While We're Waiting® - Hope After Child Loss
This is a podcast FOR bereaved parents BY bereaved parents. Join your host, Jill Sullivan, as she talks with parents who have lost children of all ages to all types of circumstances. This is a podcast of stories ... stories of devastating loss and grief and heartbreak and struggle ... and stories of hope and healing and faith, and yes, even joy. Underlying every conversation will be the hope we have in Jesus Christ, which makes it possible to not just survive the loss of a child, but to live well while we're waiting to see them again in Heaven one day. Visit our website at www.WhileWereWaiting.org for more information about our nonprofit ministry to bereaved parents.
Episodes
427 episodes
Bonus 184 | We Choose #3
It’s one of the most ancient of all questions, “Why does a good God allow people to suffer in this world? We're left with three options, and my email from sixteen years ago today discusses them. Thank you for joining me for a...
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3:49
Bonus 183 | Surprise Phone Calls
On this day sixteen years ago, Hannah received two surprise phone calls, both from well-known musicians who had played a significant role in her life. Each of them spoke words of encouragement and and gave us special memories with Hannah ...
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3:11
Bonus 182 | Special Visitors
Many people came to visit us when we were in the hospice center, but only a few actually got to see Hannah during that time. She was never one to like a lot of attention even before she got sick, and I knew she would not be comfortable with vis...
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3:02
Bonus 181 | Spudnuts by the Dozen
You may recall that on Hannah's last day at Children's Hospital before we moved to hospice, some dear friends brought us a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Hannah ate a couple bites of one, but let us know with her limited communication skills th...
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5:33
243 | Second Chances: A Story of Love and Loss ... with Erik and Susan Totera
Today, I have the privilege of speaking with Erik and Susan Totera, who I met when they attended one of our While We're Waiting Weekends in eastern Tennessee. They join me to share the story of their own personal testimony of second chanc...
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Episode 243
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53:16
Bonus 180 | "Either Way, Hannah Wins"
I'm not gonna lie ... When we got to the hospice center and found out there was no wifi, I may have freaked out just a little. The emails and messages we received daily from so many wonderful people had become such a part of our lifeline it was...
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5:12
Bonus 179 | Our Hardest Move
Brad and I moved a lot during the early years of our marriage ... College, graduate school, first job, second job, etc. Even after the girls were born, we continued to move frequently. Moving is always stressful, yet there's usually...
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8:52
Bonus 178 | Doughnuts and Decisions
This day began with Hannah nibbling a Krispy Kreme doughnut and ended with us making decisions about how we wanted to spend our final days with her. Thank you for joining me for another bonus episode of the While We're Waiting podc...
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8:17
Bonus 177 | A Devastating Day
**WARNING** - This post is fairly graphic and could be upsetting to some. If you are sensitive to discussions of blood, you may wish to skip it. On this date sixteen years ago today, we found ourselves racing to Arkansas Chil...
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8:30
Bonus 176 | Red Roses on Repeat
It was Valentine's Day. Exactly one year had passed since Hannah had shown the first symptoms of the brain tumor which was now slowly taking her life. It had been a roller-coaster year full of MRIs, needle sticks, radiation treatmen...
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3:01
Bonus 175 | A Valentine Princess
It was Friday, and time for the junior high Valentine dance, and even though Bethany had been out of school since Tuesday, she had made plans to attend. Since Brad was available to be home with Hannah, I was able to spend the day with her...
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3:25
242 | Jesus Wept ... with Shawn and Sandy Smith
Today's episode is a continuation of my conversation with Shawn and Sandy Smith about their son Andrew—a joy-filled boy with a love for music—who went to heaven in 2009 after a courageous battle with DIPG. Today, we look at what lif...
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Episode 242
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32:46
Bonus 174 | A Painful Decision
During our clinic appointment sixteen years ago today, we had the opportunity to chat with Hannah's oncologist while she received her requisite platelet infusion. She was scheduled for an MRI on Monday, which would tell us a lot about wha...
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4:41
Bonus 173 | A Bruising of a Blessing
After hearing the news that we may just have six to eight weeks left with Hannah, Brad and I sat down together and made some decisions. One was that he would take a leave of absence from his job as her high school principal. Part of...
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5:35
Bonus 172 | A Gift of Kindness
When we arrived at Children's Hospital sixteen years ago today, the waiting room was packed and every bed in the infusion room was full. It was obvious we had a long wait in front of us. Hannah was completely exhausted just from the ride to Lit...
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6:32
Bonus 171 | In the Middle of the Storm
From my email 16 years ago ...Every day, we hear from at least one person (usually several people) about how much Hannah's story has touched, or even changed, their life. It is such an incredible blessing to us to hear that, and I wa...
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3:15
241 | God Has Not Forgotten You with Shawn and Sandy Smith
Joining me today are Shawn and Sandy Smith, who I had the opportunity to meet when they attended our first While We’re Waiting Weekend in Michigan a couple years ago. Their faith has been tested in ways most of us can hardly imagine—first...
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Episode 241
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34:11
Bonus 170 | Weary
During this hospital stay, it hit me full force how weary Hannah was becoming. She had been so strong for so long, and her body (and mind) were finally wearing down. It was clear that she was in the process of dying, and as much as ...
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6:36
Bonus 169 | Unwavering Faith
It may sound strange to say that even though Hannah had been battling brain cancer for nearly a year, she really hadn't been "sick" very much. Yes, she dealt with ongoing headaches, nausea, low platelets, and fatigue, but for the most par...
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3:41
Bonus 168 | Mobility Issues
We were now using a wheelchair exclusively for our trips to Children's Hospital, and had become pretty well resigned to its use away from home. But as time went on, Hannah was becoming less and less able to walk independently, even in our...
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3:55
Bonus 167 | Peace that Passes All Understanding
One of the most painful parts of Hannah's cancer journey was witnessing the decline of her cognitive skills. She was a girl who had always taken great pride in being a straight-A student, consistently at the top of her class, always compl...
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5:58
240 | Broken for Better (Part Two) with Kurt and Denette Schaer
Last Wednesday, I introduced you to Kurt and Denette Schaer, parents of Logan, a remarkable young man with a knack for making others feel “seen” and a deep desire to point people to Jesus. In May of 2022, just a few days after his high school g...
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Episode 240
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44:12
Bonus 166 | Eternally Secure
As the days went by, it became more and more apparent that the chemotherapy Hannah was receiving was having very little, if any, effect. Her oncologist had been searching for a clinical trial or experimental treatment that we could try, b...
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3:15
Bonus 165 | Picking Winners
The long-awaited new season of American Idol was now underway, and as always, our family life began to revolve around watching the bi-weekly and sometimes tri-weekly episodes. This particular season included a young singer from Conway, Ar...
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4:06
239 | Broken for Better (Part One) with Kurt and Denette Schaer
Kurt and Denette Schaer are the parents of three sons, including Logan, a young man with a knack for making others feel “seen” and a deep desire to point people to Jesus. In May of 2022, just a few days after his high school graduation, Logan a...
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Episode 239
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41:02
