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An outreach of The Empty Chair Endeavor designed to support and equip survivors of child loss in rediscovering life, hope, and joy after unspeakable tragedy. Additionally, our mission involves educating the public about the life altering impact the death of a child has upon survivors, both parents and siblings, and equipping them to better support and minister to them. Join us as guests share their stories of heartbreaking loss and how God has shown up on their journeys to restore hope, mean ...
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By most accounts, March 18, 2023 was just another ordinary day in Abilene, Texas. For Deana Morris and her family it was the day that turned their lives upside down as they discovered their dearly loved 28 year old son Travis had taken his own life. Suicide blindsides loved ones, leaving them with unbearable pain, a lifetime of too many unanswered …
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Please click here to let us know your thoughts about this episode. If you find our episodes meaningful and helpful, we invite you to follow us on your favorite podcast platform so that each new episode will be sent to you automatically. Please rate/review us on Apple Podcasts if you appreciate our podcast. Your feedback matters because it can help …
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In the U.S., approximately 270 people die of a drug overdose every day based upon May, 2024 statistics. For Kellie Sipos and her family, these statistics became very personal on July 22, 2018 when their precious 24 year old daughter, Emilie, lost her battle with an addiction. Far too many parents have have had their lives shattered as a result of t…
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April 7, 2011 was the day Heather and her husband Mac had been anticipating with such excitement for 9 months. It was the day their precious, beautiful son Bowen was born. However, within a few short minutes he was whisked away by medical staff because something was very wrong. A day that was supposed to be filled with celebration, suddenly took a …
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Every 39 minutes of every day, someone in the U.S. dies senselessly at the hands of an intoxicated driver! On January 20, 2015, Yolanda Martinez and her family experienced their worst nightmare when their 14 year old son, David, was killed when their family van was hit by a speeding drunk driver. Although badly injured, their daughter and a niece s…
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The unthinkable happened on January 17, 2023. David Szweda and his family’s lives would never again be the same, as they learned their 24 year old dearly loved son, Hudson had taken his own life. Such pain and loss leave parents utterly broken, wondering if they’ll survive it … and if they even want to. A father’s heart is to protect and care for h…
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After nine long months of waiting for the much anticipated arrival of their first child, a daughter,Ashlie, Erin Maroon and her husband Anthony were crushed and heartbroken as her doctor delivered Ashlie and discovered she was stillborn at full term. Without warning, their long awaited joy and dreams abruptly vanished. How do young parents even beg…
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"GOD rescued me when Austin went to Heaven by allowing me to understand that Heaven is a real place, more wonderful than we can imagine." Kim Erickson, noted speaker, and author of "Surviving Sorrow: A Mother's Guide to Living with Loss." Losing her beautiful 3 year old son, Austin, to a strep throat infection in April 2008, Kim's life was shattere…
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A continuation of Greg and Cathy Buffkin's story of losing our beautiful 26 year old son Ryan to suicide in October 2015. Ours is a journey from the brokenness of unspeakable loss and pain to experiencing GOD's goodness as He began making something beautiful from all those broken pieces and restoring meaning, purpose and hope to our lives. Please c…
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In this 2 part interview, our friend Danielle Zapchenck , host of The Parable Podcast, guest-hosts for me as we dive into the journey my wife Cathy and I have been living since October 25, 2015 when our beautiful 26 year old son Ryan took his own life. While our story is one of deep tragedy and brokenness, it's more than that. It's one where GOD en…
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What do we do when our deepest fear suddenly becomes our new reality? How do we even begin to process and navigate the pain and grief we never could have imagined? This is where Teresa Davis found herself on November 28, 2018 when she learned that her 32 year old son, Andrew had died when the plane he was piloting crashed in a very remote area, lea…
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In this episode, well known author and speaker Vaneetha Risner and I talk about her long journey of loss and suffering beginning with childhood polio, several miscarriages, the death of her infant son Paul, post-polio syndrome, betrayal and abandonment by her first husband, and caring for young daughters alone while battling illness. We talk about …
