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Get in touch In the final episode of this three part series, Stacy Dain reflects on the life that has unfolded since the death of her daughter Cassidy, and the ways grief has shaped how she shows up for other people. After Cassidy died, Stacy created Cassidy’s Club, providing practical items to help families spending difficult days in the hospital. Years later, after being diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer at 45, that same instinct to give became a way to support people receiving cancer treatment. Stacy and Bruce also talk about survival, the exhaustion of wondering how much one family can endure, and the empathy that can come from having lived through devastating loss. Stacy shares a powerful story from her work as a flight attendant, when a critically ill child and his family were aboard her flight. Her own experience as a bereaved mother helped her recognize what that family, and especially the child’s sister, might need in a moment when their lives were changing forever. The conversation ultimately returns to Caitlin and Cassidy, Samuel and the heart he carries, and the legacy one little girl created in a life that lasted only days. For Stacy, that legacy has become a way of living, love people while they are here, help when you can, and even when life gives you every reason to stop, don’t give up. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

Get in touch In Part Two of Bruce’s conversation with Stacy Dain, the story turns to the decision Stacy and her husband made during the final days of their daughter Cassidy’s life: organ donation. Cassidy’s heart was ultimately transplanted into a baby boy named Samuel. Stacy shares what it was like waiting to learn whether a recipient could be found, the mixture of heartbreak and hope surrounding the transplant, and why she came to think of Samuel as “the rainbow after the storm.” About a year later, the two families met. That meeting became the beginning of a relationship that has lasted for decades. Stacy watched Samuel grow up, attended his high school graduation, and eventually welcomed him and his family to Caitlin’s wedding—where she found herself looking across the room and realizing that Cassidy’s heart was there for her twin sister’s wedding. But this conversation isn’t about organ donation somehow fixing grief. Stacy is clear that it didn’t lessen the loss of her daughter. Instead, Cassidy’s gift became another part of her story—a place where profound grief and extraordinary gratitude have learned to exist together. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

Get in touch In Part One of this three part conversation, Bruce sits down with his friend and fellow bereaved parent, Stacy Dain. More than 27 years ago, Stacy learned she was expecting twin girls, Caitlin and Cassidy. What began with excitement and dreams of raising three young children together changed suddenly after the twins were born. Caitlin was healthy, but within minutes of Cassidy’s birth, it became clear that something was terribly wrong. Stacy shares the devastating days that followed, the decision to keep the twins together in the NICU, and the impossible experience of bringing one daughter home while grieving the other. She also talks about the complicated emotions of parenting a surviving twin, the comments people made without understanding their impact, the anger she carried after Cassidy’s death, and the ways her family made sure Cassidy remained part of their lives. It’s a conversation about the dreams we have for our children, the grief that follows when those dreams are taken from us, and the enduring truth that a child who dies never stops being part of the family. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

Get in touch What happens when the person you're afraid might forget your child is you? In Part Two of our conversation about remembering our children, Kristin shares something many bereaved parents may quietly carry: the fear and even guilt that comes when memories begin to fade. A birthday you can't completely recall. A story that's lost some of its details. A moment you know happened, but can no longer see as clearly as you once did. Bruce and Kristin talk about those memories that sometimes seem tucked away until a photograph, a toy, a familiar place, or someone else's story unexpectedly brings them back. They also share what they most want people to remember about Zach and Kristen, and why continuing to talk about our children isn't about being stuck in the past. For the friends, family members, and others walking beside a bereaved parent, the message is simple: don't be afraid to ask. Share the memory. Tell the story. Say their name. And perhaps we need to give ourselves some grace, too. We may forget some of the details, but we never forget the feelings. We remember what it felt like to be their parent. We remember the love, the pride, the laughter, and yes, the heartache of missing them. Because those feelings aren't simply memories of our children. They're part of the relationship we still carry with them. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

