Hope After Child & Sibling Loss/the empty chair endeavor

Greg Buffkin/Trauma Recovery & Healing Journey Host
  • 4.9 (29)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Biweekly

A Christian faith based podcast shining the light of Hope into the darkness of trauma and grief to offer support and encouragement to grieving parents and siblings on their healing journey and in rediscovering meaning, purpose, and peace after the unspeakable loss of a child. Join us as guests share their stories of heartbreaking loss and how God has shown up on their journeys to heal and restore broken lives. The host, Greg Buffkin, lives with his wife Cathy in South Carolina. Because Cathy and Greg lost their beautiful son Ryan to suicide in 2015, they understand the trauma and pain of losing a child. On a journey that began 10 years ago out of unspeakable trauma and brokenness, GOD has brought them through to a place of restoration, hope and joy with a passion to help other grieving families on their journeys. DISCLAIMER: The views, opinions, and beliefs expressed by our guests are not necessarily shared by this podcast or its host. We believe there is only one GOD: the Father, His son Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit (the Trinity). We also believe that the Holy Bible is the inspired, inerrant, eternal word of GOD which is our source of all truth. 

  1. When Your Darkest Loss Becomes Your Ministry, with Samantha Watson

    May 26

    When Your Darkest Loss Becomes Your Ministry, with Samantha Watson

    Miscarriage can shatter your world in minutes, and sometimes it happens in a place you never expected. I sit down with Samantha Watson, a military wife and mom, as she tells the story of her 2015 pregnancy loss while stationed far from family and still building community. She shares the moment joy turned to grief, the trauma surrounding the miscarriage, and the faith in Jesus Christ that held her up when she had no strength left. We also talk about the part people rarely prepare you for: how others respond. Some want to help but freeze because they do not know what to say, while others unintentionally minimize early pregnancy loss. Samantha and I unpack why miscarriage grief is real, what “grief brain” feels like, and why “text me if you need anything” can be impossible for a grieving parent. You will hear practical ways to support someone after child loss, including simple acts like meals, childcare, and steady presence. Samantha explains the worship and Scripture habits that helped her survive those early days, including listening to the Bible when reading felt overwhelming. She also shares how she talked with her children about the loss using John 10:10, and how God later redeemed her pain into purpose. That purpose includes her new podcast, Simple Devotions for Children, created to help Christian moms and families build faith at home with easy, engaging devotionals. If this conversation helps you, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a rating or review so more grieving parents and supporters can find it. Share any comments here *** Please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy this podcast by clicking the link below. By doing so you help increase our visibility and discoverability for others, and we value your feedback! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-after-child-sibling-loss-the-empty-chair-endeavor/id1654053256 You can contact us by email at: hope@emptychairendeavor.com through our parent organization website: https://www.emptychairendeavor.com/ Our Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theemptychairendeavor If you would like to share your story on an upcoming episode, please send us an email so that we can talk with you about it. Thank you for listening!

    47 min
  2. Navigating Life After Suicide with Melissa & Todd Shaffer, Tristan’s Parents

