Episode #78 - Death of a Daughter by Annette Kruschek

On this episode of Survive & Thrive 8791 Podcast, I welcome Annette Kruschek to the Buck & Honey’s remote studios. Annette, a loving wife and an amazing mother of eight, was living a happy and joyous life, similar to one she grew up in as the youngest of eight. After meeting her future husband Dan in college, they would marry. She always dreamed of having a big family. After earning her degree in elementary education, Annette began her teaching career at a private school just outside Madison, Wisconsin. In 1998, she and husband Dan started building their own family, welcoming a daughter and a son. Eight years later, they decided to add to their family with the birth of two sons and a daughter. 

The incredible gift of adoption would bring three more children into their home, a total of eight just like the one Annette grew up in. Life was full of happy moments but not without the challenges of eight busy schedules. Soon, their three adopted children would face health concerns, all diagnosed with Complex Heart Disease (CHD), requiring seven surgeries over their early lives. Despite the obstacles in their way, the Kruscheks stayed the course, doing what was necessary to provide for their loving children.

Then, in February 2021, in the middle of the night, everything changed. Their youngest daughter, Evelyn, would go into cardiac arrest. Every effort was used to save Evelyn’s life but she would lose her fight unexpectedly from an undetected tumor. The loss shook the Kruschek family.

Today, Annette and her family continue to live life to the fullest each and every day. They have a hobby farm in southern Wisconsin where they enjoy nature. Sharing her story has been therapeutic for Annette and she hopes to inspire others who are navigating loss, parenting, and the amazing life she has. You won’t want to miss this episode of Survive & Thrive 8791. CAN’T WAIT!!!