Join host Dr. Heidi Horsley for a candid and deeply personal conversation with Heloiza Asaro, Elizabeth Creel, and Carrie Pike about one widow’s journey through 25 years of loss, resilience, family, and legacy.

Heloiza Asaro is the widow of FDNY firefighter Carl Asaro, who was killed in the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001. Left to raise their six children, Heloiza has spent the past 25 years navigating life without her husband while keeping Carl’s memory and legacy alive.

That legacy has continued through their children. Four of their six children—Carl Jr., Matthew, Rebecca, and Marc—became FDNY firefighters. Rebecca is now assigned to her father’s former unit, Engine 54, creating a remarkable connection between Carl’s service and the next generation of the family.

Carrie Pike, founder of Carrie Bears, helps families honor and remember loved ones who have died. Following 9/11, Carrie created 412 bears for first responders and their families. She is also the author of Heroes of 9/11 and Something to Hold Onto.

Elizabeth Creel, a clinical social worker, was part of a Columbia University research team that worked with families who lost firefighters in the World Trade Center attacks. She has been in

private practice and has taught at Columbia University for more than 25 years, where she trains and certifies clinical instructors and serves as a faculty adviser.

Together, they explore what the past 25 years have taught us about living with loss, keeping a loved one’s legacy alive, supporting families through grief, and finding a way forward.