Deadly Serious Conversations

Later this month, we will mark DonateLife Week, a time that encourages all of us to have one of the most important conversations we can have with the people we love. Organ donation is something many of us support, yet so few of us have actually spoken about our wishes with our family. And when the time comes, those conversations can make an incredibly difficult decision just a little bit easier. O...

At some point in our lives, every single one of us will experience grief.  None of us are immune to it.   Grief is the price we pay for love.   If we love, we grieve.  That’s the deal.   And yet, even though death is something every one of us will encounter, we rarely talk about it openly. That silence creates stigma and it can leave people feeling incredibly alone at a time they need the most sup...

Disasters happen……. tsunamis, terrorist attacks, bushfires, pandemics.  No amount of wishing they didn’t happen makes them go away. But it’s comforting to know there are people preparing for these situations.  People like Lucy Easthope. Lucy has played a vital role in the response to some of the world’s most significant disasters such as 9/11, the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, the 7/7 London bombings,...

In this episode of Deadly Serious Conversations , I’m joined by Megan Sheldon, a cultural mythologist,  a humanist celebrant and end-of-life doula based in North Vancouver, Canada.  Megan has a deep understanding of the power of ceremony and ritual, especially in times of grief and loss. In many cultures, rituals once played a central role in marking life’s changes, yet in our modern world, they a...

Funeral directors play a pivotal role in guiding families through one of the most difficult times in their lives. But how do you choose the right one? What should you look for and what can you expect from them?   Together with Lillian from The Last Time Funeral Directors in Sydney, we will unpack these questions and more, offering insights to help you make informed decisions and be aware of the ch...

Today I am joined on the podcast by Simon and Sameiko from Candour Funerals - a Melbourne-based funeral company.  Together, we have a wonderful chat about something very special and deeply meaningful; the first sea burial to take place in Victoria in over a decade.  In this episode, we have a wonderful chat about the practicalities and logistics of making it happen, but more importantly, we hear a...

Many people assume the Irish wake is just an excuse for a drinking session, but in reality, it’s so much more than that. The traditions surrounding death in Ireland run deep, woven into the fabric of the culture and community.   The dead are honoured with great reverence, and the grieving are embraced, supported, and given the space to mourn in a way that is both personal and communal.  The Irish...

Every life is a collection of stories—big and small, joyful and heartbreaking, ordinary and extraordinary. These stories shape who we are and how we’re remembered. Eastern Palliative Care runs an award-winning biography programme where their volunteers work one one-on-one with clients to allow them to record and tell their life story.   Today I am interviewing Annie Martin, one of their wonderful...

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you had a loved one die overseas?  Or, perhaps it is their wish for their body to be transported back  to their home country?  Today I am chatting to Ghislaine from a family-run business based in Melbourne called R epatriation Solutions to discuss the implications of moving someone’s body to another country after they die. Repatriation Solutions 

In today’s episode, we’ll discuss the deeply sensitive and seldom-discussed topic of baby loss — a subject that makes many uncomfortable yet is so vitally important.  These are sobering statistics.   M iscarriage occurs in one in four pregnancies.      Six babies are stillborn in Australia every day, with one in 120 births being a stillborn baby or a newborn death. These statistics are a reality t...

Welcome to another episode of Deadly Serious Conversations , where today we are joined by Dr. Susan Palmer from Gather My Crew, an incredible organisation dedicated to helping people rally around loved ones during times of crisis. When someone’s world is turned upside down – whether that’s through illness, the loss of a family member, or any other life-changing event – it can be hard for people to...

When someone dies suddenly there is so much death administration to start taking care of.  It’s hard to know where to start.    Many people are surprised to learn that it can be a very long & sometimes complicated process dealing with wills, estates, and all sorts of death administration.   Today on Deadly Serious conversations I have a wonderful chat with Danielle from Sage Executor Solutions...

Today, I have a special episode featuring Dan from 'All about me films '- a Melbourne-based company dedicated to preserving life stories on Film for future generations. We delve into the importance of storytelling for family history and how it gives us a sense of belonging that can shape who we are today. This episode reminds us that we continue to exist long after we are no longer physi...