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Every year, approximately 11,000 people are killed by drunk drivers, an astounding number. Jenny Leavitt's 17 year old son, Jacob, was one of them in August, 2015. Miraculously, her 29 year old son, Caleb, survived, but was left with catastrophic injuries requiring a long period of healing and recovery. How do parents survive and navigate something…
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As the day began to unfold on June 28, 2023, life as they knew it would never again be the same for Tobe and Amy as they learned their precious, beautiful 28 year old daughter Abbie had taken her own life after a long battle with depression and PTSD. Tobe and Amy had witnessed the pain and suffering of others as they grieved their loved ones in his…
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A Grandparent’s Grief Journey with Dr. Michael Bullock, Miles’ grandfather and President of Miles’ Mission
45:27
In our previous episode, Michael’s daughter, Jennifer Bullock-Moore, shared the story of the tragic loss of her beautiful son Miles to stillbirth in September 2021. Grandparents, like surviving siblings, are often overlooked following the death of a child, but their grief is just as real. In this episode, Michael describes the heartbreaking pain of…
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2022 statistics from the National Institutes of Health mirror findings of an investigation by ProPublica into the U.S. stillbirth crisis in which more than 20,000 pregnancies every year are lost at 20 weeks or more with the baby being born dead. As the news anchor for the local NBC affiliate in Columbus, Ohio, Jenn’s pregnancy was celebrated and fo…
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In this episode, noted author, speaker and podcaster, Aubrey Sampson, talks with me about her personal grief journey and a crisis of faith following the sudden, tragic death of her cousin Cameron in a snow hiking accident. Describing Cameron as being like a brother, his untimely death resulted in a season of very deep grief and depression. As if th…
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How is a parent supposed to accept and begin processing the sudden, unexplainable death of their child? Healthy 20 years don’t just die suddenly without warning or symptoms of some sort. Sadly, a phone call brought this devastating news to Tim Challies and his family on November 3, 2020. His precious son Nick, engaged to be married, and working tow…
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A Conversation with Jessika Stephen Sanders and Eric Schumacher, authors of "In His Hands, Prayers for Your Child or Baby in a Medical Crisis"
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What do we do when the news we receive changes everything and we suddenly find ourselves in the middle of a crisis without warning? It leaves us paralyzed with fear and uncertainty so deep we don’t even know if we can pray, or how we can pray. If that’s where you find yourself as you’re reading this, please listen to this conversation. In this epis…
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For Terry Sternad, the cold, icy December day on a horse ranch in Colorado, was to be one of watching his daughter take a riding lesson while his 5 year old son T.J. enjoyed exploring around the stables where he had played on previous trips. What happened over the next few hours would forever profoundly alter Terry’s and his family’s lives. In this…
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January 31, 2018 should have been a "normal", otherwise uneventful day for Stephanie Carducci and her family. They would soon discover that was not to be the case, when they learned their beloved 17 year old son, Daniel, had taken his own life. The death of a child by any cause is such an unthinkable, unspeakable event for parents, but suicide comp…
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The death of a child at any age is a traumatic, unspeakable loss for parents. All too often, however, the emotional, mental, and even physical pain suffered by parents as a result of miscarriage or stillbirth isn't afforded the same level of compassion or understanding as loss from other causes. In this episode, author, pastor, and podcast host, Er…
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As a licensed professional clinical counselor, Amy was well acquainted with clinical depression, it's prevalence and impact on the lives of teenagers, and associated risk of suicide. But on July 28, 2019 it suddenly became very personal when she discovered her precious, beautiful son Thomas had taken his own life at the young age of only 16. A sing…
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The death of a child is so heart wrenching that it often leaves parents feeling as though they might suffocate under the weight of the grief. We desperately want answers about why it happened. How do we process such trauma and begin to navigate through the grief when there are no answers? Join me as Danielle Duffey sits down and shares the story of…
