Prior to the previous day, it had been a picture perfect pregnancy, and now the unthinkable had become reality and her life forever changed. Prior to this day, Tracy had never experienced grief. Now, without any support network, Tracy and her husband, Bryan, found themselves ill-equipped and unable to even begin processing the trauma and pain. Listen as Tracy shares how GOD rescued both of them from a very dark place and began healing and breathing new life back into both of them. Today, she’s Co-Founder and Board President of Emma’s Footprints, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing care and support for pregnancy and infant loss families ensuring that no family has to walk alone.

https://www.emmasfootprints.com/

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Critically injured by a hit and run driver on 10/5/23, Tommy’s beautiful 23 year old son Nick died from his injuries on October 21, 2023, a day that would forever change Tommy’s life. Parents shouldn’t have to bury their children. Like other dads, Tommy had dreams of seeing Nick discover his purpose in life, possibly get married and have a family of his own, and enjoy activities he and Nick loved doing together. Like those dreams, Tommy’s life was shattered that day. I hope you’ll listen as he shares his story and we discuss the impact of grief on a dad’s heart, his mind, his work, and relationships. You’ll also learn how Tommy’s faith and personal relationship with Jesus Christ are getting him through his grief journey one day at a time, healing the brokenness, and restoring hope and joy.

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In this episode, pastoral counselor, author, and Bible teacher, Betty Ringeisen, talks with me about a grief/healing journey that began 20 years ago after miscarriage. Tragically, what lay ahead was unthinkable ... over the course of a few more years, Betty and her husband would experience the life altering loss of four (4) other children by miscarriage. How can a young mom survive, let alone process, that level of pain and trauma? Can a heart so deeply wounded ever heal? Betty's story is one of resilient faith and endurance in the face of deep loss and brokenness. It's also the story of GOD's love and faithfulness to restore joy,  purpose and hope in Betty's life and then surprise her with a long awaited, beautiful gift. This is a message of encouragement and hope!

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Have you ever felt utterly alone and helpless when your heart has been shattered  and your world turned upside down? Did the people you thought you could count on let you down? After losing her precious, beautiful 4 month old baby daughter Everly, Martha found herself in a battle with grief that severely challenged her faith as a Christian. At a time when she needed unconditional love, support and understanding, what she got from too many people were well meaning “platitudes “ poorly timed or thought out, while others were either silent or nowhere to be found. Most were kind, sensitive and supportive, but the responses of the others yielded more pain and feelings of betrayal. Many of us can identify with Martha’s experience but, perhaps, have hesitated to talk about it. As you listen, I believe you will find Martha’s honesty and transparency refreshing as we discuss this and other aspects of her grief journey.

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“After Trinity died, I was barely functional”, is how Richard described himself after he and his wife Stacey lost their precious daughter shortly after being born. Doctors described it as a “medical mystery”. In a previous episode (12/10/24) Stacey shared about her grief and healing journey as Trinity’s mom, and in this episode Richard and I talk about the impact of grief and trauma from a dad’s personal experience. It’s no secret that men and women both process and navigate grief differently, and in our conversation, Richard shares how Trinity’s death affected his identity as a protector and defender in his roles as a husband and dad, as well as the impact it had upon his relationship with GOD. After the death of a child, it’s not uncommon for a man to “dive into” his work as a distraction from the pain, a subject we also explore in our conversation. I hope you’ll join us for this thoughtful and insightful look into a dad’s grief journey.

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The unspeakable pain and trauma from losing her beautiful 2 year old son Jamie, left Rachael crushed, broken and rudderless. How does a young mom deal with such tragedy alone? Where does she turn to soothe the pain and find comfort? In the aftermath, Rachael’s life began to take some unfortunate twists and turns and she shares how GOD showed up on that journey and began making something beautiful out of all those broken pieces. 

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When her eight month old daughter Adalyn died of two congenital medical conditions in May 2017, Heather’s heart was shattered and her life upended with grief. Three short years later, the unimaginable happened when her daughter Maelyn was stillborn in July 2020. How does a parent even begin to comprehend and process such unspeakable trauma? How can a mom navigate such grief and loss while trying to take care of another living child? Heather and I explore these and other questions as we talk about her journey over the past eight years from brokenness to rediscovering meaning, purpose, and hope through her relationship with GOD. Heather’s transparency and honesty offer us glimpses into a grieving mom’s heart reminding our listeners that grief doesn’t have to define our identity, but rather is an expression of the deep love parents have for their children.

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"When Nicole went to Heaven, darkness invaded our world, and we wondered if our family would survive the crushing pain of grief."  Kim Peacock 
When Kim's daughter Nicole died in a tragic off-roading accident three days after Christmas in 1998, it left her shattered, and her whole world seemed to stop. No parent is ever prepared for such trauma and pain, much less equipped to deal with it. Kim and I talk about what that season was like, the struggles that descended, and how, by GOD's grace, she began to experience healing, and emerging through the darkness of grief as she started rediscovering  hope and purpose in the aftermath.
I believe Kim's transparency and open heartedness will inspire hope and encouragement for your own journey. To discover more about Kim’s journey and how she’s now helping other bereaved parents, please visit her website below and check out her newly published book, “Victorious Heart: Finding Hope and Healing After a Devastating Loss”.
https://www.wildvictoriousheart.com/about

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After waiting the long arrival of their precious daughter Willow, June 8, 2017 was supposed to be a day of joyful celebration for Leslie and Andrew Burman. When their sweet baby was born still that day, their hopes were crushed and their hearts shattered. It wasn't supposed to be that way! How do young parents begin to process something so painful and traumatic? How do they go back to an empty home and try to figure out the way forward? 
"Through it all, though, I felt a sense of calmness and peace. It was out of my hands. There was a bigger plan for our sweet daughter, Willow ..." Leslie
I hope you'll listen as Leslie and I talk about her journey, and shares how GOD  began mending all those broken pieces, giving her a passion to help others and create "Be Like the Willow, a non-profit organization striving to provide comfort through acts of kindness, resources to aid grief and support like-minded charitable organizations."
https://www.belikethewillow.com/

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On this episode, my friend, Dr. Allan MacDonald and I talk about his journey with grief that began on December 31, 2018 when his 26 year old son Josh died after a valiantly fought, odds-defying battle with a congenital medical condition. Allan shares how Josh not only survived the initial heartbreaking medical prognosis, but went on to embrace life with a contagious zeal for living and doing all the things that weren’t supposed to be possible. We discuss the impact that deep trauma left Allan to process and try to navigate after losing not only Josh, but his marriage just a few months later. Even today, Allan sometimes has to contend with grief triggers as he rounds on patients in the same hospital, the same floor, and same room where Josh died in his arms that day in December. Allan’s is also a story of how, in his brokenness, GOD began taking all those shattered pieces and restoring beauty out of the ashes. This is a story of hope!

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