Hope After Child & Sibling Loss: An Empty Chair Endeavor Podcast

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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*** If  you find this podcast helpful and encouraging, please leave us a review by clicking one the links below:

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You can contact us by email at: [email protected]
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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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*** If  you find this podcast helpful and encouraging, please leave us a review by clicking one the links below:

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You can contact us by email at: [email protected]
If you would like to share your story on an upcoming episode, please send us an email so that we can talk with you about it.
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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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*** If  you find this podcast helpful and encouraging, please leave us a review by clicking one the links below:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-after-child-sibling-loss-the-empty-chair-endeavor/ 

https://www.podchaser.com/HopeAfterChildSiblingLossTheEmptyChairEndeavor

You can contact us by email at: [email protected]
If you would like to share your story on an upcoming episode, please send us an email so that we can talk with you about it.
Thank you for listening!

"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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*** If  you find this podcast helpful and encouraging, please leave us a review by clicking one the links below:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-after-child-sibling-loss-the-empty-chair-endeavor/ 

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You can contact us by email at: [email protected]
If you would like to share your story on an upcoming episode, please send us an email so that we can talk with you about it.
Thank you for listening!

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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*** If  you find this podcast helpful and encouraging, please leave us a review by clicking one the links below:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-after-child-sibling-loss-the-empty-chair-endeavor/ 

https://www.podchaser.com/HopeAfterChildSiblingLossTheEmptyChairEndeavor

You can contact us by email at: [email protected]
If you would like to share your story on an upcoming episode, please send us an email so that we can talk with you about it.
Thank you for listening!

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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*** If  you find this podcast helpful and encouraging, please leave us a review by clicking one the links below:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-after-child-sibling-loss-the-empty-chair-endeavor/ 

https://www.podchaser.com/HopeAfterChildSiblingLossTheEmptyChairEndeavor

You can contact us by email at: [email protected]
If you would like to share your story on an upcoming episode, please send us an email so that we can talk with you about it.
Thank you for listening!

For most people, the thought of losing their child is almost more than their hearts can bear, seemingly unsurvivable. Unfortunately for Kendall and Andy Reid, this became a reality in 2017 when their precious 2 day old daughter, Ruby died suddenly in the hospital. Still grieving such a tremendous loss, their lives were once again shattered by the death of their second child, Jack, as a result of stillbirth in 2019. How does a young couple even begin trying to accept and process something so unimaginably painful? How does one maintain their sanity, return to work, and carry on with the routines of daily life? Is it possible for even a good marriage to survive?
In my conversation with Kendall and Andy, we explore these questions and other challenges, as well as how their faith and relationships with JESUS sustained them, held them together, and began a journey of healing that eventually led them to get involved with Ashlie’s Embrace, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing CuddleCots (TM) to U.S. hospitals and medical centers.
https://www.ashliesembrace.org/

Send us Fan Mail

*** If  you find this podcast helpful and encouraging, please leave us a review by clicking one the links below:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-after-child-sibling-loss-the-empty-chair-endeavor/ 

https://www.podchaser.com/HopeAfterChildSiblingLossTheEmptyChairEndeavor

You can contact us by email at: [email protected]
If you would like to share your story on an upcoming episode, please send us an email so that we can talk with you about it.
Thank you for listening!

When parents are suddenly stricken by unspeakable trauma, what can they do, to whom can they turn, and how do they continue living with a shattered heart?
For Dave and Laura Diehl, their grief journey began on October 12, 2011 when their 29 year old daughter, Rebecca, lost a battle with life long medical challenges that began at the age of three(3). Learn how Laura and Dave dealt with the pain and navigated questions that challenged their faith while trying to support each other as well as the grief their other children were experiencing.
Finding themselves in the place every parent fears, they talk with me about how GOD began healing very deep wounds, eventually inspiring Laura to author several books to encourage and offer hope to other grieving parents, and to establish GPS Hope (Grieving Parents Sharing Hope), a nonprofit ministry “to walk with you through the suffocating darkness of child loss, guiding you to a place of hope, light, and purpose.” You can also listen to their podcast, Grieving Parents Sharing Hope Podcast, found on all major podcast platforms. Learn more about all of the resources available from their ministry by clicking on their website link found below.
https://www.gpshope.org/

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*** If  you find this podcast helpful and encouraging, please leave us a review by clicking one the links below:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-after-child-sibling-loss-the-empty-chair-endeavor/ 

https://www.podchaser.com/HopeAfterChildSiblingLossTheEmptyChairEndeavor

You can contact us by email at: [email protected]
If you would like to share your story on an upcoming episode, please send us an email so that we can talk with you about it.
Thank you for listening!

With no symptoms or warning signs to prepare her for what was to come after an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery, Stacey and her husband Richard's beautiful baby daughter Trinity died shortly after birth in February 2006 leaving them crushed and broken. Doctors could only speculate on the cause, but ultimately it was to remain a mystery. How do young parents process such a traumatic loss and shattered hopes and dreams? As Stacey and I talk about her journey from the unthinkable, she candidly shares the deep impact of grief on everyday life, relationships with others, how GOD healed her broken heart in a very unexpected way and eventually inspired her to author a book about her journey entitled " Losing My Child, Finding My God: From Grief to Belief"  which was published in 2024. This is a story that will inspire hope and encouragement for any parent grieving their own loss.
https://stacywons.com/
Photography by Joanne HoYoung Lee

Send us Fan Mail

*** If  you find this podcast helpful and encouraging, please leave us a review by clicking one the links below:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-after-child-sibling-loss-the-empty-chair-endeavor/ 

https://www.podchaser.com/HopeAfterChildSiblingLossTheEmptyChairEndeavor

You can contact us by email at: [email protected]
If you would like to share your story on an upcoming episode, please send us an email so that we can talk with you about it.
Thank you for listening!