Don't Forget To Breathe: A Podcast for Living after Child Loss.

Get in touch In the beginning, everyone remembers. People call. They check in. They remember birthdays and anniversaries. They ask how you're doing. But as the years pass, something begins to change. The calls become less frequent. Fewer people mention your child's name. Life continues moving forward for everyone around you, while your child remains just as much a part of your life as ev...

Get in touch In Part 2 of our conversation with Erin Blechman, we begin with two words familiar to so many bereaved parents, “what if?” What if I had noticed something? What if I had called? What if I had made a different decision? Erin shares how guilt and child loss can become deeply intertwined, and offers a powerful reframing, turning “what if” into “even if,” as a way of confronting the painf...

Get in touch Erin Blechman describes her son Max as one of the most interesting people she has ever known. He was intelligent, creative, compassionate, funny, and deeply sensitive. He played music, wrote poetry and short stories, performed stand up comedy, and cared deeply about the injustices he saw in the world. Max also lived with major depressive disorder, and in June of 2020, at age 25, he di...

Get in touch What happens when a group of mothers who have experienced the death of a child step away from everyday life and into the mountains together? In this special episode of Don't Forget To Breathe, Kristin reunites with several of the moms who shared a retreat weekend in the Colorado mountains. Together, they reflect on what they carried home with them, the connections they formed, an...

Get in touch Don’t Forget To Breathe I still talk to you in empty rooms In the silence and the Sunday afternoons Some days I laugh Some days I break Some days I don’t know What my heart can take   And everybody says that time moves on But they don’t know a love this strong So we carry what we cannot leave And somehow learn to breathe   So don’t forget to breathe When the night gets hard to see Whe...

Get in touch As Season 4 comes to a close, Bruce Barker reflects on an unforgettable year of conversations, courage, and connection. In this special solo episode, Bruce looks back at some of the season's most impactful moments with guests including Tammy, Jamie and Cooper, Scott Allen, Marissa, and John DeDakis. He shares how their stories, along with conversations with co-host Kristin Glenn,...

Get in touch Who were you before your child died? And who have you become since? In this deeply personal conversation, Bruce Barker and Kristin Glenn explore one of the most profound realities of child loss: the person you were before your child died no longer exists. Together, they reflect on how grief reshapes identity, relationships, priorities, purpose, and even the way we experience the world...

Get in touch Marissa's daughter, Skylar, died in 2015 at just four years old. More than a decade later, Marissa shares what many bereaved parents quietly experience: the love hasn't changed, the grief hasn't disappeared, and healing can sometimes feel like betraying the child you miss every day. In this deeply vulnerable conversation, Marissa talks about the physical pain of grief,...

Get in touch Sometimes another person's words express exactly what our hearts have been trying to say. In this special episode, Bruce and Kristin step away from the traditional interview format to share writings and reflections from several remarkable voices in the grief community, including Jameson Arasi, Paula Griffith, Donna Ashworth, and The Grief Table. Together, they explore powerful th...

Get in touch What began as one father's way of surviving the loss of his daughter has grown into something far bigger than a podcast. In this special episode, Bruce Barker and Kristin Glenn announce the launch of the Don't Forget To Breathe Foundation , a nonprofit created to expand connection, conversation, and community for bereaved parents and those who walk beside them. Bruce and Kri...

Get in touch What happens when a journalist who spent decades telling other people's stories suddenly finds himself living the story he never wanted? In this deeply thoughtful conversation, Bruce Barker and Kristin Glenn welcome author, journalist, writing coach, and bereaved father John DeDakis. Together, they explore the life and legacy of John's son, Stephen, the realities of grief af...

Get in touch As we release this episode on Father's Day weekend, we recognize that this day can carry many emotions for bereaved fathers. It can be a day of love, remembrance, gratitude, heartache, and longing, often all at the same time. In this special conversation, Bruce and Kristin sit down with Scott Allen to talk about his daughter, Jamie Summer Allen, a gifted mother of eight, talented...

