One Bright Star - Life After Loss

One Bright Star was founded in 1998 by four mothers who, in their grief, came together to embark on a mission to be a resource to families who have suffered the death of a child. The organization has a physical memorial site at Ray Erlandson Park in Mankato, Minnesota. On this Life After Loss podcast, Executive Director, Erica Fisher and board member, Alicia More, discuss the many ways the nonprofit helps its bereaved families. From hosting annual events such as the Children's Mini Camp and a Children's Memorial Service to offering financial grants to a grief retreat camp or helping with funeral expenses, OBS and its supporters continually strive to serve families who have suffered the unthinkable. Join us to learn more about One Bright Star. OneBrightStar.org

March is Trisomy awareness month. Trisomy is a genetic condition where a person has an extra chromosome and it comes in different forms including: Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome), Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) and Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome). Each journey is unique and on this edition of our Life After Loss podcast, we are joined by Paige Hawkins who educates us on Trisomy 18. Paige and her husband, Greg, suffered multiple Trisomy 18 losses and she talks about how rare the condition is and the pregnancy that ultimately ended early with the passing of their son, Wyatt. She reflects on the emotions that immediately followed and ways in which they mourn and celebrate the lives of their babies.

OneBrightStar.org

One Bright Star held its annual fall children's memorial service on Sunday, September 29, 2024 at Erlandson Park in Mankato, Minnesota. The program featured a welcome message from Erica Fischer, executive director and Becca Roberson, president of One Bright Star; music by In A Bind piano and vocals; an invocation prayer read by Matt Sipe; guest speaker, Danielle Duffey; a poem: As We Remember Them, read by Chris Oldenburg; One Bright Star poem read by founding mother Linda Janavaras and the reading of the children's names by Kristine Schimek.

Mankato, Minnesota nonprofit, One Bright Star, offers grants to families and individuals to attend a grief retreat in Danbury, Wisconsin called Faith's Lodge. It's a safe place for families to gather who have suffered child loss. On this Life After Loss podcast, we are joined by Joan Stanford. Her son, Jeremy, died in 2019 to veterans suicide. Joan was the first recipient of a One Bright Star grant to attend Faith's Lodge. She describes her experience over the three-day weekend and outlines what others can expect when they attend. She said it was empowering to share her story with others who have suffered a similar loss. She felt she could finally breathe and exhale since the loss of her son five years ago. She said the experience was healing and felt she was not alone on her grief journey. The experience made Joan feel special and she also felt able to give others hope in letting them know that they could also find meaning and happiness in their lives following such a tragic loss. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, help is available. Please dial or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or visit 988lifeline.org for free and confidential support. OneBrightStar.org

Danielle Duffey returns to our podcast three years after her first appearance to talk about her ongoing grief journey. In 2016, she and her husband lost their 17-month old son, Blake, to a medical mystery called: Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC). Danielle felt very much alone, suffering in silence and feeling like she was drowning in her grief. She didn't know how to express her sorrow and couldn't move forward for years. She discovered that journaling and using targeted journal prompts became her lifeline to self-reflection and helped her to find gratitude. It gave clarity which allowed her to love herself like she never had before. Join us for Danielle's story of finding distinction between grief and mourning and how she began to heal once she started to mourn. OneBrightStar.org

Tiffany Ward joins our podcast to talk about the extraordinary life of her mother, Cheryl. Although her mom's passing was just a short time ago, Tiffany beams as she talks about their relationship and how Cheryl touched so many lives. Because Cheryl had so many life experiences, she connected very easily with others and helped them navigate through their own trials and tribulations. At one point, Tiffany found herself grieving her mom's loss even before she had passed. She learned to cherish every moment which allowed her and Cheryl to enjoy their open and deep relationship while her mom was in hospice. Tiffany speaks about the signs that her mom leaves for her since her passing, to just let her know that everything is alright. Join us for a heartwarming discussion about a family's love and the lasting legacy that Cheryl leaves behind. OneBrightStar.org

One Bright Star board of directors members Tracy Davies and Nicole Van Sickle join our podcast to talk about their own grief journey. Both have suffered the death of a child and share their stories about a grief journey that is emotional and ongoing. Part of that journey brought them to a retreat in Wisconsin called Faith's Lodge. It's a safe place where parents and families come to explore their inner-most feelings with others who have the shared experience of losing a child. One Bright Star is proud to be able to help families attend the retreat through a grant program that will offset the cost of the three-night, four day stay at the lodge. Nicole and Tracy talk about their personal experience at the lodge and help answer questions about what to expect at the venue. Both agree, that it was the single best decision they've made to help them through their loss and to navigate through their grief. If you or someone you know is suffering through the loss of a child, please share this podcast with them to know there is help available through One Bright Star. More information at: FaithsLodge.org and OneBrightStar.org

Executive Director, Erica Fischer and board member, Alicia More, take a look back at 2023 and discuss everything One Bright Star was able to accomplish for its grieving families. From setting up grant programs to help parents attend retreats at Faith's Lodge in Danbury, Wisconsin to Mothers of Angels events to connecting with bereaved parents through Comfort Conversations, OBS, with the help of its many financial supporters was able to do so many great things to serve its mission. They also talked about updating the OBS website, adding Bereavement Bags and Cassie's Cuddles at the local hospital, updating the Star Grief Journal, annual OBS board retreat with guest speaker, pastor Jillene Gallatin, annual Celebration of Life Gala and the Life After Loss Podcast. Join us for a recap of 2023 and a look ahead at what's in store for 2024!

