Stories of Grief — Forced Joy Project

Stephanie Hernandez

Stephanie Hernandez opens up about losing her dad and the effect it has had on her life, as well as how her grief has shifted over time.

Dana FrostNovember 24, 2023grief stories, parent loss, grief & loss, grief support Comment

Cyndi Smith

Cyndi Smith shares about the life and death of her husband, Matt, to colon cancer, as well as life in the aftermath of loss as a single mother.

Dana FrostNovember 1, 2023young widow, cancer widow, cancer death, widowhood, grief stories, grief and loss, colon cancer, grief supportComment

Marina Walker

Marina Walker shares about losing her husband, Darron to lung cancer. She courageously opens up about the realities of grief in the aftermath, and managing both her own grief and the grief of her son.

Dana FrostJuly 20, 2023 Comments

Georgia Lillie

Georgia Lillie lost her husband, James to a rare form of small cell cancer. Since his passing, she has managed to live with both the joy and the grief, and has also written a children’s book in honor of James.

Dana FrostJune 20, 2023widow, widowhood, young widow, cancer stories, cancer death, grief stories, grief and loss, grief support, small cell cancerComment

Jess Witous

Jess Witous opens up about the loss of her two daughters due to the genetic mutation, achondroplastic dwarfism. She shares about embracing her limited time with her daughters, as well as how she continues to honor them today.

Dana FrostMay 4, 2023dwarfism, achondroplasia, child loss, grief stories, grief support, grief and loss, infant lossComment

Linda Brown

Linda Brown shares about the unexpected and sudden death of her husband, Mike. She bravely opens up about what has brought her joy — like her blended family — as well as what she has struggled with in the aftermath of his passing.

Dana FrostJanuary 14, 2023grief stories, grief and loss, widowhood, widow, widow stories, sudden death, sudden loss, grief supportComment

Katie Mauriello

Katie Mauriello lost her mom unexpectedly and then tragically, only a few months later, her brother to an overdose. She talks about the difficulties of that time and the lessons about life she has learned in her grief.

Dana FrostOctober 31, 2022parent loss, sibling loss, grief, grief stories, death stories, grief and loss, overdose, sudden lossComment

Maxime Vossen

Maxime Vossen was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer at age 28. She opens up about what it’s like to live with an incurable disease, as well as grieving the person she was and all the things she will never get to do.

Staley Pearl

Staley Pearl courageously opens up about the mysterious way her mom died, followed by the loss of several other family members, and the impact that has had on her life.

Kim Ramsahoye

Kim Ramsahoye talks about her experience as a caregiver to her husband, Dave, who was diagnosed with brain cancer. She shares about the complexities of grief following his death, including dating and raising a family.

Dawn ReynoldsAugust 29, 2022widow, cancer widow, grief support, grief stories, grief and loss, young widowComment

Kate Seamons

Kate Seamons opens up about the unexpected death of her husband, Ben, and how she supports others in their grief through her company, Rainy Day Boxes.

Jess Miller

Jess Miller opens up about her husband, Chris, who went into cardiac arrest at their home, 7 weeks after she had our son. She shares about Chris surviving another 11 months in a minimally conscious state and what life has looked like since his death.

Dawn ReynoldsAugust 29, 2022widow, widow stories, young widow, grief and loss, grief stories, grief, grief support, cardiac arrest, sudden deathComment

Melissa Hammond

Melissa Hammond talks about the loss of her brother, Skyler to Leukemia. After his death, she became the adoptive mother to his child. She opens up about both the grief and gratitude that follows her brother’s death.

Dawn ReynoldsAugust 29, 2022cancer, cancer death, leukemia, AYA cancer, grief stories, grief support, death storiesComment

Dana Eskes

Dana Eskes shares about the loss of her son, Julian, who died by suicide. She courageously opens up about the trauma of his death as well as ways she has been able to heal.

Dawn ReynoldsAugust 27, 2022suicide, grief and loss, child loss, grief, grief support, life after lossComment

Drew Dotson

Drew Dotson shares about grieving the death of her husband while living with cystic fibrosis - a terminal diagnois.

Dawn ReynoldsAugust 26, 2022cystic fibrosis, terminal diagnosis, grief, grief and loss, widow, young, young widow, life after lossComment

Meghan Montague

Meghan Montague opens up about the sudden death of her husband, Rich, from cardiac arrest. She touches on how the loss not only affects her, but her daughters as well.

Claire Lucas

Claire Lucas shares about the sudden death of her fiance and the lengths she’s traveled (both physically and emotionally) to live life in the wake of his loss.

Dawn ReynoldsAugust 17, 2022widow, young widow, sudden death, grief, grief stories, grief and loss, life after loss Comment

Lindsay Rodney

Lindsay Rodney became the caregiver to her husband after he was diagnosed with ALS. She shares about the experience of balancing the roles of mother, wife, and caregiver throughout her husband’s diagnosis.

Dana FrostAugust 12, 2022ALS, caregiver, grief, grief & loss, terminal diagnosis Comment

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