Dead on Earth

Kerrith McDowell and Sarah Lipscomb
  • 5.0 (29)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Kerrith McDowell and Sarah Lipscomb are friends and colleagues who met while working as nurse practitioners in hospice and palliative care. While having to navigate life in the wake of catastrophic loss, they have seen how hard truths and moments of levity that accompany grief are often suffocated by polite platitudes that repel connection. Dead on Earth is a candid interview podcast that explores grief, loss and hope through the lived experiences of everyday people. No celebrities or experts, just vulnerable humans sharing their stories and exposing the real mess and magic of loss.

  1. 22h ago

    Learning to Dance in the Rain Again

    Some losses come with time to prepare. Sammy Hunter's didn't. When her mother was caught in a flash flood while driving, Sammy's world changed in a single afternoon — no goodbye, no warning, just the sudden, disorienting reality of living in a world without her mom. In this episode, Sammy talks honestly about what grief looks like after a sudden loss: the shock that doesn't wear off on schedule and the slow work of learning to carry both sorrow and joy at the same time. She shares the moments that blindsided her in the early days of grieving a parent, the things people said that actually helped (and the well-meaning things that didn't), and how her relationship with her mother — that singular mother-daughter bond — has kept evolving long after the funeral. If you've lost a mother, suddenly or otherwise, or if you're walking beside someone who has, this conversation is for you. Sammy doesn't offer tidy answers. She offers something better: the truth of what sudden grief actually feels like, and proof that you can learn to dance in the rain again. Sammy Hunter is an everyday person sharing her lived experience of grief and loss. Dead on Earth is a weekly podcast about grief and loss, hosted by Kerrith McDowell and Sarah Lipscomb, both hospice nurse practitioners. Every episode features an everyday person — never experts, never celebrities — talking honestly about what it means to lose someone and keep living. If this episode spoke to you, subscribe and leave a review — it helps other grieving people find us.

  2. 6d ago

    Salt Water

    In this episode of Dead on Earth, we sit down with Nik Paul Fox for a deeply personal conversation about losing their father, Paul, to suicide. Paul was a lover of the ocean who always believed that salt water healed everything. This loss hits incredibly close to home, as Paul was also the uncle and godfather of our co-host, Kerrith McDowell. Nick shares a raw, intimate look at the unique complexities of suicide loss and the ripples it sends through a family dynamic. They open up about navigating the heavy aftermath, finding moments of light in the darkness, and learning how to wade through an ocean of grief.

  3. Sep 28

    The Grief I Buried and the Lengthy Exhumation Process

    In this episode of Dead on Earth, we sit down with Hunter Beattie, owner of Ends Well Funeral Home, for a deeply personal conversation about the death of his father.Hunter’s father was the primary inspiration behind many of his accomplishments, including his path to sobriety. Following a diagnosis of a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, Hunter's father made the decision to reclaim control over his final chapter, choosing to end his life on his own terms.Hunter joins the podcast to openly share the complex grief journey that followed, exploring what it means to honor a loved one's autonomy while navigating the heavy reality of their absence. Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of end-of-life choices and assisted dying. Listener discretion is advised

  4. Sep 21

    Force of Nature

    In this episode of Dead on Earth, Denis McDowell shares the deeply moving story of his late wife, Christine, her struggle with drug addiction, and her tragic death by suicide. Left to pick up the pieces with young children, Denis reveals the difficult reality of grieving out loud while parenting through trauma. Now remarried, Denis reflects on the healing power of time, resilience, and the joy of watching his children thrive in their blended family.

  5. Sep 14

    Phyllis Was Is Here

    In this episode of Dead on Earth, we sit down with Charles Morris to explore the profound, layered grief of losing his mother, Phyllis. Charles shares the agonizing reality of watching his mother’s cancer accelerate her dementia, creating a dual mourning process long before her physical passing.Compounding this heartbreak was the timing: Phyllis’s final days took place during COVID-19, a time when the healthcare system was stretched to its brink and crucial hospice support was virtually non-existent. Charles opens up about the raw, exhausting experience of navigating caregiving in isolation, the anger of systemic failure, and how he honors the enduring imprint his mother left behind.

  6. Sep 7

    Repost: Her Love Had Its Mind Made Up

    This week on Dead on Earth, hosts Sarah Lipscomb and Kerrith McDowell sit down with William English for a deeply personal and vital conversation about family, systemic barriers, and profound loss. William opens up about his journey through grief following his aunt’s battle with breast cancer. Living next door to him his entire life in rural Alabama, she was a constant, nurturing presence who helped raise him. William shares what it was like to step into the role of her fierce advocate as she navigated treatment as an African American woman in the Southern healthcare system. He candidly explores the devastating reality of losing a part of himself when she passed, and the unique weight of mourning a lifelong anchor

  7. Aug 31

    Wind in the Trees

    In this episode, Sarah and Kerrith sit down with Ramona, a dedicated social worker, to talk about the passing of her mother. Ramona’s mother was her absolute rock and, as a hospice nurse, a pillar of strength for countless families.Ramona opens up about the devastating reality of watching her mother battle lung cancer and reflects on the profound, heavy grief of sitting at her mother's bedside at the end of her life. It is a powerful conversation about love, legacy, and learning to live with a shattering loss.

  8. Aug 24

    I'm Still Here

    In this episode of Dead on Earth, we sit down with Taylor Ortiz-Hershman for a deeply moving conversation about her brother, Ben's battle with, and ultimate passing from, an Adderall addiction.Taylor opens up about the unique pain of watching someone you love fade away, the devastating reality of prescription stimulant abuse, and how she navigates the complex landscape of loss. "I'm Still Here" is a powerful testament to survival, the enduring bond between siblings, and finding your footing when your world is shattered.

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About

Kerrith McDowell and Sarah Lipscomb are friends and colleagues who met while working as nurse practitioners in hospice and palliative care. While having to navigate life in the wake of catastrophic loss, they have seen how hard truths and moments of levity that accompany grief are often suffocated by polite platitudes that repel connection. Dead on Earth is a candid interview podcast that explores grief, loss and hope through the lived experiences of everyday people. No celebrities or experts, just vulnerable humans sharing their stories and exposing the real mess and magic of loss.

Information

  • Creator
    Kerrith McDowell and Sarah Lipscomb
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kerrith McDowell and Sarah Lipscomb
  • Show Website
    Dead on Earth

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