Get in touch In the beginning, everyone remembers. People call. They check in. They remember birthdays and anniversaries. They ask how you're doing. But as the years pass, something begins to change. The calls become less frequent. Fewer people mention your child's name. Life continues moving forward for everyone around you, while your child remains just as much a part of your life as ever. In this episode of Don't Forget To Breathe, Bruce and Kristin talk openly about what remembering looks like many years after the deaths of Kristen and Zach. They share how birthdays and anniversaries have changed, what it's like watching their children's friends reach milestones their own children never had the chance to experience, and those unexpected moments when the body seems to remember even before the mind does. They also talk about something remarkably simple that can mean so much to a bereaved parent: hearing someone say their child's name. Because when you say their name, you're not reminding us that they died. You're reminding us that they lived. This is Part One of a deeply personal conversation about memory, time, and continuing to carry our children with us. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

Get in touch In Part 2 of our conversation with Erin Blechman, we begin with two words familiar to so many bereaved parents, “what if?” What if I had noticed something? What if I had called? What if I had made a different decision? Erin shares how guilt and child loss can become deeply intertwined, and offers a powerful reframing, turning “what if” into “even if,” as a way of confronting the painful belief that we somehow could have controlled the outcome. The conversation expands into how child loss changes us, why every family member must be allowed to grieve differently, the importance of support groups and community, and what Erin calls our “grief illiterate culture.” Erin also shares how the private journals she began after Max’s death became her book, My Unexpected Journey, and how her own grief eventually led her to become a grief educator and walk alongside other bereaved parents. And finally, we return to Max, not to how he died, but to how he lived, a creative, compassionate young man with a beautiful heart who cared deeply about others. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

Get in touch Erin Blechman describes her son Max as one of the most interesting people she has ever known. He was intelligent, creative, compassionate, funny, and deeply sensitive. He played music, wrote poetry and short stories, performed stand up comedy, and cared deeply about the injustices he saw in the world. Max also lived with major depressive disorder, and in June of 2020, at age 25, he died by suicide. In Part 1 of this two part conversation, Erin shares Max’s life beyond the circumstances of his death and speaks openly about the earliest days of child loss, the fog of grief, the yearning to be with your child again, anger, survival, and the isolation bereaved parents can experience. Bruce and Erin also explore the relationship between grief and trauma, and why understanding both can be an important part of learning to live after the unimaginable. This episode includes an open conversation about suicide, mental health, and child loss. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

Get in touch What happens when a group of mothers who have experienced the death of a child step away from everyday life and into the mountains together? In this special episode of Don't Forget To Breathe, Kristin reunites with several of the moms who shared a retreat weekend in the Colorado mountains. Together, they reflect on what they carried home with them, the connections they formed, and what it means to spend time with people who understand a grief that so often feels impossible to explain. Their conversation explores the isolation of child loss, learning to be gentle with yourself around anniversaries and milestones, allowing others to show up for you, and discovering that laughter and joy do not betray the children we love and miss. They also talk honestly about how different grief can look from one parent to another, and why sometimes the greatest gift isn't advice or the right words, but simply having someone willing to sit beside you and say, "Your tears are safe with me." There is no retreat that can change the reality that our children died. But finding people who understand can change how we carry that loss. If you've been feeling alone in your grief, we hope this conversation reminds you that you don't have to carry it alone. The Don't Forget To Breathe Foundation is planning additional retreat weekends for bereaved parents, including an upcoming Mother's Retreat in November 2026. Visit dontforgettobreathefoundation.org or reach out to us to learn more. Come as you are. We'll meet you there. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

