A Place of Yes | A Grief Podcast
“A Place of YES” is a podcast about using your grief to create something good. The non-profit Jake’s Help From Heaven releases weekly episodes showcasing the good that has been done in the 14 years since Jake’s death. You’ll meet mothers who know Heather’s grief and her joy. You’ll get to know the children that have been helped by Jake and you’ll meet the people who have helped make all of this joy possible.
Episodes
July 3, 2025 • 33 mins
This week’s episode is a special live recording from Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs, where Heather sits down with author Casey Mulligan Walsh to talk about her deeply moving memoir, The Full Catastrophe.
Orphaned by twelve, the only surviving sibling, and later a mother navigating divorce and the unraveling of her family, Casey opens up about the grief that shaped her life—and the unimaginable loss of her firstborn son, ...
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June 26, 2025 • 36 mins
At just 19 years old, she lost her mom to Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency—a rare genetic disorder that went undiagnosed until it was too late. In this episode, she shares what it was like to watch her mom suffer without answers, and how the grief of that experience changed everything: her family, her future, and her sense of self.
She and Heather talk about the ripple effects of rare disease, the deep frustration of medical uncerta...
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June 12, 2025 • 21 mins
Dr. Al Freedman knows firsthand what it’s like to be a parent in the rare disease world—his son Jack lived with Spinal Muscular Atrophy for 26 years. In this conversation, he joins Heather to talk about the deep grief and isolation that comes with rare parenting, and what it means to lose a child to a disease no one else seems to understand.
As both a psychologist and a rare disease dad, Dr. Freedman brings a unique perspective—sh...
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June 5, 2025 • 40 mins
Aubrey Ide was only 18 when she lost her best friend Olivia Allen to cancer. In this episode, Aubrey sits down with Heather to share what it’s been like to grieve so young—how the loss changed her, what she misses most, and the milestones that feel so different without Olivia there.
She talks about the things they didn’t get to do together, the deep loneliness of losing a friend at that age, and what healing looks like nearly a ye...
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May 29, 2025 • 39 mins
Grief doesn’t come with a roadmap—and it definitely doesn’t fit into a 3-day leave policy. In this episode, Heather sits down with Rebecca Feinglos, founder of Grieve Leave, to talk about what it really looks like to take time to mourn. After losing both of her parents and going through a divorce, Rebecca quit her job in 2021 to dedicate a full year to grieving—and she documented every step.
That journey grew into Grieve Leave, a ...
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May 22, 2025 • 41 mins
When Amelia Lawrence’s son Leo was born with limited mobility, she didn’t know if he’d ever experience the simple joys other kids take for granted—like riding a bike or sitting comfortably at school. But everything changed when Leo was introduced to adaptive equipment designed specifically for his needs.
In this episode, Amelia shares how tools like a custom-built tricycle and Chill-Out Chair have transformed Leo’s daily life, giv...
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May 15, 2025 • 35 mins
When Maria Quiban Whitesell’s husband, Sean, was diagnosed with glioblastoma—a deadly and aggressive brain cancer—her world fell apart. Eighteen months later, she found herself a widow and a solo parent to their young son, Gus. In this powerful conversation, Maria shares the raw truth about navigating her husband’s illness, the impossible grief that followed, and how she learned to keep moving forward when it felt impossible.
No...
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May 8, 2025 • 54 mins
Gabby Petito’s name is known around the world—but behind the headlines is a family still living with unimaginable grief. In this powerful conversation, Heather sits down with Gabby’s mother and stepmother to talk about what life has been like without her: the milestones she’s missed, the memories they hold close, and the heartbreak that lingers on birthdays, holidays, and especially Mother’s Day.
They speak openly about their pa...
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May 1, 2025 • 21 mins
Jake’s birthday is coming, and it still hurts just as much as it did that first year. In this solo episode, Heather opens up about what it really feels like to face another year without her son—the lead-up, the dread, the heartbreak that anniversaries bring when someone you love is gone.
She shares how grief shows up in waves, especially on the dates that once meant celebration. If you’ve lost someone and find yourself holding you...
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April 24, 2025 • 35 mins
Jessica Patay is a full-time caregiver to her son with Prader-Willi syndrome—and the founder of We Are Brave Together, a global support network for caregiving moms. In this episode, she joins Heather to talk about the emotional toll of rare parenting, why self-care isn’t a luxury, and what it really takes to show up for yourself when you're constantly showing up for everyone else.