    May 12

    Navigating Life After Suicide with Melissa & Todd Shaffer, Tristan’s Parents

    A teen can look like he is just “being a teenager” while he is privately fighting for his life. We talk with Todd and Melissa Shaffer about the loss of their 18-year-old son, Tristan, to suicide after a long, confusing road that included isolation, anger, depression, and warning signs nobody around them could clearly name. Their story is honest about what it feels like to miss what you did not know how to see, and what happens to a family when clinical depression and suicide risk finally break into the open. We also dig into the complicated realities behind mental health diagnoses, including how OCD can fixate on a person, how bipolar symptoms can be overlooked, and why emergency rooms and short evaluations often fail families in crisis. From antidepressant warnings to the stigma that still lingers in our culture, we discuss the tension many Christian families feel between “spiritual bandaid”  advice and the need for counseling, specialists, and wise medical care. If you care about teen mental health, suicide prevention, or supporting bereaved parents, this conversation offers language and perspective you can carry into real life. Most of all, we talk about the grief journey after suicide loss and what actually helps: finding other parents who understand, living one day at a time, and learning to pray again when words disappear. Todd and Melissa share how Scripture, journaling, and the often-neglected practice of lament became lifelines, and how they now serve others through ministries like Christian Suicide Loss and Surviving Child Loss while building Sparrow Falls Ministry. Tune in for more conversations like this, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review with one thing you want the church to understand about mental health and grief. https://sparrowfalls.org/podcast/ Share any comments here *** Please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy this podcast by clicking the link below. By doing so you help increase our visibility and discoverability for others, and we value your feedback! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-after-child-sibling-loss-the-empty-chair-endeavor/id1654053256 You can contact us by email at: hope@emptychairendeavor.com through our parent organization website: https://www.emptychairendeavor.com/ Our Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theemptychairendeavor If you would like to share your story on an upcoming episode, please send us an email so that we can talk with you about it. Thank you for listening!

    1h 1m
  3. A Mother’s Story Of Grief, Depression, and Hope After Her Son’s Suicide with Anne Starke, David’s Mom

    Apr 28

    A Mother’s Story Of Grief, Depression, and Hope After Her Son’s Suicide with Anne Starke, David’s Mom

    A suicide can leave a family with a thousand questions and zero satisfying answers. I sat down with Anne Starke, a nurse, wife, and mom, to talk about the day her 16-year-old son, David, died by suicide and what it’s like to live with the shock of finding your child and realizing there is nothing you can do to undo it. Ann shares the subtle changes she noticed in David over time and why teen depression can be impossible to “logic away,” even when a kid is loved, talented, and surrounded by friends. We talk honestly about suicide loss grief, the guilt that follows, and how exposure to another suicide can affect a young person who is already struggling. We also discuss the social fallout many families experience, when friends avoid you at church or in the grocery store because they don’t know what to say. The story doesn’t skip the darkest parts: Anne’s shattered faith, anger at God, and the moment her husband had to step in because she didn’t know if she could survive. We get practical about mental health support, including therapy, trauma work, and antidepressants like Prozac, not as a “fix,” but as a tool that can steady you enough to keep breathing and keep going. Anne also explains why community with other suicide loss survivors matters so much, how prolonged grief can feel like being stuck, and how purpose slowly returned through starting Hearts of Hope and serving other grieving parents. You’ll also hear how GOD patiently and compassionately restored Anne’s faith and helped her embrace joy again. If you’re walking through child loss, suicide bereavement, or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers real language, real hope, and permission to be honest. Share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more grieving families can find these stories when they feel most alone. Share any comments here *** Please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy this podcast by clicking the link below. By doing so you help increase our visibility and discoverability for others, and we value your feedback! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-after-child-sibling-loss-the-empty-chair-endeavor/id1654053256 You can contact us by email at: hope@emptychairendeavor.com through our parent organization website: https://www.emptychairendeavor.com/ Our Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theemptychairendeavor If you would like to share your story on an upcoming episode, please send us an email so that we can talk with you about it. Thank you for listening!

