Grief Trails

Amanda

Stories from everyday humans who have encountered grief in one of its many forms and have found themselves on a different trail than they ever intended. Join us as we hear about the ways grief has changed people in all of its ugliness and unexpected beauty.

  1. 05/08/2024

    Stillbirth, A Worst Perfect Storm with Liz O'Donnell

    Send us a text Elizabeth “Liz” O’Donnell is a steadfast infant loss advocate leading the charge in raising awareness and prevention of stillbirth and infant mortality. Her daughter, Aaliyah, was born still in 2020. Today, she runs a one-woman non-profit keeping her daughter’s spirit alive, supporting mothers and families across the country who experience the pain of losing a baby and advocating for legislation that could reduce the number of U.S. stillbirths.  Liz is also a Director of Awareness for PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy, a grassroots initiative that advocates for evidence-based, respectful, and equitable maternity care. Prior to her advocacy work, Liz was a dedicated D.C. Public Schools elementary math and science school teacher for 7 years.  In 2020, Liz was sent home from the hospital with only her daughter's footprints and baby blanket.. When her employer revoked her paid leave for her recovery, she shared her experience on social media in a post that went viral and launched her advocacy. Later, in 2021, the DC paid family leave legislation was amended to include stillbirth. Inspired by an outpouring of support and motivated to keep her daughter’s spirit alive, Liz started Aaliyah in Action (AiA). The non-profit supports women and families following perinatal, neonatal or infant loss with self-care packages and bereavement support books. Liz has partnered with 50+ hospitals around the country (and counting) to provide curated self-care packages. More than 1,500 families have received AiA support packages in 40 states, Canada, Jamaica and the UK. AiA boxes contain items sourced from women and Black-owned businesses, the community her daughter would have been a part of.  A positive, energetic force who excels at community building, connection and empathy, Liz earned both a B.A. in Sociology and  Psychology and an M.Ed in Elementary Education from The George Washington University. She lives in DC and is currently pursuing her Masters in Public Health back at GW.  Support the show Want to support the show? Buy your host a cup a coffee at buymeacoff.ee/GriefTrails Visit www.RememberGrams.com and create a personalized custom card for someone you care about. Leave us a Review Share with Friends Thank you so much for listening. Wishing you well on whatever trail you find yourself walking today.

    43 min
  2. 04/03/2024

    GriefHab- Rehab for Grief, with Samantha Ruth

    Send us a text Samantha Ruth, a trained psychologist, shares her personal story of love and loss with us. After her husband Jim died, Samantha took an extended period of time to lean deep into her grief, and it led her in a new direction in life. She is the host of the "Be Ruthless Show" podcast, a podcast dedicated to making noise and breaking stigmas and founder of "GriefHab". You can connect with her and learn more on her website.  Samantha’s mission is to change the way the world views both grief and  mental illness, so people can get the help they deserve without fear of judgment, labels, and repercussions. Samantha is the Proud Founder of Griefhab,  rehab for grief, a 24/7 community open to anyone who has experienced a loss. After personally living through this, Sam realized just how much support she needed on a daily basis. She vowed to create these services so that others would have this support available in their times of need.  In her free time, you can find Sam and her pups, Sassy and Dallas, on one of their outdoor adventures. They love living in Colorado and never miss an opportunity to explore their beautiful surroundings. Music fuels Sam’s soul, family means everything to her, and honoring her late husband, Jim, gives her life daily purpose. Support the show Want to support the show? Buy your host a cup a coffee at buymeacoff.ee/GriefTrails Visit www.RememberGrams.com and create a personalized custom card for someone you care about. Leave us a Review Share with Friends Thank you so much for listening. Wishing you well on whatever trail you find yourself walking today.

    33 min
5
out of 5
23 Ratings

About

Stories from everyday humans who have encountered grief in one of its many forms and have found themselves on a different trail than they ever intended. Join us as we hear about the ways grief has changed people in all of its ugliness and unexpected beauty.