Get in touch Don’t Forget To Breathe I still talk to you in empty rooms In the silence and the Sunday afternoons Some days I laugh Some days I break Some days I don’t know What my heart can take   And everybody says that time moves on But they don’t know a love this strong So we carry what we cannot leave And somehow learn to breathe   So don’t forget to breathe When the night gets hard to see When the world keeps moving on And you’re still holding on There’s a place for every tear Every memory still here You are not alone tonight We’ll sit with you awhile And don’t forget to breathe   We speak their names around this fire Like keeping love alive is our desire And maybe grief’s just love that stays Long after someone slips away   So pull your chair a little near There’s healing in the stories shared right here No fixing words No grand relief Just hearts that still believe   So don’t forget to breathe When the ache won’t let you sleep When the quiet feels too loud And you can’t stand in the crowd There’s a road we didn’t choose Still we walk it two by two You are not alone tonight We’ll sit with you awhile And don’t forget to breathe   Ahhhh Love don’t end It just changes shape again Ohhhh And the ones we miss the most Still live inside these souls   So don’t forget to breathe Through the heartbreak and the grief There’s a light we cannot see Still shining quietly And if all you do today Is simply make it through the pain That is more than enough tonight You’re still here and so are we So don’t forget Don’t forget to breathe Don’t forget to breathe Don’t Forget To Breathe Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

Get in touch As Season 4 comes to a close, Bruce Barker reflects on an unforgettable year of conversations, courage, and connection. In this special solo episode, Bruce looks back at some of the season's most impactful moments with guests including Tammy, Jamie and Cooper, Scott Allen, Marissa, and John DeDakis. He shares how their stories, along with conversations with co-host Kristin Glenn, have helped normalize grief, honor our children, and remind bereaved parents that they are never alone. Bruce also offers a preview of what's ahead in Season 5, including upcoming guests, new Foundation initiatives, and the first episode of the new season, which will reflect on National Bereaved Parents Month, the Compassionate Friends and Bereaved Parents of the USA national conferences, and the anniversaries of Zach and Kristen. Finally, Bruce debuts the Don't Forget To Breathe song, a deeply personal tribute inspired by the words that have become the heartbeat of the podcast and a reminder that love endures, hope remains, and our children's stories continue to be told. And here are the lyrics... Don’t Forget To Breathe I still talk to you in empty rooms In the silence and the Sunday afternoons Some days I laugh Some days I break Some days I don’t know What my heart can take   And everybody says that time moves on But they don’t know a love this strong So we carry what we cannot leave And somehow learn to breathe   So don’t forget to breathe When the night gets hard to see When the world keeps moving on And you’re still holding on There’s a place for every tear Every memory still here You are not alone tonight We’ll sit with you awhile And don’t forget to breathe   We speak their names around this fire Like keeping love alive is our desire And maybe grief’s just love that stays Long after someone slips away   So pull your chair a little near There’s healing in the stories shared right here No fixing words No grand relief Just hearts that still believe   So don’t forget to breathe When the ache won’t let you sleep When the quiet feels too loud And you can’t stand in the crowd There’s a road we didn’t choose Still we walk it two by two You are not alone tonight We’ll sit with you awhile And don’t forget to breathe   Ahhhh Love don’t end It just changes shape again Ohhhh And the ones we miss the most Still live inside these souls   So don’t forget to breathe Through the heartbreak and the grief There’s a light we cannot see Still shining quietly And if all you do today Is simply make it through the pain That is more than enough tonight You’re still here and so are we So don’t forget Don’t forget to breathe Don’t forget to breathe Don’t Forget To Breathe Thank you for walking this journey with us. We'll see you in Season 5. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

Get in touch Who were you before your child died? And who have you become since? In this deeply personal conversation, Bruce Barker and Kristin Glenn explore one of the most profound realities of child loss: the person you were before your child died no longer exists. Together, they reflect on how grief reshapes identity, relationships, priorities, purpose, and even the way we experience the world. They talk about losing not only a son or daughter, but also the future they imagined, the confidence they once carried, and the version of themselves they thought they would always be. They also discuss the unexpected qualities that emerge through grief, deeper compassion, greater authenticity, a different understanding of success, and a renewed desire to help others, while acknowledging they would trade every lesson learned for one more moment with their children. Throughout the episode, Bruce and Kristin invite listeners to pause and consider difficult but important questions: What parts of yourself do you miss?What parts of yourself are you proud of?How have your priorities changed?What would your child recognize in the person you've become?If you've ever looked in the mirror after child loss and wondered, "Who am I now?" this conversation reminds you that you're not alone. Grief changes us, but it doesn't end our story. Together, we continue learning how to carry both who we were and who we are becoming. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

