Nothing can prepare you for the moment you hear that your child has no pulse. In this deeply moving episode of the Roller Coaster Podcast, I sit down with Lindsay Taylor as she shares the most harrowing night of her life, the night her 17-year-old son, Alex, was airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital and placed on a ventilator just weeks before his high school graduation.
Lindsay takes us inside the heartbreak of that night, the quiet strength it took to stand by Alex’s side, and the gut-wrenching decision to say goodbye on Mother’s Day. We talk about the whirlwind of emotions, grief, anger, helplessness, even hope, and the powerful moment of seeing “#lookfortherainbow” across the hospital window that became a turning point in her journey.
This episode is not just about loss. It’s about love, faith, surrender, and finding purpose in the pain. Lindsay opens up about parenting through addiction, supporting children’s mental health, and why she believes suicide is 100% preventable.
If you’re navigating grief, parenting a struggling teen, or searching for light in your darkest moments, this conversation will stay with you long after it ends.
Key Moments:
0:00 The Night Everything Changed Forever
3:12 “He Had No Pulse”: The Call No Parent Should Get
9:25 Seeing #LookForTheRainbow in the Darkest Hour
13:52 The Painful Decision No Parent Ever Wants to Make
18:40 How We Told the Kids Their Brother Wasn’t Coming Home
22:15 Mother’s Day, Loss, and a Moment I’ll Never Forget
26:33 Parenting Through Addiction and Teen Struggles
30:21 “We Lost Alex to Marijuana First, Then Fentanyl”
38:50 Creating Safety So Your Kids Will Open Up to You
43:12 How Each Sibling Grieved Differently
47:55 Why Suicide Prevention Must Be Talked About
56:35 Why Talking About Suicide Could Save a Life
1:06:50 A Direct Message to Anyone Struggling With Suicide
Guest Info:
IG: @_soul_soldier (https://www.instagram.com/_soul_soldier/)
YouTube: @soulsoldierspeaks (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7i-qLian5I2XTSdEH9tfDg)
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