While We're Waiting® - Hope After Child Loss

In the second half of my conversation with author and speaker Wende Gaikema, our discussion turns to some of the most difficult and deeply personal questions parents face after the suicide of a child.  (If you haven't listened to the first half of our conversation yet, please click HERE to do that!) Drawing from her own experience following the death of her 24-year-old son, Matt, Wende contin...

The death of a child by suicide leaves parents with heartbreaking questions, overwhelming emotions, and a complicated grief journey. In this first episode of a two-part conversation, I speak with author, speaker, and leadership coach Wende Gaikema about the loss of her 24-year-old son, Matt, who died by suicide in 2018. Wende first shares Matt's story and the day that changed her family'...

Today we pick up right where we left off last week in my conversation with Heather Oden.  In the previous episode, she introduced us to her son Jacob and shared the heartbreaking story of the car accident that took his life at just 15 years old. She also gave us a glimpse into those early days of grief and the ways God met her in the middle of unimaginable pain.  (You may want to click HERE to lis...

My guest today is Heather Oden of Sterling, Kansas. Heather is a woman who wears many hats ... She's the executive director of a nonprofit called Light Up the Dark , a worship leader at her church, the wife of a fifth-generation farmer, and the mom of five children.  Today, she joins me to share the story of her son, Jacob. Jacob was an athlete, an encourager, and a young man with a remarkabl...

Is it possible to forgive someone who has taken everything from you? That's the question at the heart of the second half of my conversation with Davey Blackburn. After losing his wife, Amanda, and unborn daughter, Evie, in a tragic act of violence in 2015, Davey made national headlines when he publicly extended forgiveness to the men responsible. But as he explains in this episode, forgivenes...

On November 10, 2015, Davey Blackburn's life changed forever.  What began as an ordinary Tuesday morning ended in unimaginable tragedy when intruders entered his home, leaving his wife Amanda critically wounded. 24 hours later, Davey faced the devastating reality of losing not only Amanda, but also their unborn daughter, Evie. Suddenly, the young pastor found himself walking a road he never e...

" God just kept putting joy in front of me and encouraging me to open my heart to it." In this second half of my conversation with author Leanne Davidson, we move into some of the deeper questions grieving parents often wrestle with after child loss: Why? What if? Could I have done something differently? Will I ever feel joy again? After losing her son, Mikael, to a fentanyl overdose, Le...

“Our hearts may be tattered, but they are still useful in God’s hands.”   In this first half of my conversation with author Leanne Davidson, she shares the story of her son, Mikael — a compassionate, funny, energetic young man who loved people deeply and brought joy and laughter wherever he went. She also opens up about the difficult journey of walking alongside a child struggling with addiction a...

Today's episode features the second half of my conversation with Matthew Efird, as we move beyond Noah’s earthly 57½ hours and into the difficult road of learning how to live after he went to Heaven.  (If you missed the first half of our conversation, click HERE .) Matthew shares candidly about grief from a father’s perspective, which is something that often goes unseen, particularly after th...

Matthew Efird and his wife, Hannah, were joyfully expecting their second son when the word "abnormalities" during a routine ultrasound changed everything. What followed was a journey into anticipatory grief after their son Noah was diagnosed with Trisomy 13, a condition often described as “incompatible with life.”  In today's episode, Matthew shares what it was like to walk through...

In this second half of my conversation with Keallie Wozny, we shift from Trevor’s story to what it looks like to live in the aftermath of his death. Keallie shares with honesty and clarity about the questions that so many suicide loss parents carry — questions like why and could I have done something to prevent this?   She reminds us that while those questions are natural, we are not always given...

In this first half of my conversation with Keallie Wozny, we begin by getting to know her son, Trevor, as she shares stories from his childhood, his love of music, his strong work ethic, and his desire to serve others, including his dream of becoming a Marine.  But as his story unfolds, things begin to shift. What follows is a difficult and complex journey as Trevor begins to struggle with mental...

“You’re not broken… you’re becoming.”  ~Tom Snyir In this second half of our conversation, Tom and Heather Snyir share what life has looked like in the days, months, and years since their daughter Katie Rae went to Heaven. We talk about the realities of everyday grief - navigating the things people say, learning to live with “grief brain,” and facing simple questions that suddenly feel anything bu...