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A Conversation with Jessika Sanders, Founder and President of Praying Through Ministries.org
54:51
When life takes an unexpected turn that leaves our comfortable, predictable world turned upside down, how do we respond? Listen as Jessika shares the story of having to face the fear of losing her premature baby boy during his 37 day stay in a hospital NICU followed a few weeks later with admission to the PICU. By GOD’s grace and mercy, along with …
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For the majority of us, dates on our calendars represent a 24 hour segment of time that may be quite ordinary other than reminders of appointments, school events, etc. For some, however, a date on the same calendar represents a life shattering event that forever changes the trajectory of their lives. For Derek and Becky Farr, it came on September 2…
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Sometimes, life deals such an unexpected, devastating blow that it leaves us crushed, and afraid that we won't be able to get back up because the pain and trauma cut so deeply. For Rudy Milton, it came on July 19, 2015 when she received the unthinkable news that her only son, Dominique, had been murdered on a public beach on Hilton Head Island, S.C…
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Join us as Dr. Sonya Pitchford and I talk about the tragic, unexpected loss of her beautiful daughter Tanieka Coley to a massive heart attack at only 34 years of age on October 29, 2021, and how she is navigating through a journey of grief and healing with GOD's help. I believe you will be encouraged as Sonya candidly shares how GOD met her in the …
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With warmest wishes for a holiday season filled with hope, joy, and GOD's peace for you and your loved ones! Please click here to let us know your thoughts about this episode. If you find our episodes meaningful and helpful, we invite you to follow us on your favorite podcast platform so that each new episode will be sent to you automatically. Plea…
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Have you ever met someone who epitomizes joy and gratitude, only to discover how deeply their life has been marked by unthinkable tragedy and grief? Meet Charmaine Castillo, a mom whose life was devastated by the news that her 32 year old son, Curtis, died of injuries sustained in an altercation on August 9, 2017. Learning this news through social …
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Clinical depression is no respecter of persons, having impacted approximately 29% of the population of the U.S., according to the latest 2023 statistics, and these numbers continue to rise. Tragically, depression, all too often, results in suicide or attempted suicide, leaving in its path a wave of unspeakable pain and grief forever altering the li…
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Suicide deaths continue to rise in the U.S., claiming approximately 49,500 people in 2022. Sadly, this translates into many times that number of survivors left behind to grieve their loved ones. It leaves countless unanswered questions, and lives shattered by the trauma. For Luis and Dora Perez, February 23, 2010 would forever alter their lives as …
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For Tristan and Jill Borland, March 2016 was shaping up to be an exciting and busy month as they anticipated the arrival of their fifth daughter, Lucy Faith. However, a very sudden, tragic turn of events shattered their lives without any warning on March 4th when their precious three(3) year old daughter Maria died at home after briefly displaying …
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After enduring months of a complicated pregnancy, the arrival of her beautiful baby daughter, Delia Grace, brought instant joy, a heart filled with thanksgiving, and a sense of relief for Elizabeth. However, she and her husband were soon to learn that Delia Grace was diagnosed with a rare blood condition, but otherwise, appeared and acted healthy. …
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Our lives are all marked by seasons. Some, we anticipate with excitement such as marriage, a new career, or the arrival of a child into our life. Then, there are those that ambush us without any warning, leaving us completely unprepared for their devastation, how long they would last, and radically change us. February 14, 2021 marked the beginning …
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Christmas is a season of joy, festivities, and celebrations with family and friends in our homes, churches and communities that we look forward to for weeks. For Ronaldlyn, however, December 20, 2016 brought the tragic, heartbreaking news that her precious, beautiful son JaKeith had been murdered at the age of 34. We invite you to listen as she sha…
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One of life's greatest treasures and sources of joy is our children. They fill our homes with laughter and sometimes make us so proud we feel like we'll explode. And because they don't come with an instruction book, GOD often teaches us as we try to teach and instruct them. The Bible offers plenty of wisdom for parenting ......... but not so much f…
