))
One Bright Star's Life After Loss podcast focuses on the journey that parents and families face after the death of a child or loved one. Each episode, your hosts Erica Fischer and Alicia More bring you the personal stories of families who have faced this unimaginable heartache. Other topics include: coping with guilt, processing grief, finding meaning in life, paying tribute, honoring and remembering a beloved, confronting a broken heart and further discussing the ongoing mission of One Brig ...
…
continue reading
1
A Coversation With Mankato Nonprofit, Wings Of Hope
20:14
20:14
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:14
The mission of One Bright Star is to be a resource to families who have lost a child to death. As part of that mission, OBS also tries to align with and support other local nonprofits that have a similar mission. We are joined on this Life After Loss podcast by Mankato, Minnesota nonprofit, Wings of Hope. Chris Oldenburg and DeeAnn Wacker lead this…
…
continue reading
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…
…
continue reading
1
Faith's Lodge: A Safe Place For Hope And Healing
18:37
18:37
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:37
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…
…
continue reading
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 throu…
…
continue reading
Join us for part two of our conversation with Jillene Gallatin, Senior Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Waseca, Minnesota. Jillene talks about the, "seasons of grief" rather than the stages of grief. People's misconception is that one moves through the stages rather than, often times, returning to a previous iteration of the process. At the age o…
…
continue reading
Jillene Gallatin is the Senior Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Waseca, Minnesota. She joins our podcast to talk about grief and how important it is for people to share their story. Jillene shares her personal story of facing grief and loss when she was fourteen years old and the tragedy of losing her mother to suicide. She talks about questions …
…
continue reading
1
Cal's Corner: Where Love And Compassion Meet
21:16
21:16
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
21:16
Becca and Dan Sharpsteen were excited to welcome their first child into the world. A full-term pregnancy and the eager anticipation of a newborn, soon turned to tragedy when they learned their son, Cal, would be stillborn. That twisted turn of events started a grief journey that has been an emotional roller coaster for the young couple. Becca joins…
…
continue reading
1
Pregnancy After Loss: Joy And Sadness Can Coexist
22:44
22:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
22:44
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 …
…
continue reading
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 …
…
continue reading
1
The Importance Of Expressing Emotion In Time Of Grief
21:27
21:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
21:27
Our local community has suffered several losses in the past few months and it has taken a toll on many people. Death educator, Lynn Waterbury, joins us to talk about teen grief, the importance of expressing our emotions and coming together and addressing people's mental health needs in times of profound loss. Waterbury discusses the need for people…
…
continue reading
1
A Funeral Director's Perspective On Death, Grieving And Loss
19:37
19:37
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:37
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…
…
continue reading
1
Angel Mom Shares Grief Journey To Help Others
25:49
25:49
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:49
Angel mom, Patti Ahl, returns to our podcast and continues to share her grief journey after the death of her son, Alex. Patti's ongoing mission is to take this tragedy and turn it into a positive teachable moment to help others. Her love for her son will always outweigh the grief she endures, and, even in death, Alex will always be her son. Patti's…
…
continue reading
1
Teen Grief: Supporting Our Youth In Times Of Loss
26:40
26:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:40
Death educator, Lynn Waterbury joins us to discuss how we can help teenagers through the grief process after losing a parent. Her three daughters lost their dad at ages 19, 17 and 15. She discusses the limited resources available to help teens navigate the grief process, especially during the pandemic. Their blended family helped her children cope …
…
continue reading
1
Suicide: An Upside Down, Out-Of-Order Tragedy
26:31
26:31
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:31
Andrea Nolan lost her sister Alicia in 2011 to suicide. Alicia left behind a two year old daughter, Azalea. Andrea describes an emotional time having lost her only sibling and seeing her parents having to cope with the loss of their first-born child. Andrea talks about the challenges of raising Azalea without her mom and being able to share Alicia'…
…
continue reading
Tyler Kotewa was a driven young man. In his short life he wrote a book, earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree, had many friends, loved music and started a band, had a love of math, was a student teacher and had a love of the outdoors. In 2016, Tyler was diagnosed with oral cancer and nine months later, at age 25, his physical journey ended. Tyler…
…
continue reading
1
Dia de los Muertos - Day Of The Dead Celebration
19:22
19:22
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:22
