Episode 13: Camilo’s Dad

On today’s episode of Losing a Child: Always Andy’s Mom, I talk to Camilo’s dad, Doug Van Doren. Since recording the first episode with my husband Eric, I have only spoken with women, so it was nice to get another dad’s perspective. We discuss...

Episode 12: Gwen – Surviving the Holidays

On today’s episode, Gwen and I discuss the struggles of getting through the holidays with a heart that is grieving and broken. Grieving is hard work with days that are good and other days that are terrible. Triggers come. Sometimes the triggers are out of the...

Returning From Leave

  Today marks the one year anniversary of the last day that I saw patients before I went on ‘medical leave’ for my grief. I continued to do administrative work on and off, but I stopped seeing children and families. It was just too painful. I returned...

My Job

Recently, I have been thinking about patients whom I cared for when they died. A few of those occurred here in Grand Rapids where I have been a general pediatrician, but the majority happened during my pediatric training at the University of Iowa. I don’t...

Episode 9: Brooke’s Mom

On this episode of Losing A Child: Always Andy’s Mom, I talk with Brooke’s mom, Judy Breen. Unlike most of my previous guests, Judy’s daughter, Brooke, died as an adult in her 30’s. She was married with three children of her own. I admit that...