    48 min
  4. Contagious Hope with Billy & Julie Melton, Juliana’s parents

    Apr 14

    Contagious Hope with Billy & Julie Melton, Juliana’s parents

    The phone call changes everything. One minute you’re living a normal week, and the next you’re racing toward tests, scans, and words like “concerning” and “brain tumor.” I’m joined by Billy and Julie Melton to remember their daughter Juliana, a newlywed with a contagious laugh, a love for people, and a faith that stayed steady through a long, painful 16-month cancer fight that ended on Valentine’s Day 2018. We talk about what happens after adult child loss, when the world keeps moving but your time feels stuck. Billy and Julie describe the raw first year, the heavier second year when reality sets in, and the very real experience of grief triggers at church, at work, and in everyday places. We also dig into what actually helps grieving parents: community that shows up with practical care, the freedom to set boundaries without guilt, and the courage to let someone else hold you up when your faith and energy run thin. They share how hospice support, counseling, grief groups, and time with other bereaved parents helped them heal, and why surviving siblings need attention too. We also explore the hunger many Christians feel to understand heaven more clearly when someone you love is there. Finally, Billy and Julie explain how God redeemed their suffering into Restoring Hope, a Greensboro-area ministry offering biblical hope and a safe space for bereaved parents facing adult child loss. If this conversation helps you, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so more grieving families can find it. What’s one practical act of support that mattered most to you or someone you love? Share any comments here *** Please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy this podcast by clicking the link below. By doing so you help increase our visibility and discoverability for others, and we value your feedback! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-after-child-sibling-loss-the-empty-chair-endeavor/id1654053256 You can contact us by email at: hope@emptychairendeavor.com through our parent organization website: https://www.emptychairendeavor.com/ Our Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theemptychairendeavor If you would like to share your story on an upcoming episode, please send us an email so that we can talk with you about it. Thank you for listening!

    55 min
  5. Remembering Micaela, with Doug Schneider, Micaela’s Dad

    Mar 31

    Remembering Micaela, with Doug Schneider, Micaela’s Dad

    A father checks “Find My iPhone” and realizes the unthinkable might be true. From that moment, Doug Schneider’s world changes forever. Doug joins me, Greg Buffkin, to tell the story of his daughter Micaela, a recent college graduate who landed her dream job at Warner Brothers, loved adventure, and wanted to be a light for Jesus in the entertainment industry. What follows is an honest conversation about child loss, sudden tragedy, and what grief looks like when it moves from the pulpit into your own living room.  We talk about the early days after the fatal car accident that took Micaela and her friend Olivia Johnson, including shock, denial, the physical toll of sorrow, and the haunting feeling that life keeps going while you cannot. Doug also shares why “healing” can feel like betrayal, why grief can be a sign of deep love, and how Christian hope is not pretending things are fine. We spend time on biblical lament, the kind of prayer that tells God the truth while still reaching for Him.  You’ll also hear practical wisdom for supporting grieving parents, especially what to say instead of the loaded question “How are you doing?” Doug names the value of community, including the ongoing friendship with Olivia’s family, and he recommends resources that helped him and his wife: Heaven by Randy Alcorn, It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way by Lysa TerKeurst, Dark Clouds Deep Mercy, and the From Pain To Purpose podcast. If you’re navigating grief, walking with bereaved parents, or searching for Christian grief support and comfort in Jesus, this conversation offers language, faith, and steady next steps.  If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more hurting people can find it. What part of Doug’s story do you want to talk about next? Share any comments here *** Please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy this podcast by clicking the link below. By doing so you help increase our visibility and discoverability for others, and we value your feedback! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-after-child-sibling-loss-the-empty-chair-endeavor/id1654053256 You can contact us by email at: hope@emptychairendeavor.com through our parent organization website: https://www.emptychairendeavor.com/ Our Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theemptychairendeavor If you would like to share your story on an upcoming episode, please send us an email so that we can talk with you about it. Thank you for listening!

    1h 4m
  6. “Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength” with Jodi Snowdon, Grace-Linzey’s Mom

    Mar 17

    “Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength” with Jodi Snowdon, Grace-Linzey’s Mom

    Jodi Snowdon is an author, podcaster, and speaker who serves women through her podcast, Depth, and her blog, Heartbreak to Strength. In August 2022, she released her first book, Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength. Having walked through multiple heartbreaks (divorce, miscarriage, & cancer), Jodi now inspires women to grow deeper in their faith and to find hope, joy, and purpose through their unexpected storms. She lights up the most when she shares her testimony using her cracked clay pot, a visual reminder that God shines brightest through our broken places. She is raising two sons (one in college and one adulting) in Southern California where she teaches science to elementary students in the STEM Lab. Jodi would love to connect with you on her website, jodisnowdon.com or on Instagram @jodi.snowdon Share any comments here *** Please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy this podcast by clicking the link below. By doing so you help increase our visibility and discoverability for others, and we value your feedback! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-after-child-sibling-loss-the-empty-chair-endeavor/id1654053256 You can contact us by email at: hope@emptychairendeavor.com through our parent organization website: https://www.emptychairendeavor.com/ Our Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theemptychairendeavor If you would like to share your story on an upcoming episode, please send us an email so that we can talk with you about it. Thank you for listening!