Dena and Travis Iverson suffered the stillbirth of their daughter, Cassie. They already had a son, Clayton, and they knew they wanted more children but it was a complicated process. Dena joins our podcast to talk about the emotional toll Cassie's loss took on them but they pushed forward, even after having three additional miscarriages. Dena wants her message for others to be that there is no fast-track to healing, it will wait for you, and people need to allow themselves to, "feel the feelings" and not feel guilty after a loss.

The Iverson's now have another son, Charlie and a daughter, Caylee. Dena tells her story to help others and talks about the projects she immersed herself in to not only help in her family's grief journey, but for the benefit of others who are suffering loss. Joy and sadness can live together and we hope you join us for Dena's inspirational story. OneBrightStar.org

Joan Stanford lost her son, Jeremy Reinarts, to veteran suicide in 2019. Jeremy was an Iraq war vet. Upon his return to civilian life, he suffered with mental illness, PTSD, and, like many veterans, had a difficult time with reintegration. Joan talks about her struggle with loneliness and the difficulties in her life with processing her sons death and her continued journey to keep Jeremy's memory alive. Joan says, "there are no rainbows" in her story. It's raw, difficult and emotional. Joan believes that Jeremy didn't want to die but that he didn't know how to live. He had dreams and goals and he had helped many people in his life but his personal struggle was too much for him to overcome. Joan wants to educate people on how to help those that are grieving. She says dealing with grief starts with being able to talk about it. Please join us for an impactful, emotional and straight-forward podcast discussing grief and finding joy in that grief. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, help is available. Please dial or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or visit 988lifeline.org for free and confidential support.

Jonna Hruby is a funeral director with Mankato Mortuary and a board member with One Bright Star. She is often times the first person that people come into contact with after a death. In her role, Jonna shares how important it is to help people begin the grieving process and be supportive and empathetic along the way. She details how difficult it is, not only for families, but also for her personally as a funeral director. Making sure all of the details are in place according to the directions from the family is a big part of her position. Being a wife and mother, Jonna knows how overwhelming death can be for a family, and she can fully put herself in the shoes of the bereaved. She feels like her career chose her and she helps people not only during the immediate process but sometimes even years later. Please join us for our podcast outlining a different perspective on death and grieving. 

On this episode of One Bright Star - Life After Loss, we are joined by author Rachael Hanel. She wrote the book, We’ll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down: Memoir of a Gravedigger's Daughter. From an early age Rachael spent her time in cemeteries with her dad and mom and had a much different perspective on death. She visited the graves of those unknown to her as she wondered about the lives of those names on the headstones. The reality of death became more clear as she suddenly lost her 46 year old father at the age of 15. Hanel talks about the people that helped her move through her grief process and to also find humor in an otherwise overwhelming experience. She speaks about the importance of talking about loss and to make sure to carry on the memory of a lost loved one.

Deb is the Vice President of One Bright Star and lost her 23 year old daughter, Crystal, in 2005. Deb leads an outreach program for OBS called, "Comfort Coffee" which is held at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Mankato, Minnesota on the fourth Tuesday morning of each month. On this episode of One Bright Star - Life After Loss, she talks about the importance of this non-judgemental group that gathers to support and share each other's commonality of having lost a child. Deb is seeking to expand and is looking into starting an evening group called, "Comfort Cocktails" if there is an interest to do so. Please join this podcast and learn more about the diverse efforts of OBS to support its mission of being a resource to grieving families. 

On this episode, One Bright Star's Executive Director, Erica Fischer and President, Alicia More, discuss who One Bright Star is here to serve and the mission of this Minnesota nonprofit. They talk about the importance of remembering and honoring a lost loved one, how they've been personally touched by the stories that families sharel and how important it is for all of us to show compassion and empathy. They also talk about the hope and courage that families show when it comes to coping and grieving the tremendous loss they have endured. Please join us on this journey to honor and remember those who have touched our lives and left us much too soon. 

One Bright Star board member, Becca Roberson, shares the story of her dad, Andy. After his diagnosis of Corticobasal degeneration, Becca talks about the life and loss her family faced and shares the memories of a man she held so dear.