One Bright Star board member, Julie Gruber, joins us to talk about the recent Mexican cultural event held at Old Town in Mankato, Minnesota called, "Dia de los Muertos - or Day of the Dead festival. It's a celebration to honor deceased loved ones and is an annual event in Hispanic culture. Gruber explains how One Bright Star got involved with the e…
…
continue reading
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 unknow…
…
continue reading
1
Having Ackward Conversations About Loss Is Healthy. Part II of our conversation with Lynn Waterbury
27:53
27:53
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:53
Death educator, Lynn Waterbury joins us for part II of our conversation about death, hope and loss. Experiencing feelings of grief and loss don't always have to be associated with death. Waterbury talks about trying to find peace and normalizing conversations with people when discussing death and loss. Her message is also about hope and realizing t…
…
continue reading
1
A Death Educator Talks About Spirituality And An Infinite Soul
25:05
25:05
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:05
Lynn Waterbury is a death educator. Having had a strict religious upbringing, she has developed, over time, a much different view of spirituality which lands more in a psychic medium type realm. She believes that she picked her parents. She also believes that before we are born, our soul chooses the lessons we are going to learn in life. She talks …
…
continue reading
1
A Brother, A Tragedy and "The True Gift Of A Lifetime"
25:34
25:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:34
Brought together through adoption, Alayna and her brother Nolan were close. They shared what any brother and sister would share: family time, inside jokes, horseplay and watching each other grow. In this podcast, Alayna shares the life of her, "not so little brother," who tragically died in a motorcycle accident on August 9, 2020. She discusses Nol…
…
continue reading
1
One Bright Star: Who We Are And What We Do
23:15
23:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
23:15
Executive Director of One Bright Star, Erica Fisher and President, Alicia More, fly solo for this podcast episode to talk more about the One Bright Star organization based in Mankato, Minnesota. They discuss the importance of all the resources that OBS offers to parents and families and talk about the upcoming Fall Memorial Service to honor and rem…
…
continue reading
1
"My Love Is Greater Than Grief" ~Patti Ahl, Alex's Mom
20:43
20:43
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:43
In 2014, Patti and Barry Ahl lost their son, Alex, to an accidental fentanyl drug overdose at the age of 21. Patti pays tribute to Alex by taking her story and reaching out to teens and parents about Alex's life. She wants to take away the stigma of how we talk about addiction and emphasize that there are consequences to the choices we make. Patti …
…
continue reading
1
Choosing Joy Through Grief - Danielle's Life-Changing Journey
21:15
21:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
21:15
Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) claims approximately 400 lives per year in children ages 1-18. In 2016, Danielle and her husband lost their 17 month-old son in the blink of the eye due to this tragic and devastating medical mystery. Danielle talks about how she was, "paralyzed by grief" and how she carries Blake's memory forward and ho…
…
continue reading
1
Leaving Empty-Handed - Paige's Grief Journey
20:38
20:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:38
Paige and her husband were preparing for twins when they learned seven weeks into the pregnancy that one of the babies suffered vanishing twin syndrome. The pregnancy continued and they were excited to find out that the other twin was a baby boy. They learned of medical complications at 24 weeks which eventually led to a stillbirth of baby Wyatt. P…
…
continue reading
1
OBS Outreach: Comfort Coffee aka Come For Coffee
13:30
13:30
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
13:30
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…
…
continue reading
Dena and her husband's grief journey began on April 19, 2019 with the stillbirth of their daughter, Cassie. Dena talks about the importance of remembering and honoring her baby and her mission to help other mom's cope with their loss and raise money for causes important to her. She believes that talking about grief is healthy and doesn't want her d…
…
continue reading
1
Tracy's Story: A Son's Death and Taco Pie
22:16
22:16
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
22:16
Tracy, a One Bright Star board member, lost her beloved son Nick in 2017. She talks about how life stopped for her on that day and the painstaking journey to move forward that followed. She shares her story of faith, friends, hope, traditions, courage, gratitude, remembrance, inner-strength and navigating life through uncharted waters.…
…
continue reading
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 import…
…
continue reading
1
Daddy's Girl: Becca Roberson shares the life and memory of Andy
23:40
23:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
23:40
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.
…
continue reading
On our inaugural episode, we talk with one of the founding mothers of One Bright Star, Linda Janavaras, who, in 1995, lost her fifteen year old son John to a meningitis outbreak in Mankato, Minnesota. Linda discusses John's life and her family's ongoing journey to remember, celebrate and pay tribute to her son's memory and to help others cope with …
…
continue reading
