Worst Club Ever (A Child Loss Podcast)

What is it like to parent another child after losing a child? To welcome a new baby into a grieving heart?In the final weeks of Allie's pregnancy, she explores all of the complicated feelings about bringing a new life into the world less than two years after the death of her 4-year-old son. In this beautiful and open-hearted conversation, she talks to bereaved mom, writer and advocate Maya Thompson about parenting her now 12-year-old daughter after the death of her son Ronan.  Two mothers, bonded by grief, holding space for the fear, sadness, excitement and gratitude that come with this huge life transition. Find Maya on Instagram @mamamaya, read her blog Rockstar Ronan here, listen to "Ronan" on Taylor Swift's album Red (Taylor's Version) and donate to The Ronan Thompson Foundation to help fund research for childhood cancer treatments.___*This is the last episode of Season 1 of Worst Club Ever before Allie takes a maternity leave - but don't worry, another season of new episodes will be coming soon! Huge thank you to everyone who has been listening to the show!*________ Get in touch! Email: contact@worstclubeverpodcast.comInstagram: @worstclubeverpodcastWebsite: www.worstclubeverpodcast.com

Do you ever wish you could ask your therapist what it's like to sit across the couch from you? This week on Worst Club Ever, Allie has this very conversation with her own therapist, Susan Reedy, one of the most essential members of her support system. For the past two years, Susan has walked alongside Allie through the unimaginable — beginning in the middle of Theo's diagnosis and continuing through his death and everything that's followed. She's witnessed — and continues to every week — Allie's despair, rage, hope, and the never-ending work of grief.In this personal and heartfelt conversation, they talk candidly about what their therapy has looked like —  and what it's like for Susan, a mother herself, to support a grieving parent through profound loss.___Susan Reedy is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and certified TRM (Trauma Resiliency Model) practitioner. Learn more about her work at get in touch via her website at SusanReedyMFT.com________ Get in touch! Email: contact@worstclubeverpodcast.comInstagram: @worstclubeverpodcastWebsite: www.worstclubeverpodcast.com

What does it mean to build a grief community? When faced with as devastating and uncommon a loss as the death of one's child, many bereaved parents find themselves seeking others who have walked a similar path, and find so much comfort in joining support groups and community events. In today's episode, Allie attends a Walk & Remember 5K through Our House Grief Support Center, then talks to author, group leader and bereaved dad Larry Carlat, who lost his son Rob to suicide. He shares the story of his loss, his experience as both a group participant and a leader, and the importance of finding your people.Larry's book, A Space in the Heart: A Survival Guide for Grieving Parents, is available wherever books are sold. To get in touch and learn more about his work as a grief coach, visit GriefForGuys.comInformation about Our House Grief Support Center, including their groups and events, can be found at OurHouse-grief.orgAnd lastly, check out Camp Erin for children in grief - camp programs are free and available in cities all over the US. To locate a camp near you, visit elunanetwork.org/eluna-camps/camp-erin________ Get in touch! Email: contact@worstclubeverpodcast.comInstagram: @worstclubeverpodcastWebsite: www.worstclubeverpodcast.com

How do you prepare anyone for death, let alone a child? YOUR child? It's something no parent should ever have to face, and yet, many of us have had to.  And when this impossible scenario arises, how on earth do you handle it? Do you tell your child exactly what's happening to them? What if they're scared? Confused? How do you walk with them down this path?In this episode, Allie talks to Kelsey Mora, a dual-certified Child Life Specialist and Licensed Therapist, about how to support a child who is dying. She shares what it's like working in a pediatric ICU, how to have hard conversations with kids in honest language, the importance of caring for oneself, and much more.To learn more about Kelsey and her work, follow her on IG @childlifetherapist, visit her website childlifetherapist.com, and check out her incredible workbooks at themethodworkbooks.com.________ Get in touch! Email: contact@worstclubeverpodcast.comInstagram: @worstclubeverpodcastWebsite: www.worstclubeverpodcast.com

