While We're Waiting® - Hope After Child Loss

Hannah approached every MRI with remarkable composure.  She never needed any kind of sedation ... just her headphones and a Carrie Underwood CD.  The biggest stress for her was the insertion of the IV because she was such a "hard stick".  I've wondered if maybe she didn't really understand the life-or-death nature of these scans, or if she was just that confident that everything was going to be fine.  I believe ...

Cody and April Quillen were enjoying a long-awaited family vacation in Mexico when their daughter Catie experienced a serious health crisis.  In today's episode they share the harrowing tale of their experience with the Mexican healthcare system, culminating in them having to kidnap their daughter from the hospital to get her back to the United States. 

In the first half of this two-part episode, they share about tha...

As we celebrated the life of her great grandmother, I couldn't help but wonder what was going through Hannah's mind.  Was she thinking of her own mortality as she considered the life and death of her great grandmother?  She had heard what the doctor said about glioblastoma on the day of her diagnosis. Did she wonder if her own funeral might be next? Or was her faith so strong that she didn't harbor such thoughts? I h...

Today's episode is a continuation of my conversation with Karen Harmening, blogger and author of the new book “Sifted: Diary of a Grieving Mother”.  If you are walking the journey of child loss, you will find something in our chat that will encourage you today.  We are picking up right where we left off last week as we discuss entries from this diary of a grieving mom … and I am so excited to share it with you. 

Clic...

During the summer of 2008, we had the opportunity to take a family vacation to Nashville, Tennessee.  We stayed at the Opryland Hotel and enjoyed some good restaurants, toured the Country Music Hall of Fame, visited a botanical garden, shopped at a big mall where we fed manta rays, and saw the sights of Nashville.  During the time we were there, we could almost forget that Hannah was sick because she seemed to be doing so well, but...

When my friend Karen Harmening announced a few months ago that she was publishing a book born from her experience with the loss of her daughter Sarah, I was thrilled … not just for myself, but for all my bereaved parent friends who will benefit from the wisdom and insight the Lord has given her through her journey of grief.  She will be my guest over the next two episodes to talk about her story and that book, titled “Sifted: Diary...

Continued platelet problems and lower blood counts overall led to more delays in Hannah's treatment.  While Hannah enjoyed the break and a little bit of normalcy, we were concerned about the impact these delays could be having on keeping her cancer at bay.  We tried to put these concerns, and her upcoming MRI, out of our minds and just enjoy our summer with the girls.  

Thank you for joining me for another bonus episo...

Today's episode is a continuation of my conversation with Keith & Shawnda Freer, whose daughter Meghan died by suicide very unexpectedly in the spring of 2018.  We pick up right where we left off last week as we extend our discussion to cover a wide variety of topics including the attributes and character of God, the marriage relationship after child loss, how Meghan’s death has changed them, and the GriefHope ministry tha...

If I had known how important platelets were going to become in the life of our family, I probably would have paid closer attention in my junior high science class!  Sixteen years ago today, Hannah's bloodwork showed a continued downward trend in her platelet levels, leading to the postponement of her next chemotherapy treatment.  While Hannah was happy about that, we were anxious to get back on track with her therapy.  Today&a...

My friends Keith and Shawnda Freer join me today for a conversation that will continue over the next two episodes.  Their daughter Meghan very unexpectedly took her own life in 2018, and since that time, they’ve found themselves living in the mystery of God’s sovereignty. 

They are the founders of GriefHope, a Christ-centered ministry that provides education and support for bereaved parents through weekend retreats, onlin...

Another Grandma and Grandpa Camp was in the books and while Hannah clearly enjoyed the time with her grandparents and cousins, I could tell she was glad to be home.   Monday was a clinic day, and her bloodwork revealed a fairly precipitous drop in her platelet levels, which was not entirely unexpected with the higher dose of chemo she had just completed.  We were hopeful for a quick rebound in the days ahead. 

Thank you fo...

Sixteen years ago today, Hannah took her ACT test.  She had just returned from her "Grandma & Grandpa" Camp week, and was pretty worn out, but she was adamant about taking that test.  She had just completed her sophomore year of high school, and planned to take it several times over the next couple of years, hopefully increasing her score each time so she could get lots of college scholarships.  She didn't feel w...

I am pleased to have Joni Robbins as my guest again today.  She is the author of "In Grief:  A Mother's Fight to Choose Joy", and the mom of two sons, Anson and Ethan.  In last week's episode, Joni shared the story of her "gentle giant", Ethan, and how he lost his life due to an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound.  Today, we talk about the difference between happiness and joy, finding purpose in o...

I never knew that life with cancer could be so "normal."  On the days that Hannah was treatment-free, life seemed to go on as it always had.  It was summertime, so we were moving at a little bit slower pace, but there were still school workshops to attend, dentist appointments to keep, cheerleading routines to practice, and basketball camps to sweat through.  We celebrated Bethany's 13th birthday, and life was good. ...

I'm pleased to welcome Joni Robbins, author of “In Grief – A Mother’s Fight to Choose Joy” to the podcast today!  Her son Ethan was a gentle giant and a friend to many, who dreamed of being in law enforcement someday.  He died at the age of 17 in a tragic accident in their home in the spring of 2021.

In this first half of our two-part conversation, Joni shares who Ethan was, and talks about the incident that took his...

Round One of Hannah's oral chemotherapy treatments was complete, and it felt good to get it behind us.  It had been rough ... no doubt about that ... but we had a nice stretch of treatment-free days ahead of us now before Round Two would begin.  We were encouraged.  We could do this for eleven more months if that's what it took for Hannah to be healed.

Thank you for joining me for another bonus episode of the Whi...

I remember the exact moment my teenage daughter became my hero. She had already been through brain surgery, 33 radiation treatments, and several MRIs. She had begun an oral chemotherapy protocol where she took a dose of a drug called Temodar for five days out of each month. One evening, as I watched her bravely swallow those five giant capsules, one by one, knowing they would make her terribly sick by morning, I found myself thinki...

Robert and Linda Hall are my guests again today, as we continue our conversation about the loss of their only child John to addiction.  They talk about how this experience has changed them, and how important it is to look at their grief through the lens of eternity, knowing that one day we will be free from suffering, pain, and sin, and that we will live with the Lord and our children forever in Heaven. 

They share some o...

Hannah had finally completed her radiation treatments, triumphantly capped off by an "all clear" MRI report, and our family settled into a much more normal lifestyle.  We enjoyed a nice stretch of days where the girls were both attending school regularly, Brad and I were back at work, and we were able to resume our typical family activities.  For the time being, at least, we could push our concerns about Hannah's hea...