While We're Waiting® - Hope After Child Loss

"God just kept putting joy in front of me and encouraging me to open my heart to it."
In this second half of my conversation with author Leanne Davidson, we move into some of the deeper questions grieving parents often wrestle with after child loss: Why? What if? Could I have done something differently? Will I ever feel joy again?
After losing her son, Mikael, to a fentanyl overdose, Leanne has walked through those questions herself. With honesty and faith, she shares what she's learning about trusting God in the midst of unanswered questions, laying down guilt, and allowing joy back into a heart that has been forever changed.
Leanne also offers practical and compassionate wisdom for families and friends who want to support grieving parents well.
Together we discuss:
• Reconciling faith with unanswered questions
 • Why choosing trust matters when we don't understand
 • Guilt after child loss — especially after addiction-related loss
 • The difference between conviction and guilt
 • Navigating grief within families when everyone grieves differently
 • Giving one another grace and changing expectations after loss
 • What to do when you don't have the strength to pray or open your Bible
 • The difference between happiness and lasting joy
 • Leanne's idea of "joy bombs" and recognizing God's gifts in everyday moments
 • Practical ways to support grieving parents
 • How grief changes us and why there is no returning to "normal"
 • The hope of heaven and seeing our children again
Throughout our conversation, Leanne continually points us back to God's faithfulness and His tender care for grieving parents. Her reminders are simple but powerful: God sees us, carries us, and remains near even when our hearts feel permanently changed.
Resources & Links:
Listen to the first half of our conversation HERE.  
Visit Leanne Davidson's website HERE.  
A Beautiful Pain: Reflections of a Mother’s Journey of Grief
Tattered Hearts & Hopeful Souls: A Christian Devotional for Grieving Hearts
I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. 

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at:  [email protected]

“Our hearts may be tattered, but they are still useful in God’s hands.” 
In this first half of my conversation with author Leanne Davidson, she shares the story of her son, Mikael — a compassionate, funny, energetic young man who loved people deeply and brought joy and laughter wherever he went. She also opens up about the difficult journey of walking alongside a child struggling with addiction and the devastating day her family lost Mikael to a fentanyl overdose in 2022.
Leanne speaks honestly about the complicated realities of addiction, the challenges families face along the way, and the ways God met her in the immediate aftermath of unimaginable loss. She also shares the heart behind her books A Beautiful Pain: Reflections of a Mother’s Journey of Grief and Tattered Hearts & Hopeful Souls: A Christian Devotional for Grieving Hearts.
Together we discuss:
• Mikael’s vibrant personality and the joy he brought to those around him
 • Walking alongside a child battling addiction
 • How addiction affected family relationships
 • Establishing healthy boundaries while preserving connection
 • The trauma and heartbreak of sudden loss
 • The ways God carried Leanne through the earliest days of grief
 • Why she chose the phrase “tattered hearts” for her devotional title
 • Psalm 56:8 and the comfort of knowing God counts every tear
 • The importance of lament and bringing our pain honestly before God
Leanne’s story is filled with sorrow, honesty, perseverance, and hope. If you are a grieving parent, especially one walking the unique path of addiction-related loss, I believe you will find comfort in her words and encouragement in her faith.
Resources & Links:
• Leanne Davidson’s website:  A Mother's Grief Journey
• A Beautiful Pain: Reflections of a Mother’s Journey of Grief
• Tattered Hearts & Hopeful Souls: A Christian Devotional for Grieving Hearts
 
In next week’s episode, Leanne and I continue our conversation as we talk about guilt, unanswered questions, joy, supporting grieving families, and learning to live with a heart that has been forever changed.  Be sure to come back for that!
I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. 