Get in touch Marissa's daughter, Skylar, died in 2015 at just four years old. More than a decade later, Marissa shares what many bereaved parents quietly experience: the love hasn't changed, the grief hasn't disappeared, and healing can sometimes feel like betraying the child you miss every day. In this deeply vulnerable conversation, Marissa talks about the physical pain of grief, addiction as an attempt to numb unbearable sorrow, carrying what she describes as "a rock" inside her, and the loneliness that comes when everyone around you seems to move forward while you remain emotionally anchored to the day your child died. She also shares the hope she's beginning to discover as she starts grief counseling, why saying a child's name matters more than many people realize, and what grieving parents truly need from those who love them. Whether you're grieving the loss of a child or supporting someone who is, this episode offers honest insight into the lifelong journey of carrying profound love alongside profound loss. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

Get in touch Sometimes another person's words express exactly what our hearts have been trying to say. In this special episode, Bruce and Kristin step away from the traditional interview format to share writings and reflections from several remarkable voices in the grief community, including Jameson Arasi, Paula Griffith, Donna Ashworth, and The Grief Table. Together, they explore powerful themes including why grief is a lifelong expression of love, how grief and joy can exist together, the difference between memories and missing, learning to "move with" grief rather than trying to move on, and why speaking our children's names keeps their presence alive. More than a discussion about inspirational quotes, this conversation is an invitation to discover resources that may bring comfort, validation, and hope—whether your loss is recent or decades old. If you've ever struggled to find words for your grief, this episode may help you find them. Because while grief changes shape, love never disappears.  Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

Get in touch What began as one father's way of surviving the loss of his daughter has grown into something far bigger than a podcast. In this special episode, Bruce Barker and Kristin Glenn announce the launch of the Don't Forget To Breathe Foundation, a nonprofit created to expand connection, conversation, and community for bereaved parents and those who walk beside them. Bruce and Kristin share the story behind the foundation, the unmet needs they continue to see in the child loss community, and their vision for creating spaces where grieving parents feel heard, understood, and supported—whether their loss was recent or decades ago. They also introduce upcoming initiatives including retreats for mothers, fathers, and couples, facilitator training, educational resources, support circles, and new conversation prompt cards designed to strengthen grief support groups. You'll also hear about the foundation's first public appearances at the upcoming national conferences for The Compassionate Friends and Bereaved Parents of the USA, and learn how you can help ensure that no parent has to navigate child loss alone. Whether you're a bereaved parent, family member, friend, professional, or someone who simply wants to support grieving families more compassionately, this episode is an invitation to become part of a growing community built on hope, authenticity, and connection. Together, we're creating connection, conversation, and community—so no one has to navigate child loss alone. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

Get in touch What happens when a journalist who spent decades telling other people's stories suddenly finds himself living the story he never wanted? In this deeply thoughtful conversation, Bruce Barker and Kristin Glenn welcome author, journalist, writing coach, and bereaved father John DeDakis. Together, they explore the life and legacy of John's son, Stephen, the realities of grief after child loss, and the lessons John has learned through years of writing, speaking, and walking alongside other grieving parents. The conversation moves from fathers and grief to the power of storytelling, the healing found in authentic connection, and the role of community through organizations like The Compassionate Friends and Bereaved Parents of the USA. John shares honest reflections about masculinity, vulnerability, fear, hope, and why he believes that "hope has to be practical." Most of all, this episode is a reminder that while grief changes us forever, it can also deepen our capacity for empathy, meaning, and connection. Whether you are newly bereaved, many years into your journey, or walking beside someone who is grieving, we hope this conversation helps you feel seen, understood, and a little less alone. Support the show Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support