Claim OwnershipWhile We're Waiting® - Hope After Child Loss
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This is a podcast FOR bereaved parents BY bereaved parents. Join your host, Jill Sullivan, as she talks with parents who have lost children of all ages to all types of circumstances. This is a podcast of stories ... stories of devastating loss and grief and heartbreak and struggle ... and stories of hope and healing and faith, and yes, even joy. Underlying every conversation will be the hope we have in Jesus Christ, which makes it possible to not just survive the loss of a child, but to live well while we're waiting to see them again in Heaven one day. Visit our website at www.WhileWereWaiting.org for more information about our nonprofit ministry to bereaved parents.
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If you’ve lost your song, that doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. In this second half of my conversation with Kristi Kirk, we focus on what healing can look like over time after devastating loss. Kristi reflects on the long road of grief following the death of both her husband and her son, and how her faith, perspective, and purpose have been slowly reshaped. Kristi shares what it meant to walk through her son’s senior year without him, how fear gradually loosened its grip, and how she learned t...
When life no longer feels safe or predictable, trust in God can feel fragile. In this first half of my conversation with Kristi Kirk, we talk about what it means to be shaken to the core by loss—and how faith can be tested, reshaped, and rebuilt in the aftermath. Kristi shares her story of profound grief, including the sudden death of her husband and, less than two years later, the loss of her 18-year-old son, PK. She speaks honestly about fear, trauma, and the struggle to trust God when life...
Today, we resume our conversation with Ken and Mary Sue Grein as they recount the events surrounding their son Jacob’s unexpected passing in 2019, the way their family was gathered together, and the profound sense of God’s presence in those hours. They speak honestly about shock, sorrow, and the weight of saying goodbye, while also sharing moments of comfort, reassurance, and hope that met them in the midst of deep grief. We also explore what the long road of loving and losing Jacob has taugh...
Today I’m joined by Ken and Mary Sue Grein as they begin sharing the story of their son Jacob—a story that would shape their family, their faith, and their understanding of what gives a life meaning. Our conversation takes us into the early years of Jacob’s life, including his fragile beginning, a prolonged hospital journey, and the realities of raising a child with significant disabilities. Ken and Mary Sue reflect on the emotional and practical challenges they faced, as well as the unexpect...
Today's episode features a continuation of my conversation with Dawn Helms as we focus on life after the loss of her only child, Ben. Dawn shares practical, compassionate wisdom for parents in the early days of grief—about accepting help, resisting isolation, and leaning into community even when it feels hard. She reflects on the quiet that follows years of caregiving, navigating everyday questions, and approaching holidays when traditions feel overwhelming. Throughout our conversation, Dawn ...
Today's episode features the first half of my recent conversation with Dawn Helms, in which she shares the story of her only son Ben and the long journey of loving him through significant mental health challenges. For years, Dawn lived in a constant state of vigilance—managing diagnoses, medications, school struggles, substance abuse, and periods of incarceration. Her home was rarely quiet, not because life was easy, but because Ben required constant attention and advocacy. Dawn helps u...
“Moving forward doesn’t mean leaving my child behind.” As one year ends and another begins, many people are eager to turn the page. For bereaved parents, however, the arrival of a new year can feel heavy and overwhelming. A new calendar can make us feel like we're leaving our child behind—and that can be deeply painful. In this encore episode, Jill shares ten faith-anchored resolutions shaped by her own journey of grief after the loss of her daughter, Hannah. These are not resolut...
“The first Christmas came with gifts meant for broken hearts.” Christmas is often one of the hardest seasons for parents grieving the loss of a child. Today, I reprise a solo episode originally recorded in 2020 during the height of the COVID pandemic which speaks into a time marked by isolation, uncertainty, and compounded grief. Separated from loved ones, surrounded by illness and fear, many bereaved parents were carrying more than ever before. In this episode, I reflect on...
Christmas can feel especially heavy after the death of a child. Traditions that once brought joy may now magnify the absence, and the expectations of the season can feel overwhelming for a heart that is grieving. In this episode, I gather the voices of While We’re Waiting retreat and support group facilitators—bereaved moms and dads who share honest reflections and practical wisdom for navigating Christmas after loss. Their stories offer permission to do things differently, encouragement to t...