They get honest about burnout, identity loss, and ...
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April 17, 2025 • 15 mins
After losing her daughter Kelsey, Debbie Waffle was left with a grief that didn’t fade—but she also felt a quiet pull toward purpose. In Part 2 of her conversation with Heather, Debbie shares how she began to live for Kelsey—writing her book My Grief Jar and training Kelsey’s beloved dog, Brody, to become a therapy dog, just as Kelsey had dreamed.
This episode is about the healing that happens in motion, the love that continues lo...
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April 10, 2025 • 31 mins
Debbie Waffle built a life filled with joy, purpose, and hope—but nothing could prepare her for what came next. Her daughter Kelsey’s medical challenges grew more complex over time, leaving Debbie desperate for answers and overwhelmed with fear. And when Kelsey died, the grief nearly consumed her.
On what would have been Kelsey’s birthday, Debbie speaks with Heather about the deep unraveling that comes with losing a child—the guil...
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Being a rare disease parent means living in a world of unpredictability—and in this powerful follow-up episode, Jessica Troiano shares what that really looks like. From a terrifying recent emergency surgery to the countless difficult decisions she’s had to make over the years, Jess opens up about the emotional and mental toll of parenting a medically complex child.
She talks about the weight of advocacy, the fear of the unknown, a...
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March 27, 2025 • 40 mins
Losing a sister at 15 changes everything. Sophia Allen opens up about the heartbreak of losing Olivia—her sister, her best friend, her constant.
She shares what people don’t understand about sibling grief, the loneliness of navigating loss at such a young age, and the trauma that shaped her teenage years. This raw and honest conversation gives voice to the kind of grief that often goes unseen but never goes unfelt.
DONATE TO THE...
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March 20, 2025 • 33 mins
Three years after losing her daughter Dalia to a rare disease, Jessica Fein embarked on a powerful journey to Guatemala—Dalia’s birthplace—to reconnect with her spirit.
In this episode, she shares the emotional experience of returning to the country, the rituals her family performed to feel Dalia’s presence, and the deep, unexpected ways grief and love intertwine. This is a story of remembrance, connection, and the unbreakable bo...
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March 13, 2025 • 31 mins
Grief is never one-size-fits-all. Heather sits down with the Best family—Lisa, along with her adult children, Aly and Tyler—to talk about life after the sudden loss of their husband and father, Bob Best, who passed away on May 7, 2018.
They share how the same loss can affect each person in unique ways—a wife mourning her partner, children grieving a father, and the lasting impact of sudden loss years later. This conversation explo...
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March 6, 2025 • 32 mins
What do you do when doctors tell you your baby won’t survive? For Jessica Troiano, the answer was simple: fight. In this episode, Jessica shares her journey of raising Jude, her 13-year-old son with a rare genetic condition, PHGDH deficiency, and 15 medical diagnoses. From navigating life-or-death moments to countless surgeries and trips to Boston Children’s Hospital, Jessica opens up about the challenges, heartbreak, and strength ...
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February 27, 2025 • 43 mins
In 2024, 18-year-old Olivia Allen lost her battle with leukemia, leaving behind a heartbroken family, friends, and a community forever changed.
Nearly a year later, her mother, Mellissa, her sister, Sophia, and her best friend, Aubrey, sit down with Heather to share what life has been like without her. They open up about the reality of grieving a young life lost too soon, the unexpected ways grief has shown up, and how they conti...
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February 20, 2025 • 33 mins
Ashley Schneider grew up watching her mother, Jill, battle multiple sclerosis with quiet strength. Determined to take action, she founded MS Run the US from her childhood bedroom in Wisconsin, turning her love of running into a mission to raise awareness and funds for those affected by MS.
In 2010, she took it to the next level—running 3,288 miles across America to bring national attention to the cause.
But her journey didn’t e...
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February 13, 2025 • 52 mins
What happens when you lose someone you love to suicide? How do you even begin to process a loss that feels impossible to carry? In this episode, Heather sits down with Madison Reuter, who opens up about losing her ex-partner, Regis, to suicide after his battle with schizophrenia.
Madison shares the raw reality of navigating this kind of grief—what it’s like to lose someone so young, the struggles of suicide loss, and the complicat...
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