In this episode, we explore what it means to be stuck. Specifically, stuck in the debilitating, all-consuming acute phase of grief.  Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Nancy Turret joins Allie for a conversation about Prolonged Grief, a term that recently caused quite a stir in the psychology world. They talk about the meaning of this diagnosis, and what it means when a person gets stuck in acute grief and is unable to integrate their grief into their lives. Nancy, who helped develop an astonishingly effective therapy for prolonged grief, shares hope for those who are suffering, what the treatment entails, and where to find it. To learn more about prolonged grief and find help, visit prolongedgrief.columbia.eduTo get in touch with Nancy, visit www.nancyturret.com

Have you ever wondered what to say to a grieving parent? In this episode, Allie is joined by Colin Campbell, author of Finding The Words: Working Through Profound Loss with Hope and Purpose, which he wrote after his two teenage children, Ruby and Hart, were killed in a car accident by a drunk and high driver.  In this refreshingly candid conversation, Allie and Colin discuss navigating the discomfort of others around them, what they like hearing, what they don't, and, crucially, how to ask for what they need from their community. To learn more about Colin's work, visit colincampbellauthor.com and find him on IG @colincampbellwriter____Club members, I want to hear from you! What are the most meaningful conversations people have had with you in your grief, and what are some things you'd rather not hear? I'm compiling voice message recordings for a future episode - head over to worstclubeverpodcast.com and send me your thoughts!

In the final part of Theo's story, Allie and Mike share the magic of hearing their son speak again, after four months of silence. They reflect on a beautiful and intense summer - the elated highs and the gutting lows, before recounting their final weeks with Theo, when his tumor began to progress and eventually took his life. SUNSET is part 3 of a 3 part series. This episode contains details about the death of a child - take care of yourself while listening.Show credits:Written, produced and edited by Allie and Mike Kramer.Music by Mike Kramer, Duncan Thum and Tyler Sabbag.To join us in the fight against DIPG, visit ThriveLikeTheo.com.Get in touch: contact@worstclubeverpodcast.comInstagram: @worstclubeverpodcast

In Part 2 of Theo's story, Allie and Mike describe hearing the news of their son's terminal cancer diagnosis, and chronicle the first four months that followed. They share their journey through radiation, treatment planning, and trying to bring Theo the most magical experiences possible amidst the chaos of cancer. ECLIPSE is part 2 of a 3 part series. This episode contains descriptions of pain, suffering, and medical trauma, and may be inappropriate for some listeners. To donate to DIPG research in Theo's name, visit ThriveLikeTheo.com.Show credits:Written, produced and edited by Allie and Mike Kramer.Music by Mike Kramer, with additional music from Duncan Thum and Tyler Sabbag.Get in touch: contact@worstclubeverpodcast.comInstagram: @worstclubeverpodcast

In the very first episode of Worst Club Ever, host Allie Kramer and her husband Mike begin to tell the story of the life and death of their four-year-old son, Theo. In Part 1, Allie and Mike share what their lives were like with Theo from his birth, up until his devastating brain cancer diagnosis at age three. SUNRISE is part 1 of a 3 part series. This episode is highly emotional and may be inappropriate for some listeners. To donate to DIPG research in Theo's name, visit ThriveLikeTheo.com.Show credits:Written, produced and edited by Allie and Mike Kramer.Music by Mike Kramer, with additional music from Duncan Thum and Tyler Sabbag.Get in touch: contact@worstclubeverpodcast.comInstagram: @worstclubeverpodcast

Welcome to the Worst Club Ever - the club of people who have lost a child. Join bereaved mom and licensed psychotherapist Allie Kramer as she sets out to rebuild her life after the loss of her 4-year-old son to brain cancer. She'll be talking to experts in grief, trauma, medicine, and of course, other bereaved parents, trying to figure out how to tend to our wounded hearts and find a way forward.First episode coming soon. Wherever you are in your grief, let's navigate it together.