This week I sit down with Valerie O’Donnell a woman whose story is both heartbreaking and profoundly moving. Valerie lost both her husband David and her son Darren to suicide.In this deeply honest conversation Valerie speaks about how her life changed after their deaths, the layers of loss, the moments of understanding, and the unimaginable difference between losing a partner and losing a child.It’s a raw, brave, and deeply human episode one that reminds us how vital compassion, awareness, and support are for those living with such pain.The views and experiences shared in this episode are those of the guest and reflect her personal perspective. They are not statements of fact about any other individual or family. The conversation is shared for the purpose of understanding and awareness around grief and loss.For more information on grief retreats, visit www.griefireland.com.
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1:44:52
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1:44:52
Family Flowers Only with Meagan Johnston
This week I sit down with Meagan Johnston who shares the heartbreaking story of her sister Aoife Johnston. Aoife died from Sepsis after being left to wait over sixteen hours in the emergency department at Limerick Hospital despite being triaged as needing to be seen within fifteen minutes.Meagan speaks with courage about the shock and devastation of her family’s loss, the ongoing fight for answers, and the lasting impact of what happened. She also reflects on the inquest process and the change she hopes will come so that no other family has to endure the same pain.It’s an emotional and powerful conversation about loss, accountability, and love.For more information about Grief Retreats visit www.griefireland.com
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1:25:43
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1:25:43
Family Flowers Only with Jacinta McIntyre
This week, I’ve teamed up once again with the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to share an important conversation about the lasting impact of road tragedies.I sit down with Jacinta McIntyre, who lost her sister Sarah in a car crash caused by a careless driver. Sarah was a passenger in the car which claimed the life of the young girl and the driver, a mum of 7 children. Sarah's death changed Jacinta’s life forever.More than two decades later Jacinta speaks about the grief that never leaves, the ripples of loss that touch every part of a family, and her hope that sharing Sarah’s story might help save others from the same heartbreak.For more information on Road Safety visit WWW.RSA.IEFor more information on Grief Retreats visit WWW.GRIEFIRELAND.COM
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1:18:45
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1:18:45
Family Flowers Only with Caitlin Beckett
This week I sit down with Caitlin Beckett who shares the heartbreaking story of losing her dad Keith suddenly. He was her whole world, her best friend, her biggest supporter, and the person she could always turn to.Caitlin speaks honestly about the shock of his death, the guilt she carries knowing he was alone when he passed, and the dark days that followed. It’s a deeply emotional and powerful conversation about love, loss, and the pain of trying to move forward when your world has changed forever.
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1:07:38
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1:07:38
Family Flowers Only with Shauna Bohan
This week I sit down with Shauna Bohan, who shares the heartbreaking story of losing her fiancé Benny, who died suddenly in front of her. Shauna speaks with raw honesty about the grief of losing the person who was her whole world and about the loneliness that followed.We also have one of the most open and powerful conversations I’ve ever had about mental health. Shauna talks about the darkness she faced, the weight of it all, and how she found the strength to climb back out of that hole.This is a deeply moving episode one that will resonate with anyone who has faced the unimaginable and struggled to keep going.For more information on Grief retreats visit www.griefireland.com
During the pandemic I created a community on Instagram called Grief Ireland. It was following the death of my sister Elaine and her husband Pa. I found Grief to be still a taboo subject, unspoken, and a topic that not many wanted to discuss. Unless of course those who were in "the club no-one wants to be in". But to find those people was difficult. So I went on a mission to open the conversation, to comfort those who mourn, to educate those who don't, to hold space for others to talk about their Grief, Love and Loss and to remember our loved ones and ensure that they would never be forgotten.
Ireland