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at:  [email protected]

Today's episode features the second half of my conversation with Matthew Efird, as we move beyond Noah’s earthly 57½ hours and into the difficult road of learning how to live after he went to Heaven.  (If you missed the first half of our conversation, click HERE.)
Matthew shares candidly about grief from a father’s perspective, which is something that often goes unseen, particularly after the death of a baby. He talks about the tension of wanting to protect and fix what can't be fixed, the importance of having other men show up and simply be present, and the practical ways friends and community carried their family through the hardest days. 
We also discuss the emotional fog of grief, learning to take life one moment at a time, and the delicate balance of worshiping and weeping simultaneously. Throughout the conversation, Matthew continually points back to the faith that sustained his family and the phrase that became their foundation: Even though… we will.
This episode is filled with wisdom for grieving parents, especially dads, as well as practical insight for anyone who wants to walk alongside hurting families in meaningful ways.
In this episode, we discuss:
 Grief from a father’s perspective 
 Why dads often feel unseen after infant loss 
 The importance of safe friendships and honest conversations 
 Helpful ways men supported Matthew during grief 
 Learning that “it’s okay to have a good day” 
 Practical advice for grieving dads 
 Why presence matters more than perfect words 
 The meaning behind “worshiping and weeping” at the same time 
 Taking grief one moment—and one step—at a time 
 The role of community in surviving loss 
 Common phrases to avoid when comforting grieving parents 
 The heart behind Matthew’s book and the Even Though We Will Foundation 
Resources & Links:
Even Though We Will written by Matthew Efird 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. 

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at:  [email protected]

Matthew Efird and his wife, Hannah, were joyfully expecting their second son when the word "abnormalities" during a routine ultrasound changed everything. What followed was a journey into anticipatory grief after their son Noah was diagnosed with Trisomy 13, a condition often described as “incompatible with life.” 
In today's episode, Matthew shares what it was like to walk through the remainder of the pregnancy with that knowledge—holding both hope and heartbreak at the same time. He talks about how he and Hannah navigated those months together, how they learned to communicate in the middle of grief, and the intentional ways they chose to spend their time with Noah before he was born.
Matthew also shares about Noah’s birth and the unexpected gift of 57½ hours together — time to hold him, to introduce him to family, and to fully experience what it meant to parent their son on this side of heaven.
In this episode, we discuss:
 The joy of expecting a second child after a season of waiting 
 The moment everything changed at a routine ultrasound 
 Processing the word “abnormalities” and a Trisomy 13 diagnosis 
 Walking through anticipatory grief during pregnancy 
 How Matthew and Hannah supported each other in their marriage 
 Two simple but powerful questions that helped them communicate in grief 
 Choosing to be intentional with the time they had with Noah 
 Noah’s birth and the gift of 57½ hours together 
 What it meant to parent Noah during his brief life 
Be sure to join us next week for the second half of this conversation, when Matthew shares what life looked like after Noah’s passing and offers insight into grief from a father’s perspective.
Resources & Links:
 Matthew’s book: Even Though We Will
 Website: https://eventhoughwewill.com/

If this episode resonated with you, we invite you to share it with someone who may need encouragement today.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. 

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at:  [email protected]

In this second half of my conversation with Keallie Wozny, we shift from Trevor’s story to what it looks like to live in the aftermath of his death.
Keallie shares with honesty and clarity about the questions that so many suicide loss parents carry — questions like why and could I have done something to prevent this?  She reminds us that while those questions are natural, we are not always given the answers we long for — and learning to trust God with the unknown becomes an important part of the journey. 
We also talk about the realities that aren’t always openly discussed:
 the stigma surrounding suicide loss, the fear that suicide might be an unforgivable sin, and the uncertainty some parents carry about their child’s eternity. Keallie gently points listeners back to the truth of Scripture and the character of God — merciful, compassionate, and trustworthy. 
Throughout this conversation, Keallie offers deeply practical insight drawn from her own experience:
 The physical toll of grief and how it affects the body 
 The importance of community and being cared for by others 
 How to approach milestones, anniversaries, and unexpected triggers 
 Why seeking “signs” from loved ones can be misleading—and how to instead recognize God’s presence 
 What it looks like to worship, even when you don’t have the strength to sing 
She also shares simple but powerful encouragement for those early in their grief journey — that joy does return, even if it looks different than before. As she beautifully puts it, grief and joy can coexist. 
Click HERE to listen to the first half of my conversation with Keallie.
Click HERE to find Keallie's book "Circle of Sorrow" on Amazon.  
Click HERE to follow Keallie on Instagram.  
I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. 

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at:  [email protected]