In Part Two of my conversation with Jenny Leavitt, we continue exploring the GodPrints—God’s gentle fingerprints of presence and faithfulness—woven through her family’s grief journey after the loss of her son, Jacob. Jenny shares how she and her husband learned to walk together through grief even when their personalities and coping styles differed. She talks about the emotional weight of anniversaries, holidays, and court dates, and how offering grace to one another became essential in those ...
In this first half of a two-part conversation, I sit down with Jenny Leavitt — pastor’s wife, author of GodPrints, and bereaved mom — to hear the story of her son, Jacob, and the unmistakable “GodPrints” woven throughout her family’s journey. Jenny begins by describing her earlier battle with stage four non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma while raising two very young boys, and how God used that season to prepare her heart in ways she wouldn’t fully understand until years later. She then introduces us to J...
In this second half of my conversation with Debra Amick, we explore what life looked like after Chase went to Heaven and how God gently led her from deep grief toward renewed purpose. A meaningful part of this episode centers on four anchors God gave her in the fog of grief: Prayer support when she didn’t have strength of her ownScripture placed throughout her home to remind her of what was trueResting in God’s presence, allowing Him to meet her where words failedGuarding her heart, choosing ...
When God Holds the Thread: Chase’s Story In this first half of my conversation with Debra Amick, she shares the story of her son Chase—a talented artist, musician, and gentle soul whose life touched so many. Debra opens up about his early years, the emergence of mental-health struggles in his teens, and the intentional decision she and her husband made to stay closely connected to his heart. She also recounts the powerful moment when Chase returned to his faith in Jesus and the heartbreaking ...
“Even in the darkest valley, the Shepherd is still good—and He never lets go.” In this week’s episode, I talk with Meshea Ingram, a mom who has walked through the deepest valley imaginable and found her Shepherd faithful every step of the way. Meshea shares about her little boy, Briggs—a joyful child with an unforgettable laugh and a big personality that filled every room. In the summer of 2022, a tragic drowning incident changed everything. Meshea speaks honestly about the days she pra...
“What if hope isn’t about holding on—but about being held?” In today's episode, I had the privilege to sit down with Cheri Fletcher—a writer, speaker, and flash mob aficionado—who shares the story of her daughter Annie, a vibrant young woman whose life reflected creativity, compassion, and faith. Cheri opens up about the sudden medical crisis that took Annie’s life at just 29, the ache of surrendering to God’s will, and the unshakable truth that we are never left to simply “hang in ther...
In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Cindy Shufflebarger, who shares the story of her daughter, Ashlynn Faith, and how God’s immeasurable love met her family in the midst of unimaginable loss. Diagnosed with Trisomy 18, Ashlynn lived for three precious days — days filled with both deep sorrow and sacred joy. Cindy reflects on those moments, the way her faith was reshaped through lament, and how journaling became a lifeline that led to her book Dancing in the Rain: Finding Joy in the Midst of...
Today's episode is a little bit different than what you usually hear on the While We're Waiting podcast. I've invited my husband Brad to join me to reflect on our daughter Hannah’s birthday. She would have turned 34 years old today—which means she’s now double the age she was when she went to Heaven at 17. That realization has hit us a little bit harder this year. As we’ve been reflecting, we found ourselves thinking about all that’s changed in the world over the past 17 years—as well a...
In the second half of my conversation with grieving dad Terry Sternad, we see what grief—and faith—can look like more than forty years after the death of a child. Terry’s six-year-old son, TJ, went to heaven in 1983, and while the ache of missing him has never gone away, Terry has discovered that joy and sorrow can coexist through a deep, abiding relationship with God. In this episode, Terry reflects on how grief has shaped his walk with God and how it has grown into a ministry of comfort for...
When a father loses a child, the world shifts forever. In this first half of my two-part conversation with grieving dad Terry Sternad, he takes us back more than forty years to the day his six-year-old son, TJ, went to heaven—and the remarkable way God was already preparing his heart for that moment. Before TJ’s death in December of 1983, Terry didn’t believe in God. But through the faithful witness of a coworker and tender moments with his mother, seeds of faith were planted long before he k...
“Surrender is not a moment; it’s a posture I’ve had to return to again and again.” With these words, Julie South describes the ongoing journey she’s walked since her daughter Bellah’s homegoing. In this second part of our conversation, Julie shares honestly about living with PTSD, how trauma has impacted her family, and what surrender has looked like as she continues to walk with God through grief. She also reflects on how her grief has evolved nearly six years later, why simple practices lik...
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