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In Part Two of Bruce’s conversation with Stacy Dain, the story turns to the decision Stacy and her husband made during the final days of their daughter Cassidy’s life: organ donation.

Cassidy’s heart was ultimately transplanted into a baby boy named Samuel.

Stacy shares what it was like waiting to learn whether a recipient could be found, the mixture of heartbreak and hope surrounding the transplant, and why she came to think of Samuel as “the rainbow after the storm.”

About a year later, the two families met.

That meeting became the beginning of a relationship that has lasted for decades. Stacy watched Samuel grow up, attended his high school graduation, and eventually welcomed him and his family to Caitlin’s wedding—where she found herself looking across the room and realizing that Cassidy’s heart was there for her twin sister’s wedding.

But this conversation isn’t about organ donation somehow fixing grief. Stacy is clear that it didn’t lessen the loss of her daughter. Instead, Cassidy’s gift became another part of her story—a place where profound grief and extraordinary gratitude have learned to exist together.

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In Part One of this three part conversation, Bruce sits down with his friend and fellow bereaved parent, Stacy Dain.

More than 27 years ago, Stacy learned she was expecting twin girls, Caitlin and Cassidy. What began with excitement and dreams of raising three young children together changed suddenly after the twins were born. Caitlin was healthy, but within minutes of Cassidy’s birth, it became clear that something was terribly wrong.

Stacy shares the devastating days that followed, the decision to keep the twins together in the NICU, and the impossible experience of bringing one daughter home while grieving the other.

She also talks about the complicated emotions of parenting a surviving twin, the comments people made without understanding their impact, the anger she carried after Cassidy’s death, and the ways her family made sure Cassidy remained part of their lives.

It’s a conversation about the dreams we have for our children, the grief that follows when those dreams are taken from us, and the enduring truth that a child who dies never stops being part of the family.

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Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support

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What happens when the person you're afraid might forget your child is you?

In Part Two of our conversation about remembering our children, Kristin shares something many bereaved parents may quietly carry: the fear and even guilt that comes when memories begin to fade. A birthday you can't completely recall. A story that's lost some of its details. A moment you know happened, but can no longer see as clearly as you once did.

Bruce and Kristin talk about those memories that sometimes seem tucked away until a photograph, a toy, a familiar place, or someone else's story unexpectedly brings them back. They also share what they most want people to remember about Zach and Kristen, and why continuing to talk about our children isn't about being stuck in the past.

For the friends, family members, and others walking beside a bereaved parent, the message is simple: don't be afraid to ask. Share the memory. Tell the story. Say their name.

And perhaps we need to give ourselves some grace, too.

We may forget some of the details, but we never forget the feelings. We remember what it felt like to be their parent. We remember the love, the pride, the laughter, and yes, the heartache of missing them.

Because those feelings aren't simply memories of our children. They're part of the relationship we still carry with them.

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Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1376761/support