Get in touch In Part 2 of I Don't Know What To Say to a Grieving Parent, Bruce Barker and Kristin Glenn continue their conversation for those supporting a bereaved parent. This episode focuses on why positivity can feel dismissive, why grief cannot be fixed, and why presence matters more than advice, answers, or silver linings. Bruce and Kristin talk about the difference between support and f...

Get in touch What do you say to a grieving parent? For many people, the fear of saying the wrong thing leads to silence, distance, and disappearance. But for bereaved parents, that silence often hurts far more than imperfect words ever could. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Bruce Barker and Kristin Glenn speak directly to the friends, family members, co-workers, and supporters who want to...

Get in touch In part two of this heartfelt conversation, Cooper shares what it has been like navigating life after the loss of his brother, Parker, following part one’s conversation with their mom, Jamie. Cooper speaks openly about the silence that filled their home after Parker died, the loss of motivation that followed, and the way grief evolved over time, from regret about the past to longing f...

Get in touch In Part 1 of this deeply personal conversation, Jamie shares the story of her son Parker, a vibrant, fearless ten-year-old whose life was tragically cut short during the Baja 500 in Mexico. What follows is a raw and honest discussion about the moments that changed everything, the chaos and heartbreak of navigating unimaginable loss in a foreign country, and the impossible task of surv...

Get in touch We live in a world wired to fix things. But grief, especially child loss, is not something that can be fixed. In this episode, Bruce and Kristin explore the powerful shift from being a “fixer” to becoming a “witness.” Together, they unpack the instinct to ease pain, the discomfort that often causes people to pull away, and the quiet, lasting impact of simply staying present. This conv...

Get in touch In this deeply moving episode of Don’t Forget To Breathe , Tammy shares the story of her son, Easton, a bright, joyful little boy who was deeply loved and long awaited. What began as a normal season of life turned into unimaginable loss in a matter of hours. Tammy walks us through the shock of losing Easton, the trauma of those final moments, and the long road of learning to live with...

Get in touch There’s a moment many grieving parents experience, but rarely say out loud. A moment where laughter returns, or a sense of lightness breaks through… and almost immediately, it’s followed by guilt. In this episode, Bruce and Kristin explore the complex and often conflicting emotions that arise when joy reenters life after child loss. Why does happiness feel like betrayal? Why do we que...

Get in touch In Part 2 of Gina’s story, we move beyond the moment everything changed and into the long, complicated reality of living after child loss. This conversation holds space for what grief becomes over time, the loneliness that cannot be fixed, the misunderstandings that even well-meaning people carry, and the deeply personal work of healing. Gina shares what it means to feel “Gabe-sized l...

Get in touch In Part 1 of this deeply moving conversation, Gina shares the story of her son, Gabe, a kind, funny, and compassionate 17-year-old whose presence impacted everyone around him. From memories of his humor and heart, to the way he showed up for kids who felt unseen, this episode paints a beautiful picture of who Gabe was before everything changed. Gina then walks us through the day of th...

Get in touch When a child dies, it can feel like everything is taken, your future, your identity, your sense of who you are. In this deeply honest conversation, Bruce and Kristin explore that raw reality, and then gently turn toward something many grieving parents eventually begin to notice, not what was taken, but what remains. This episode sits in the tension between loss and love. It gives lang...

Get in touch In this episode, Natalie shares the story of her daughter Brooklyn, a joyful, imaginative little girl who filled every space with life. Through heartfelt memories and honest reflection, we talk about sudden loss, the early days of shock and numbness, and what it means to keep living while grieving a child. This conversation explores how joy and sorrow can exist together, and how love...

Get in touch In this episode, Bruce and Kristin reflect on the Academy Award winning documentary All the Empty Rooms , a film that quietly and honestly invites viewers into the sacred spaces left behind after the loss of a child. Rather than offering answers or silver linings, the film simply bears witness, to bedrooms untouched, to memories preserved, and to the deep, ongoing connection between p...

Get in touch In Part 2, Bruce and Kristin continue their conversation about the shattered future that follows child loss . Together, they talk about the milestones that can hit without warning, birthdays, New Year’s, graduations, weddings, and the quiet moments that remind grieving parents of all that was lost. They also speak candidly about resentment, remembrance, and the deep longing to have th...