Séamas O’Reilly is a Derry born writer for The Observer and The New York Times, who speaks to Sasha and Venetia about his mother Sheila, who passed away three weeks before his sixth birthday in October 1991. Driving back from the Belfast hospital on the night of her death, his father was faced with the mammoth task of raising 11 children as a loan parent for the first time. 

An exceptionally talented and descriptive writer, Séamas’s memoir “Did Ye Hear Mammy Died?” comes out in Spring 202, and he shares his own memories of that period, and some newly uncovered ones during this week’s chat. Sasha, Venetia and Séamas also share their own unique stories and perspectives on parenting and bereavement and their way to approach the subject of death with children. 

If you're looking for a safe haven to express how you feel, 

Share articles, photos ,memories and more,

Join the Grief Encounters Facebook Group,

A place for support, compassion and empathy for those grieving

https://www.facebook.com/groups/GriefEncounters/

Music by: Nctrnm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the most difficult things a person can experience in their lifetime is hearing the news that a loved one has died both prematurely and unexpectedly. 

In 2016, Neil Fox's life was changed forever, after gardaí knocked to his door to inform him his sister Donna had passed away in a cycling accident that morning. In the years since Neil’s personal experience with both grief and trauma has brought him on an incredible journey through sobriety, sexuality and ultimately becoming more comfortable in his own skin. He speaks with Sasha and Venetia about the ups and downs in his life, since Donna’s death, and his incredible work to prevent similar accidents taking place on Irish roads. 

If you're looking for a safe haven to express how you feel, 

Share articles, photos , memories and more,

Join the Grief Encounters Facebook Group,

A place for support, compassion and empathy for those grieving

https://www.facebook.com/groups/GriefEncounters/

Music by Nctrnm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s guest, Justin Caffrey and his wife Beatrice have gone through something no parents should ever have to deal with in their lifetime. The loss of a child. 

In 2011 after a series of devastating miscarriages, Beatrice became pregnant once more. 25 weeks into the pregnancy during a family holiday in Malaga, Beatrice’s waters broke, leading to the extremely premature birth of their son Joshua. Joshua was born with a host of medical complications causing Justin and his wife and 4 year old son to uproot their lives for the next 11 months and act as carers in a city completely foreign to them. In this truly incredible interview, Justin speaks in detail about their own experiences in losing Joshua, as well as the incredible road his grief has brought him on.

If you're looking for a safe haven to express how you feel, 

Share articles, photos ,memories and more,

Join the Grief Encounters Facebook Group,

A place for support, compassion and empathy for those grieving

https://www.facebook.com/groups/GriefEncounters/

Music by Nctrnm 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jane Mckenna is the founder of Ireland's only children's hospice, and The Laura Lynn Foundation, both named after her two children, Laura and Lynn. Sadly, her vision to create a national children’s hospice spawned from utter tragedy. Jane joined Sasha & Venetia for an incredibly moving episode of Grief Encounters, where she speaks about how her family's journey through unthinkable loss, made her determined to give back in her own grief - leaving an incredible legacy for her two children.

Jane & her husband Brendan are the proud parents of two beautiful girls Laura & Lynn. Sadly, both Laura and Lynn passed away 20 months apart from each other, to differing illnesses, leaving Jane and Brendan living every parent's worst nightmare.  

 “Lynn thought us how to live, and she thought us how to die”

On this week’s episode of the podcast she gives a really special account of her family's life before and after Laura and Lynn’s passing. No detail is spared, as she paints an extremely vivid picture of what their life was like, living in and out of hospitals and waiting appointment to appointment. More importantly, she manages to capture how incredibly strong both girls were, in sickness and in health. 

This episode was originally released in February 2019*

If you're looking for a safe haven to express how you feel, 

Share articles, photos ,memories and more,

Join the Grief Encounters Facebook Group,

A place for support, compassion and empathy for those grieving

https://www.facebook.com/groups/GriefEncounters/

Music by: Nctrnm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.