In this deeply moving episode of "Unbreakable Hope," we delve into the extraordinary journey of one remarkable mother who faced unimaginable heartbreak and yet remained steadfast in her hope for the future. Our guest Alicia, a mother who has navigated the tumultuous waters of seven heartbreaking losses and three adoptions, shares her poignant story of grief, faith, and unbreakable hope.

From the very beginning, her story captures the raw essence of what it means to endure profound sorrow. Each loss was a deep, personal tragedy, yet through the tears and despair, she found solace and strength in her faith. This episode paints a vivid picture of a woman who, despite the crushing weight of her experiences, never lost sight of the light that guided her—her hope in God and her belief in a future filled with promise.

The journey through adoption added a new layer of complexity and beauty to her narrative. Each adoption was not just a new beginning but a profound act of love and faith—a way of embracing the future despite the shadows of the past. The way she describes these moments of joy interspersed with her ongoing sorrow offers a powerful reminder that the human spirit can find light even when surrounded by darkness.

This episode is sponsored by The Learning Garden.

Amber joins the podcast to talk about her daughter Nash, the precious one she lost at birth. Amber talks with me about her pregnancy, the devastating diagnosis Nash received while in utero, the ways she coped with navigating the grief that news brought as well as her experience delivering and ultimately saying goodbye to the daughter her heart longed to keep. Amber bravely talks about how her and her family continue to keep her late daughter's legacy alive in all the places her absence is felt so profoundly.

This episode is generously sponosored by Maguire Carpentry & Roofing.

Jenny Davidson joins me on the podcast. In addition to making BBC's 100 Women in 2018, Jenny is a fierce advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and aged-out foster youth. This passion for making the world a better place for the children that get to stay comes deep from within her own heart and soul as she too carries several babies in her heart and not her arms.

Through her experience of traveling the path of loss, Jenny openly shares with us the heartache she experienced through her sons Trisomy 18 diagnosis, the joy in his birth and the devastation she felt after he lived just 32 hours and 7 minutes. Her heartache didn't stop there as she continued on to have several miscarriages after the loss of her son. Through it all, Jenny clung to the hope that she could use her own tragic experience to make this world a better place for so many.

Jenny is the founder and current CEO of AcademySTAY, a non-profit dedicated to helping 18-24 year old aged-out foster youth who are trying to pursue a secondary education. Prior to this, Jenny was the CEO/ Executive Director at Stand Up Placer, an organzation committed to standing up and education communities against domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. Jenny is a remarkable woman and I am so thrilled to have her on the podcast.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-46225037

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennydavidsonmba/

https://www.academystay.org

https://standupplacer.org

Misha is no stranger to the havoc pregnancy loss and infertility can wrek on a woman and a marriage. Misha joins me on the podcast to share her own experience of walking through storm after storm as her and her partner began the process of starting their family. After years of unsuccessfully getting pregnant on her own, she began walking through IVF, a decision that came with many reservations and lots of cultural shame.

Through it all, Misha clung to the hope that one day, her rainbow baby would be in her arms. As a hispanic woman, Misha found that throughout her journey, she longed for women's voices like hers to speak into the most dark corners of her journey. When she continually came up short and was unable to find those voices, Misha found her own and decided to write a book to both inspire and encourage the women of her culture and beyond.

During her years' long period of treatments to face infertility and pregnancy loss, Vargas wrote letters to capture her memories and deal with her intense emotions. Cartas A Mi Hijo No Nacido (Letters to my Unborn Son) reveals the vulnerability and complexity of experiences that are often hidden in public conversations about motherhood. This is the story of a young woman’s unforgettable journey from desperation to hope, and –ultimately – to joy. https://www.penbaypilot.com/article/author-misha-vargas-discuss-cartas-mi-hijo-no-nacido-march-10/183664

Misha's book can be purcahsed here. https://a.co/d/0gG0u3W9

The episode is sponosored by Holly No. 7 Birthing Center in Bangor, Maine.

Though Ryan came into this world at a mere 2 lbs, he sure took up a tremendous amount of space in his families heart. Deb Dilworth, a fellow loss mom and current board member of Empty Arms of Greater Bangor comes on the podcast and shares her story of navigating the birth of a child with Trisomy 18. Ryan lived 5 weeks and in that time, changed the course of Deb and her husbands life. Deb shares with us the joy in his birth, the heartache in his loss and the ways in which her family have navigated loss in the decades that have passed since his death. Clinging to her strong faith, Deb beautifully recounts Ryan's life and shares with us how her sons Trisomy 18 diagnosis impacted not just her but her husband and her living children. A beautiful conversation about life, loss, love and everything in-between.

This episode is sponsored by Ski Rack Sports in Bangor, Maine.

This week, for a special Father's Day episode, I chat with Rob, Chris & Jay. These guys are the founders and the heart and soul of The Sad Dad's Club. The Sad Dad's club is a non-profit based out of Southern Maine that helps fellow bereaved fathers navigate life after loss by nurturing a supportive community and providing access to mental health services.

We talk about each of these guys' respective losses, gain insight as to the father's perspective through the grieving process as well as talk about the importance of access to mens mental health services through and after the loss of a child.

If you are a dad that has experienced loss at any point in your journey and wish to connect with Sad Dad's club, you can visit them on the web at https://saddadsclub.com or send them an email at info@saddadsclub.com.

This epsisode is in loving memory of Bella, Lila & Izzy. You girls are deeply loved and greatly missed. While you cannot be here in your families arms, your legacy continues to create profound ripples throughout the loss community.

From the beginning of her career, Elise has been drawn to families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss. Her innate ability to nurture and comfort others in their grief has guided Elise through many different positions in the nursing field, including postpartum labor and delivery as well as working in the NICU. On this episode, Elise opens up about her experience with helping families navigate loss. She also talks about the sacredness and connection she feels when sharing the loss experience with bereaved parents. While always making sure her patients physical needs are met, Elise hones in on the emotional needs that arise when meeting families who have had to say goodbye too soon. With professionalism and a tender heart, Elise details beautifully her love for loss families and gives our listeners hope that healthcare for bereaved parents is improving because of loving and compassionate nurses like herself.

Loss mom, it has been an honor and privilege reading these letters to you this week. I am so profoundly touched at the love and hope so many loss moms wrote in with. I am so touched by the kindness and healing written from the hearts of moms who at one point in their journey didn’t think they could take another breath. Loss mom, if nothing else sticks from this series, please let this stick. You are not alone.

I finish this episode with my letter to each of you. You are loved. Your baby is loved. You are not alone.

One of the letters read on this episode was taken from a beautiful book that we hold dear at the non-profit. The book is called "From Mother to Mother: On the loss of a child" and is written by Emily R. Long. The book can be purchased here https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Loss-Child/dp/0996555676/ref=asc_df_0996555676/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693685197992&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6685245597402821148&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9002695&hvtargid=pla-559221771581&psc=1&mcid=4871186681b43199b10b9f97e07ed7a8&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwouexBhAuEiwAtW_Zx2aa--RFlU08FSj2Wuf7SJDnZU0vxElb2Jl1lDFjFedA5SYqbekhERoCYXMQAvD_BwE.