"God doesn’t always remove the suffering—He enters into it with us.”  In this first half of our conversation, Tom and Heather Snyir share the story of their daughter, Katie Rae—a creative, joyful teenager who made everyone around her feel like they were her best friend. Katie was diagnosed with leukemia at just four years old.  Tom and Heather share what it was like to navigate months of trea...

Today I resume my conversation with Leah Sweetman, as she shares what the last two years have looked like since the loss of her son, Nathan. She talks honestly about the first year of grief—the intensity of it, the impact it had on her thoughts and physical health, and the difficulty of approaching significant dates and milestones. Leah also reflects on how her experience has changed over time. No...

“Meet me at the gate, Nate.” In this first half of our conversation, Leah Sweetman shares the story of her son Nathan—a bright, imaginative, strong-willed young man who brought both great joy and deep challenges to their family.  As Leah introduces us to Nathan, we begin to understand not only who he was, but the complexity of the road he walked. From an early age, Nathan struggled with behavioral...

In this episode of the While We’re Waiting – Hope After Child Loss podcast, I continue my conversation with Kirsten Black, author of the Faithful Paradox blog. In Part One, Kirsten shared about her son Ezra, his battle with leukemia, and the early realities of grief that reshaped her life and faith. Today, we pick up where we left off, continuing our discussion of her blog post, “10 Things That Ar...

In this episode of the While We’re Waiting – Hope After Child Loss podcast, Jill Sullivan begins a two-part conversation with Kirsten Black, author of the Faithful Paradox blog. Kirsten shares about her son Ezra, a gifted musician and passionate soccer player who had a remarkable ability to make people feel seen and loved. In 2021, Ezra became sick and was eventually diagnosed with leukemia. After...

If you’re a regular listener, you know that we typically feature conversations with parents who have experienced the loss of a child on this podcast.  However, when a good friend posted a link to this sermon on Romans 8:28 in our private “While We're Waiting – Support for Bereaved Parents” Facebook group a couple weeks ago, I knew it was something I wanted to share with you.   Kirk Miller is...

"God doesn’t ask us to live the whole story at once. He walks us through it chapter by chapter.”  In this second half of my conversation with Tricia Patrick, we move beyond the events of February 2014 and into the long journey that followed the loss of her son Jeremy to suicide. Tricia describes those early days as a fog — returning to work just ten days after Jeremy went to heaven, sitting w...

“You don’t have to resolve every layer of grief at once. God works in chapters.”  Today's episode begins a two-part conversation with my new friend Tricia Patrick. In this first episode, you’ll get to know her son Jeremy — a miracle baby, a football-loving, bow-tie wearing, big-hearted young man who adored children and dreamed of opening an orphanage one day. You’ll hear about the complicated...

If you’ve lost your song, that doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. In this second half of my conversation with Kristi Kirk, we focus on what healing can look like over time after devastating loss. Kristi reflects on the long road of grief following the death of both her husband and her son, and how her faith, perspective, and purpose have been slowly reshaped. Kristi shares what it meant to walk throu...

When life no longer feels safe or predictable, trust in God can feel fragile. In this first half of my conversation with Kristi Kirk, we talk about what it means to be shaken to the core by loss—and how faith can be tested, reshaped, and rebuilt in the aftermath. Kristi shares her story of profound grief, including the sudden death of her husband and, less than two years later, the loss of her 18-...

Today, we resume our conversation with Ken and Mary Sue Grein as they recount the events surrounding their son Jacob’s unexpected passing in 2019, the way their family was gathered together, and the profound sense of God’s presence in those hours. They speak honestly about shock, sorrow, and the weight of saying goodbye, while also sharing moments of comfort, reassurance, and hope that met them in...

Today I’m joined by Ken and Mary Sue Grein as they begin sharing the story of their son Jacob—a story that would shape their family, their faith, and their understanding of what gives a life meaning. Our conversation takes us into the early years of Jacob’s life, including his fragile beginning, a prolonged hospital journey, and the realities of raising a child with significant disabilities. Ken a...