I am often asked how to support children who are grieving I am no expert but I am delighted to share this episode of the podcast,  where I have a chat to Scott Andrews from the National Centre for Childhood grief. Knowing how to support a child deal with loss and grief can feel overwhelming.   It's hard to know what is the right thing to do to help them.   Scott offers gentle suggestions on l...

Most people are familiar with the traditional burial and cremation practices, such as using a cemetery, or storing the ashes in an urn.   Some people choose to scatter their loved ones ashes but do not realise that this may be harmful to the environment.   Mornington Green Legacy Gardens in Victoria are beautiful botanical gardens situated on the Mornington Peninsula.   They offer an environmental...

On this episode of the podcast, I have a wonderful conversation with Lesley who works as the co-ordinator of the Body Donation program at Melbourne Uni.  Body donation is when someone chooses to donate their body after their death so that it can be used in the training and education of future healthcare professionals including medical, dental, physiotherapy, science and nursing students.    Throug...

This episode of the podcast is one that challenges the conventional narratives surrounding end-of-life ceremonies and funerals.   In it, I have a wonderful chat with Tim and Paul, whose mum Mary Anne decided to face her own mortality and embraced the idea of a living wake after deciding not to continue treatment for Bowel cancer.     Often at funerals, people remark to me that it is a shame that t...

We hear it all the time that life changes in a second, and nothing can prepare us for it when that does happen.  We all think and hope it will never happen to us.  Jacinda has been living with the loss of her son Harper and his dad Matt, when they were both killed in a freak accident.   Losing 2 people you love at the same time seems unimaginable.  In today’s episode, Jacinda shares with us a glim...

 As the cost for a traditional burial rises each year and as people have become more environmentally conscious about our land shortage, Cremation has become the preferred choice for many Australians, With over 70% of funerals now involving a cremation.    There is no textbook to tell you what to do in these circumstances, and suddenly you find yourself in a situation having to decide whether to cr...

Jo Lincoln is no stranger to the podcast.  In fact, she was my first ever guest and I am absolutely delighted to have her back, talking about her new book - "Is this normal?" Grief is uncomfortable, it is complex and everyone experiences it differently. At times it feels overwhelming and all consuming, and indeed very abnormal.  Jo is a death doula, a celebrant, a certified grief educato...

20 percent of women or 1 in 5 may experience a pregnancy loss in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy.   That is 1 early pregnancy loss every 5 mins in Australia.   Behind these statistics are real people.  So many people walk this lonely road, yet often we never know.  It’s such a silent and isolating grief, not being able to talk with anyone about it. And having to act like it never happened...   The...

I believe we have a collective responsibility to continue to do death better.    Grief is a very lonely and isolating experience for those going through it.    Grief can also make us feel uncomfortable because we don't know what to say or do to offer support     Today in this episode of Deadly Serious Conversations podcast, Melinda Whyman and I discuss how to help us learn to be a better supp...

Funerals have changed dramatically in the last decade.  Not that long ago, they followed a very standard procedure.  Often mourners wore black,  Most funerals were burials  Religion played a big part and there were very few personal touches.   In this episode of the podcast, I have a wonderful chat with Stan Commings  who is  almost 94 years young!  Stan dedicated his working life to working in th...

In this episode of the podcast, I have a wonderful chat with Rebecca Lyon   Rebecca is an Independent Funeral director based in Tasmania who works in the area of Home Based death care and family led funerals   She is also the founder of You N Taboo, a local Tasmania Initiative, dedicated to promoting and dispelling some of the taboos around death and dying to encourage a healthier culture around d...

In this episode of the podcast I talk to the Lovely Dr Annetta Mallon from Gentle Death Education and Planning about Advance Care Plans. During our conversation we discuss why Advance Care Plans are so important and how they allow you to think about and document your wishes should you be unable to make those decisions yourself.  Advance care plans are not only for the elderly or the unwell.   They...