    1h 5m
  7. When Hearts Shatter, with Carol Brown, Jackie’s Mom

    Mar 3

    When Hearts Shatter, with Carol Brown, Jackie’s Mom

    In this transparent and hope-filled conversation, Carol Brown shares her journey of grief after the tragic loss of her precious 29 year old daughter Jackie, who was a dedicated teacher and a bright light in the lives of many. Carol reflects on the impact of grief on her life, the importance of community support, and the lessons she learned about faith and God through her experience. She emphasizes the need for open conversations about grief and the significance of keeping loved ones' legacies alive. Carol also discusses her involvement in grief support ministries, highlighting the importance of connection and understanding among bereaved parents. Today Carol is involved in the Our Hearts are Home Ministry letting GOD use her suffering and pain to help encourage and offer hope to other grieving parents. Share any comments here *** Please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy this podcast by clicking the link below. By doing so you help increase our visibility and discoverability for others, and we value your feedback! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-after-child-sibling-loss-the-empty-chair-endeavor/id1654053256 You can contact us by email at: hope@emptychairendeavor.com through our parent organization website: https://www.emptychairendeavor.com/ Our Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theemptychairendeavor If you would like to share your story on an upcoming episode, please send us an email so that we can talk with you about it. Thank you for listening!

    55 min
  8. In a Single Moment, with Karen McCord, Carley’s Mom

    Feb 17

    In a Single Moment, with Karen McCord, Carley’s Mom

    On this episode, Karen McCord shares her profound experience with grief, following the loss of her daughter Carley, a well known ESPN sports reporter, in a tragic plane crash while traveling to cover the Atlanta Peach Bowl in December 2019. Karen reflects on both the personal and public aspects of her journey through grief, the impact of her daughter's life, and the haunting thoughts she sometimes experienced about outliving Carley. The discussion emphasizes the importance of sharing personal stories to connect with others who are navigating their own grief journeys. Karen also shares how GOD revealed His love, grace, and comfort in very personal ways along her grief journey. Finally, you’ll hear about Karen’s recently published book, “Only Rainbows: The Carley McCord Story”, capturing their family’s grief journey and a very tender tribute to their beloved Carley. Share any comments here *** Please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy this podcast by clicking the link below. By doing so you help increase our visibility and discoverability for others, and we value your feedback! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-after-child-sibling-loss-the-empty-chair-endeavor/id1654053256 You can contact us by email at: hope@emptychairendeavor.com through our parent organization website: https://www.emptychairendeavor.com/ Our Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theemptychairendeavor If you would like to share your story on an upcoming episode, please send us an email so that we can talk with you about it. Thank you for listening!

    55 min
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4.9
out of 5
29 Ratings

About

A Christian faith based podcast shining the light of Hope into the darkness of trauma and grief to offer support and encouragement to grieving parents and siblings on their healing journey and in rediscovering meaning, purpose, and peace after the unspeakable loss of a child. Join us as guests share their stories of heartbreaking loss and how God has shown up on their journeys to heal and restore broken lives. The host, Greg Buffkin, lives with his wife Cathy in South Carolina. Because Cathy and Greg lost their beautiful son Ryan to suicide in 2015, they understand the trauma and pain of losing a child. On a journey that began 10 years ago out of unspeakable trauma and brokenness, GOD has brought them through to a place of restoration, hope and joy with a passion to help other grieving families on their journeys. DISCLAIMER: The views, opinions, and beliefs expressed by our guests are not necessarily shared by this podcast or its host. We believe there is only one GOD: the Father, His son Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit (the Trinity). We also believe that the Holy Bible is the inspired, inerrant, eternal word of GOD which is our source of all truth. 

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