While We're Waiting® - Hope After Child Loss

"Don't worry about me. I'll see you soon."  ~ Allie

When sixteen-year-old Allie Andres was diagnosed with diffuse midline glioma (DMG), an aggressive and incurable pediatric brain cancer, her family was suddenly faced with every parent's worst nightmare. But instead of allowing fear to define her remaining days, Allie chose to embrace each one with extraordinary faith, contagious joy, and an unwavering focus on eternity.

In this...

"Every scar says, 'Here's where I was broken, and here is where God met me.'" ~ Pat Elsberry

What if the deepest wound in your life could one day become your greatest testimony of God's faithfulness?

In today's episode, returning guest Pat Elsberry joins us to discuss her newest book, When Scars Become Stories: A Journey to Healing, Restoration, and Faith.  After her daughter Melanie died due to addiction in 2020, Pat began the ...

In the second half of my conversation with author and speaker Wende Gaikema, our discussion turns to some of the most difficult and deeply personal questions parents face after the suicide of a child.  (If you haven't listened to the first half of our conversation yet, please click HERE to do that!)

Drawing from her own experience following the death of her 24-year-old son, Matt, Wende continues walking through the choices outl...

The death of a child by suicide leaves parents with heartbreaking questions, overwhelming emotions, and a complicated grief journey. In this first episode of a two-part conversation, I speak with author, speaker, and leadership coach Wende Gaikema about the loss of her 24-year-old son, Matt, who died by suicide in 2018.

Wende first shares Matt's story and the day that changed her family's life forever. She then introduces the centra...

Today we pick up right where we left off last week in my conversation with Heather Oden.  In the previous episode, she introduced us to her son Jacob and shared the heartbreaking story of the car accident that took his life at just 15 years old. She also gave us a glimpse into those early days of grief and the ways God met her in the middle of unimaginable pain.  (You may want to click HERE to listen to the first half of ...

My guest today is Heather Oden of Sterling, Kansas. Heather is a woman who wears many hats ... She's the executive director of a nonprofit called Light Up the Dark, a worship leader at her church, the wife of a fifth-generation farmer, and the mom of five children.  Today, she joins me to share the story of her son, Jacob.

Jacob was an athlete, an encourager, and a young man with a remarkable gift for noticing people who were h...

Is it possible to forgive someone who has taken everything from you?

That's the question at the heart of the second half of my conversation with Davey Blackburn.

After losing his wife, Amanda, and unborn daughter, Evie, in a tragic act of violence in 2015, Davey made national headlines when he publicly extended forgiveness to the men responsible. But as he explains in this episode, forgiveness was not a feeling that came naturally. I...

On November 10, 2015, Davey Blackburn's life changed forever. 

What began as an ordinary Tuesday morning ended in unimaginable tragedy when intruders entered his home, leaving his wife Amanda critically wounded. 24 hours later, Davey faced the devastating reality of losing not only Amanda, but also their unborn daughter, Evie. Suddenly, the young pastor found himself walking a road he never expected to travel.

In this first half...

"God just kept putting joy in front of me and encouraging me to open my heart to it."

In this second half of my conversation with author Leanne Davidson, we move into some of the deeper questions grieving parents often wrestle with after child loss: Why? What if? Could I have done something differently? Will I ever feel joy again?

After losing her son, Mikael, to a fentanyl overdose, Leanne has walked through those questions herself....

“Our hearts may be tattered, but they are still useful in God’s hands.” 

In this first half of my conversation with author Leanne Davidson, she shares the story of her son, Mikael — a compassionate, funny, energetic young man who loved people deeply and brought joy and laughter wherever he went. She also opens up about the difficult journey of walking alongside a child struggling with addiction and the d...

Today's episode features the second half of my conversation with Matthew Efird, as we move beyond Noah’s earthly 57½ hours and into the difficult road of learning how to live after he went to Heaven.  (If you missed the first half of our conversation, click HERE.)

Matthew shares candidly about grief from a father’s perspective, which is something that often goes unseen, particularly after the death of a baby. He tal...

Matthew Efird and his wife, Hannah, were joyfully expecting their second son when the word "abnormalities" during a routine ultrasound changed everything. What followed was a journey into anticipatory grief after their son Noah was diagnosed with Trisomy 13, a condition often described as “incompatible with life.” 

In today's episode, Matthew shares what it was like to walk through the remainder of the pregnancy wit...

In this second half of my conversation with Keallie Wozny, we shift from Trevor’s story to what it looks like to live in the aftermath of his death.

Keallie shares with honesty and clarity about the questions that so many suicide loss parents carry — questions like why and could I have done something to prevent this?  She reminds us that while those questions are natural, we are not always given the answers we ...

In this first half of my conversation with Keallie Wozny, we begin by getting to know her son, Trevor, as she shares stories from his childhood, his love of music, his strong work ethic, and his desire to serve others, including his dream of becoming a Marine. 

But as his story unfolds, things begin to shift.

What follows is a difficult and complex journey as Trevor begins to struggle with mental health challenges that grow incr...

“You’re not broken… you’re becoming.”  ~Tom Snyir

In this second half of our conversation, Tom and Heather Snyir share what life has looked like in the days, months, and years since their daughter Katie Rae went to Heaven.

We talk about the realities of everyday grief - navigating the things people say, learning to live with “grief brain,” and facing simple questions that suddenly feel ...

"God doesn’t always remove the suffering—He enters into it with us.” 

In this first half of our conversation, Tom and Heather Snyir share the story of their daughter, Katie Rae—a creative, joyful teenager who made everyone around her feel like they were her best friend.

Katie was diagnosed with leukemia at just four years old.  Tom and Heather share what it was like to navigate months of treatment, a...

Today I resume my conversation with Leah Sweetman, as she shares what the last two years have looked like since the loss of her son, Nathan.

She talks honestly about the first year of grief—the intensity of it, the impact it had on her thoughts and physical health, and the difficulty of approaching significant dates and milestones. Leah also reflects on how her experience has changed over time. Not becoming easier ... but diff...

“Meet me at the gate, Nate.”

In this first half of our conversation, Leah Sweetman shares the story of her son Nathan—a bright, imaginative, strong-willed young man who brought both great joy and deep challenges to their family.  As Leah introduces us to Nathan, we begin to understand not only who he was, but the complexity of the road he walked.

From an early age, Nathan struggled with behavioral and mental he...

In this episode of the While We’re Waiting – Hope After Child Loss podcast, I continue my conversation with Kirsten Black, author of the Faithful Paradox blog.

In Part One, Kirsten shared about her son Ezra, his battle with leukemia, and the early realities of grief that reshaped her life and faith. Today, we pick up where we left off, continuing our discussion of her blog post, “10 Things That Are Different From W...