Don't Forget To Breathe: Where grieving parents find voice, hope, and connection.

Bruce Barker
  • 5.0 (5)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

Don’t Forget To Breathe is a podcast for parents who have lost a child.Hosted by a grieving father, this show offers honest, compassionate conversations about life after child loss, long-term grief, healing, and learning how to keep living while carrying loss. Originally launched in 2020, this podcast began as a form of soul-cleansing and healing, as I shared my journey as a father who suddenly lost his 20-year-old daughter in 2006, a tragedy no parent should ever have to endure. After a three year hiatus filled with personal transformation, including divorce, closing my business, intensive therapy, and continued healing, I return with a renewed heart and deeper understanding. In future seasons, I’ll be sharing conversations with other parents who have bravely offered to speak about living with the unimaginable. Together, we’ll explore what grief looks like over time, and how hope, love, and even laughter can coexist with loss. You’ll hear the shift in my voice from where I was then, to where I am now. I trust you’ll find common ground in our stories, and perhaps a glimmer of hope as you continue on your own path.  

  1. 5D AGO

    S3/E32- Child Loss, Grief, and Healing: Season 3 Recap

    Send us a text This episode of Don’t Forget To Breathe reflects on Season 3, a season focused on parents who have lost a child, life after child loss, long-term grief, and healing. Hosted by a grieving father, this recap honors the voices of bereaved parents who shared their stories of love, loss, and learning how to keep living while carrying grief. Season 3 centered on conversations with mothers and fathers navigating parental grief years after losing a child. This recap is both a thank-you to the parents who bravely shared their stories and a moment of reflection for grieving parents who may be listening quietly from wherever they are in their grief journey. The episode also looks ahead to Season 4 of Don’t Forget To Breathe and how the podcast will continue offering child loss grief support, honest conversations, and a place for bereaved parents to find voice, hope, and connection. If you are a parent who has lost a child, or someone supporting a grieving parent, this episode is for you. You are not 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

    8 min

  2. 11/29/2025

    S3/E31- Kristin's Story (part 2): Loss, Compassion, and Showing Up for Others

    Send us a text In this first half of a two-part conversation, host Bruce Barker talks with Kristin—one of the founders and former Executive Director of a Colorado nonprofit that supports grieving parents. Kristin opens up about her child, her loss, and the early days of her grief journey. She reflects on how her pain transformed into compassion and why she dedicated herself to walking with families through unimaginable moments. In this episode: • The story of her child and the grief that followed • The beginnings of her nonprofit work • What it’s like to show up for grieving families • The emotional labor of holding space for others • How community and connection help sustain healing Part Two continues the conversation and explores what comes next after years of serving 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

    25 min

  3. 11/23/2025

    S3/E30- Kristin's Story (part 1): Loss, Compassion, and Showing Up for Others

    Send us a text In this first part of a two-episode conversation, host Bruce Barker sits down with Kristin, one of the founders and former Executive Director of a Colorado-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting families who have experienced child loss. Kristin shares the early chapters of her grief journey and the deeply personal story that led her to create a safe haven for parents in their darkest moments. She reflects on her own loss, the compassion that shaped her work, and the emotional weight of walking alongside countless families over the years. This episode explores: • The origins of her grief and the impact of her child’s loss • How her personal pain led to community support • The realities of supporting grieving parents day after day • The heart, strength, and vulnerability behind her leadership Part One lays the foundation of Kristin’s powerful story. Part Two continues the conversation as she explores what comes after years of serving 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

    27 min

  4. 11/10/2025

    S3/E29- The Holidays After Child Loss: Grief, Memory, and Survival

    Send us a text The holidays can be one of the hardest times for grieving parents. Between memories of what once was and the silence of what’s missing, emotions can feel overwhelming. In this heartfelt episode of Don’t Forget To Breathe, host Bruce Barker shares gentle reflections and practical coping strategies for navigating the season after child loss. Discover ways to approach family gatherings, honor your child’s memory through meaningful traditions, and give yourself permission to rest and feel. Whether this is your first or fifteenth holiday season without your child, this conversation reminds you that grief and love can coexist; and that hope, connection, and compassion can still be found, even in November and December. You’re not alone. Together, we can find meaning and connection in the season that reminds us to breathe, remember, and hold onto hope. grief support, child loss, holidays, coping with grief, bereaved parents, emotional healing, hope after loss, grief podcast. 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

    18 min

  5. 09/22/2025

    S3/E28- Loss, Grief, and Healing: A Conversation with Sheila Johnson Wilson

    Send us a text My guest, Sheila Johnson Wilson, a writer, musician, and professional coordinator, has endured the loss of more than 20 loved ones, including 17 in just five years. Through deep personal work, she’s found healing and now shares her story to inspire others with courage to heal, support one another, and dream again. Contact information for Sheila and William Wood are: ohohsheilaonline@gmail.com William Wood: william.wood@northernutahhypnosis.com 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

    47 min

  6. 09/07/2025

    S3/E27- Marnie's Story: Child Loss, Love, and Life After Loss (Part 3)

    Send us a text In part three of my conversation with Marnie, she shares life after Joey’s death in 2022; the weight of grief, the struggles, and the ways she continues forward while holding onto her daughter’s memory. Unlike the first two episodes, we recorded this in Marnie’s home, where she invited me into Joey’s room, unchanged since the last time she slept there. Surrounded by Joey’s art and presence, it was a sacred, moving experience. I now invite you to lean in and hear Marnie’s honest and heartfelt story. 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

    42 min

  7. 08/23/2025

    S3/E26- Marnie's Story: Child Loss, Love, and Life After Loss (Part 2)

    Send us a text In the second of three conversations, Marnie continues sharing the story of her daughter, Joey, this time moving into the heartbreaking account of her final days and the moment of her death. Alongside the deep pain, Marnie reflects with tenderness and honesty on the love that carried them through. Recorded in a bustling coffeehouse, this episode invites you to listen past the background sounds and into a mother’s unflinching story of loss, love, and remembrance. 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

    34 min

  8. 08/18/2025

    S3/E25- Marnie's Story: Child Loss, Love, and Life After Loss (Part 1)

    Send us a text In the first of three conversations, Marnie from Colorado opens her heart to share memories of her daughter, Joey and the devastating medical diagnosis, countless hospital visits, and the daily fight to keep her alive, as well as the laughter, adventures, and everyday moments that filled their life with love. Recorded in a cozy coffeehouse, this episode invites you to see Joey through her mother’s eyes, before the tragedy that changed everything. 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

    40 min
See All (19)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Don’t Forget To Breathe is a podcast for parents who have lost a child.Hosted by a grieving father, this show offers honest, compassionate conversations about life after child loss, long-term grief, healing, and learning how to keep living while carrying loss. Originally launched in 2020, this podcast began as a form of soul-cleansing and healing, as I shared my journey as a father who suddenly lost his 20-year-old daughter in 2006, a tragedy no parent should ever have to endure. After a three year hiatus filled with personal transformation, including divorce, closing my business, intensive therapy, and continued healing, I return with a renewed heart and deeper understanding. In future seasons, I’ll be sharing conversations with other parents who have bravely offered to speak about living with the unimaginable. Together, we’ll explore what grief looks like over time, and how hope, love, and even laughter can coexist with loss. You’ll hear the shift in my voice from where I was then, to where I am now. I trust you’ll find common ground in our stories, and perhaps a glimmer of hope as you continue on your own path.  

Information