In this moving conversation, Deborah Charman and Brian Wardale share their powerful personal journeys through grief, caregiving, and healing, and how those experiences inspired their work in suicide prevention and emotional education. Both survivors of deep loss and personal struggles, they now use their stories to help young people navigate grief, end-of-life challenges, and the difficult emotions that can come with living and dying.
Brian, after his father’s stroke, stepped up to care for his mother until she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Losing his role as caregiver sent Brian into a spiral of depression, eventually leading to a life-altering suicide attempt that resulted in the amputation of his leg. Through that pain, he found a new purpose by sharing his story and helping others.
Deborah worked as a healthcare aide, caring for elderly patients who often struggled with the emotional weight of aging and dying. She used compassion and deep listening to help them find meaning in their final years. Having survived her own suicide attempt decades earlier, Deborah brings personal insight to their mission of guiding others through emotional struggles.
Together, Brian and Deborah developed an educational program for young people, focusing on conscious living, emotional resilience, and making good choices in difficult moments. Their framework teaches kids to understand their feelings, process grief, and build hope for the future. By sharing their experiences with death, dying, and healing, they help others move from despair to meaning, offering a message of hope for anyone facing life’s hardest challenges.
https://www.survivorsofhopelessness.com/
https://teensuicidepreventionsociety.com/
https://www.facebook.com/brian.wardale
https://www.instagram.com/the.iron.byron/
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