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What happens when unthinkable tragedy intersects our dreams, our plans, and our faith? We’re shattered, left in utter disbelief, a state where nothing seems to make any sense. In this episode, Amy Sylvestre shares the story of her and her family’s journey from a heartbreaking diagnosis several weeks into her second pregnancy requiring a move from t…
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Our children are such sweet, beautiful gifts from GOD, and bring unimaginable joy to their parents. Even as toddlers, we have dreams and aspirations of who and what they will become. We can’t imagine a future without them. As you listen to this episode, I believe you will be inspired and find hope as Cory and Heather Wessman share the tragic story …
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May 7, 2014 found Jeff and Mackenzie Rollins off to another day filled with the same activities as so many other young parents; feeding, dressing and dropping kids off at the sitter's, then on to a busy day of work. But then came the phone call that changed everything and turned their world upside down. It was the call that every parent fears. How …
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As they were moving slowly through traffic on the exit ramp for a fun time together as a family at a baseball game, what Eric describes as "an explosion" suddenly, and without warning, left their world shattered. Listen as Eric and Marcy share their story of that life altering day that took the life of their precious 14 year old son Andy. How do we…
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Have you ever received unexpected, life altering news from a physician ....... and it was about your child? Those moments seem to make life stand still, and leave us wondering if we'll even be able to survive it. Listen as Sara shares her story of losing her precious son Tate before she ever even got to know him. Hear how GOD showed up in her pain,…
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Anticipating the birth of a child is most often associated with joy and excitement; it's the culmination of months of waiting expectantly for that special day after multiple doctor visits, preparing a nursery, deciding on the "perfect" name, and dreams of an amazing future. But what happens when, without warning, tragedy strikes and everything chan…
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February 16, 2019 brought news that every parent fears. Susan's 27 year old son, Jacob had lost a long battle with an addiction. Having incurred a serious high school sports injury, Jacob, like so many others, was prescribed opioid pain medications. What began out of medical necessity, eventually took control, progressing to more potent, addictive …
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On what might have been an otherwise ordinary fall morning, November 10, 2015 instead was marked by the horrific and brutal murder of his precious, beautiful, pregnant wife and unborn child. As the story was unfolding on national news outlets, Davey Blackburn’s world had been turned upside down. Suddenly, and without warning, he found himself a wid…
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What began as an otherwise normal summer afternoon, July 13, 2022, took a very dramatic turn when a police vehicle pulled up at Monica's home with news that every parent fears and shattered her world. Listen as Monica shares her story about the traumatic and tragic loss of her beautiful son, Nathan. After only eight short months, her transparency i…
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On a day that began like most others, Bob Sloan was suddenly blindsided by the phone call that every parent fears, learning that his precious, beautiful 26 year old daughter Tracy had died from an overdose. Listen as Bob shares his story of living through a long season of grief to experiencing GOD’s gifts of healing, and eventual restoration of hop…
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Equipping others to help encourage and support grieving parents and siblings. Please click here to let us know your thoughts about this episode. If you find our episodes meaningful and helpful, we invite you to follow us on your favorite podcast platform so that each new episode will be sent to you automatically. Please rate/review us on Apple Podc…
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That one moment in time on October 25, 2015 seemed to make time stand still for Cathy and Greg Buffkin (podcast host). The phone call that every parent fears, would forever change their lives, as they learned that their beautiful 26 year old married son, Ryan, had taken his own life. Listen, as Greg shares some of their journey from blindsiding tra…
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Twin sisters and co-founders of Open Frame, Rachel and Jaclyn found themselves completely unprepared for and devastated by the news they received that their younger brother, Justin, had suddenly and tragically died from a fentanyl overdose. Listen as they share how GOD took them from pain and brokenness to a place of healing, restoration, and purpo…
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