Our Dead Dads

Today, poet and author Cleo Childs shares the layered, emotional story of losing her mother Candace to early-onset Alzheimer’s. Cleo was only 21 when her mom was diagnosed — a time when most people are still figuring out their own path. Instead, she became a caregiver. What followed was a years-long journey through denial, frustration, grace, and grief, as Cleo learned to navigate her mother’s decline while grappling with her own i...

In Episode 55, grief writer and speaker Chelsea Ohlemiller joins the podcast to share the story behind Hope and Harsh Realities, her widely followed platform that began after the loss of her mother, Rita, to cancer in 2017. What started as private notes on her phone turned into something far greater — a space for honesty, healing, and connection for anyone grieving a mother.

Chelsea opens up about how her grief affected everything —...

Michelle Rix joins Nick Gaylord for a deeply personal conversation about grief, love, and the long road back from devastating loss. In 2018, Michelle’s daughter Paisley was stillborn at 38 weeks — a tragedy that was followed by the death of her father, a man she adored. These back-to-back losses sent her into a spiral of grief, trauma, and addiction, leaving her to rebuild not only her emotional world but her entire sense of identi...

This week, Our Dead Dads Podcast takes you behind the scenes of the Gabby Petito Foundation’s “Change the World” charity golf event — a day filled with heart, hope, and a mission rooted in love. Host Nick Gaylord was there in person, capturing conversations, moments, and the energy of a powerful gathering dedicated to remembering Gabby and helping families in crisis. 

Rather than a traditional interview, this episode features a seri...

Devan Christian-Vermeer is a therapist, a grief specialist, and a daughter who lived through the heartbreak of her father’s cancer diagnosis — and the unexpected twist of his remission. In this episode, she opens up about the experience of anticipatory grief, and how it shaped her both personally and professionally.

As she navigated her own journey, Devan developed the Compassionate Care Method — a structured yet deeply human approa...

For this special episode, we’re flipping the script. Nick Gaylord — host of Our Dead Dads — joins Chris Tidrick as a guest on ILLUMENATE, a podcast focused on men with open hearts, deep purpose, and the courage to grow. In this wide-ranging conversation, Nick reflects on the loss of his father, the complicated grief that followed, and how that pain eventually became the fuel behind a podcast dedicated to making grief conversations ...

Scarlett Lewis is the founder of the Choose Love Movement, a global nonprofit dedicated to bringing social-emotional learning into schools, homes, and communities. Her son Jesse was just six years old when he was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School during the 2012 mass shooting. In the wake of unspeakable loss, Scarlett made a conscious decision not to let anger, bitterness, or hate define her future. Instead, she built someth...

Scott Tavlin is a motivational speaker, mindset coach, radio host, and emcee with a powerful message and a story rooted in real loss. His energy is contagious, his presence commanding — but behind the microphone is a son who lost his mother far too soon. Scott’s mother battled significant health challenges for years, including a critical ICU hospitalization in 2018 that nearly took her life. Miraculously, she recovered — and the ve...

In this episode, I sit down with the incredible Dr. Mary Ann Mercer — psychologist, author, and someone I’m proud to call a friend — for a deeply moving conversation about what it means to grieve before the loss even happens. Dr. Mary shares the story of her best friend Willa, who spent the last three years of her life battling a rare form of cancer. As Willa’s health slowly declined, Dr. Mary experienced a grief that started long ...

In this beautifully honest episode, Vicki Goodman shares her experience of losing her beloved husband Sam after a two-year battle with liver cancer. Vicki reflects on their love story, their decision to live fully even after a terminal diagnosis, and the bittersweet journey of caring for Sam through his final months.

Vicki opens up about the anticipatory grief she faced — how she prepared for his passing while holding onto hope, the...

In this deeply moving episode, Linda Henderson shares the heartbreaking story of losing her 27-year-old daughter Andrea in a car accident just five days before Christmas. Andrea — a social worker, wife, and expectant mother — was killed instantly when a distracted transport truck driver slammed into her car. What followed was not just unimaginable grief, but a years-long battle with a failed justice system, a fight for grandparent ...

In this deeply moving episode, Kristina Driscoll shares the powerful story of her late husband Bill’s battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s — and the emotional and spiritual journey that came with being his caregiver for more than a decade. What began as a storybook romance quickly turned into a full-time fight for normalcy, stability, and hope. From the moment of his diagnosis, Kristina was thrust into the roles of caregiver, mother...

Kathy Julien has spent the last 40 years flying jets and defying expectations. But nothing in her storied career could prepare her for the loss of her 24-year-old son, Eric. In this deeply emotional episode, Kathy opens up about parenting twins, navigating a son’s battle with addiction and type 1 diabetes, and the grief that followed when she lost him. What began as a conversation about motherhood quickly deepens into a raw and pow...

Mary Fields grew up without a relationship with her father. In fact, she hadn’t seen him face-to-face in nearly 20 years when a sheriff arrived at her door to inform her that he had died. What followed was a surreal journey into the life — and the death — of a man she barely knew. With no one else to handle the aftermath, Mary found herself responsible for his estate, including navigating his hoarded trailer, dealing with legal red...

In this special episode of Our Dead Dads Podcast, I sit down with returning guests—and real-life couple—Matthew Struck and Jocelyn Bates. Both have shared their powerful grief journeys individually: Jocelyn losing both of her parents just a week apart, and Matthew processing the loss of his father to suicide. But today, we go beyond their personal stories to talk about grief in relationships—what it looks like to navigate loss toge...

In this episode of Our Dead Dads Podcast, I sit down with Matthew Struck for an incredibly raw and honest conversation about grief, trauma, and the complexities of losing someone when the relationship was already difficult. Matthew lost his father to suicide, a devastating loss compounded by years of unresolved pain and unspoken words. 

We dive into what it means to grieve someone when the relationship was strained, how suicide grie...

Losing a parent is one of the hardest things we can face in life—but what happens when you lose both parents in the span of a week? In this special re-release, we revisit my emotional conversation with Jocelyn Bates, who shares how she navigated the overwhelming loss of both her mother and father during the COVID-19 pandemic. As an only child, she was left to manage not just the immense grief, but also the legal and logistical chal...

In this powerful episode, Robbie Parker shares his deeply personal journey after losing his six-year-old daughter Emilie in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012. Robbie reflects on cherished memories of Emilie and how her loving, creative nature brought joy to their family. He opens up about the emotional challenges he faced in the aftermath, including harassment and conspiracy theories that disrupted his grieving proc...

In this episode, I had the honor of speaking with Dave Roberts, a man whose journey through profound loss has reshaped his entire perspective on life, grief, and spirituality. Dave lost his daughter, Jeannine, at just 18 years old to cancer, and his path toward healing has been filled with deep reflection, transformative experiences, and a unique understanding of continued bonds with those who have passed. His story is one of resil...