Show Me You're Okay: with Todd Smith Widower from Lung Cancer

Show Me You're Okay: with Todd Smith Widower from Lung Cancer

Don't forget to watch on Youtube! [https://youtu.be/Zy0xgFQgQ8Q] In this episode of Grief Witnessed, I sit down with Todd to share the story of his wife, Rachel, and the seven months that changed their family's life forever. Rachel was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer on her birthday in April of 2023, despite never smoking a day in her life. Todd remembers reacting with complete panic, while Rachel, despite being devastated, met the diagnosis with incredible calm and clarity. Looking back, Todd shares the guilt he carried, wishing he could have been steadier for her in those first moments. As Rachel went through treatment, Todd says he felt like he was living in hell. Working in oncology while his own wife was dying from cancer was both a blessing and a burden. His coworkers and patients understood in a way few others could, but there was no escaping the reality they were living. Todd opens up about the night he knew the end was near, simply by the look in Rachel's eyes. She entered hospice the day before she passed away. In one of the most heartbreaking moments of his story, Todd shares that he stepped away to shower and check on their two children. On his drive back, Rachel died before he could make it to her side. We also talk about the promise he asked Rachel to make before she died: to somehow let him know she was okay. We talk about how she kept that promise. This episode is about guilt, grace, signs from the people we love, and learning that the moments we replay in our minds can never outweigh a lifetime of loving someone well. 🤍

Living And Loving With Intention with Peyton Marchant

Don't forget to watch on YouTube! [https://youtu.be/2CbXxuMDs8g] In this episode of Grief Witnessed, I sit down with Peyton Marchant to talk about loving someone so fully that, even in the middle of unimaginable loss, you can look back without regrets. After Lexi gave birth to their first child, Eddie, the future they had dreamed of together changed forever. She was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and instead of settling into life as new parents, they found themselves navigating treatments, uncertainty, and the heartbreaking reality that their time together might be shorter than they ever imagined. Peyton shares what it looked like to intentionally love Lexi through her illness, to let go of the small things that once seemed important, and to focus on what mattered most. We also talk about the challenges of becoming a single parent, carrying grief while raising a child, and the peace that comes from knowing you truly showed up for the person you love. This episode is a beautiful reminder that while we can't choose how much time we get, we can choose how we love. And sometimes, that becomes the greatest gift we leave behind.

Becoming a Doctor While Fighting Stage 4 Cancer with Kylee

Don't forget to watch on Youtube! [https://youtu.be/F1DvlAPiasU] In this episode of Grief Witnessed, I sit down with my friend Kylee to share the story of her husband, Brett, and the six-year fight that changed their family forever. Kylee and Brett met at BYU, fell in love quickly, and built a beautiful life together. After eight years of marriage and a young son, Brett was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer at just 31 years old. Together, they navigated surgeries, chemotherapy, medical residency, IVF, and the joyful surprise of welcoming twins in the middle of an impossible season. We talk about what it means to love someone through terminal illness, the sacredness of hospice, the gift of a death doula, and the unforgettable moments of saying goodbye. Kylee also shares what life looks like now, dating after loss, raising three children, and learning that loving someone new never takes away the love you still carry for your spouse. This conversation is filled with honesty, hope, tears, and laughter. It's a reminder that grief doesn't have an expiration date, and that the deepest loves continue to shape us long after goodbye. If you've ever loved someone through illness, wondered how to keep moving forward, or needed permission to forever grieve, this episode is for you.

The Last Thing We Said Was "I Love You" with Becca Robey

In this episode of Grief Witnessed, I sit down with Becca to talk about loving someone through chronic illness, the unexpected shock of sudden loss, and finding love again after heartbreak. Bekah met Kenyon while working at Sundance, and what started as a snowboarding season romance turned into a marriage full of deep love and unimaginable challenges. Just six months after their wedding, Kenyon underwent life-changing surgeries due to severe ulcerative colitis. Their six and a half years together were marked by caregiving, hospital stays, hope, and learning how to keep loving each other through it all. When Kenyon unexpectedly passed away in his sleep at just 27 years old, Becca's world shattered overnight. In this conversation, she shares the trauma of sudden loss, the incredible support that carried her through, and how she eventually found joy and love again in her chapter two. This episode is about the many forms love can take, the resilience of the human heart, and the reminder that grief and joy can exist side by side. 🤍

Live Like Kyle with Laura Young, Widow to Kidney Cancer

In this episode of Grief Witnessed, I sit down with Laura to share the story of her love with her husband, Kyle. The two met on Bumble and knew almost immediately that they had found their soulmate. They got married and soon welcomed their baby girl into the world. Like so many new parents, they found themselves deep in the newborn trenches when Kyle began experiencing severe fatigue. They assumed it was exhaustion from life with a newborn, but after months of searching for answers and countless tests, they learned it was kidney cancer. Laura shares what it was like to become both a new mom to a baby and a caregiver to her husband, holding onto hope and truly believing that Kyle would get better. She also reflects on how this loss echoed another heartbreak in her life, having lost her mother to breast cancer in 2013. We talk about how cancer asks everything of both the patient and the people who love them. The way it stretches your capacity to hope, endure, and keep showing up even when you're terrified of what comes next. This episode is about soulmates, caregiving, and the heartbreak of loving someone enough to believe they'll make it, even when they don't. It's about carrying love forward after loss and finding the courage to keep going. 🤍