Open to Hope Articles
Do you want to read stories of others who have been where you are? Are you looking for bereavement help, and advice? Look no further. We offer over 3,000 articles written by our Open to Hope authors.
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Brooke Carlock: Making Sense of Loss
March 6, 2025
Brooke Cralock is a bereaved mom who lost her daughter, dad, mom, and stepmom in a year and a half. Brooke is a schoolteacher, public speaker, host of The Mourning Coffee Podcast, creator of the Grief Sucks with Brooke Carlock YouTube channel and the author of Grief Sucks: But Your Life Doesn’t Have To. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Brooke-Carlock_-Making-Sense-of-Loss.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Lucky Hat: Rituals Keep Parents’ Hope Alive
February 27, 2025
Rituals Keep Parents’ Hope Alive The double doors are closed to Three North at Stanford Children’s Hospital, where my daughter Madison is supposed to get her chemotherapy. It’s our second session, Maddy is seven months old sitting patiently in her stroller as I come up to the thick double doors. This is a very bad sign, these door being closed. Maybe Maddy shouldn’t get chemo today. These doors haven’t been closed before, something’s wrong. The hair stands up on my arms, a tingling sensation crawls up my back, sits on my head like a hat. My partner Nancy is down […]
Bereaved Aunt Asks, ‘Where Do I Fit In?’
February 27, 2025
Question from a Reader: Two months ago, my 21-year-old nephew, my sister’s only child, was killed in a car accident. I was 19 when he was born. I have feelings of love for him almost as if he were my own son. But I can’t find others like me. I have searched a few online forums, and it seems there isn’t a specific place for me to go. Where do I fit in? Also, I feel so guilty — something similar to “survivor’s guilt.” I wonder how my sister can stand to look at me, at my 20-year-old daughter, at […]
Journey Through Fentanyl Loss
February 18, 2025
Journey Through Fentanyl Loss The devastating impact of fentanyl poisoning has touched countless families across America, leaving behind grieving parents searching for understanding and hope. Mark Banarczyk’s story of losing his 17-year-old son Thomas to fentanyl poisoning offers a powerful perspective on grief, forgiveness, and finding purpose after tragedy. Thomas Banarczyk was an Eagle Scout and Christian who died after taking what he believed was Xanax purchased through Snapchat. The pill contained a lethal dose of fentanyl instead. His death in May 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlights a critical distinction in how these deaths should be viewed – not […]
Music and Grief After Losing a Child
February 17, 2025
In a deeply moving conversation on the Open to Hope podcast, musician and author Nate McClendon shares his transformative journey through grief following the tragic loss of his 18-year-old daughter Naomi, who died in an accidental fall from a ten-story building in February 2014. McClendon, currently serving as the community engagement specialist at Kansas State University’s Beach Museum of Art, brings a unique perspective to grief and healing through his background as a musician who has worked with prestigious organizations including the Grammy Foundation and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The Evolution of Love and Understanding Ten years […]
Julie Ryan: Communicating With Spirits
February 13, 2025
Have you wondered what a deceased pet or loved one would say if they could speak? Join Dr’s Heidi and Gloria Horsley and their guest Julie Ryan Psychic Medium and Medical Intuitive. Julie is a businesswoman, inventor, author, podcaster, and a serial entrepreneur. She is the author of Angelic Attendants and Julie’s Angel Messages books. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Julie-Ryan_-Communicating-With-Spirits.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Nate McClendon:Making Music in the Midst of Grief and Trauma
February 6, 2025
Are you looking for a new perspective on grief? Join Dr’s Gloria and Heidi Horsley and their guest Nate McClendon bereaved dad of Naomi and Teaching Artist in Residence at Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art – Kansas State University. Nate is a jazz musician and the author of The Emerging You: A New Approach to Grief and the Griever. You can find him at: natemcclendon.com https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Nate-McClendon_Making-Music-in-the-Midst-of-Grief-and-Trauma-azq8njSLZKs.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Mark Bodnarczuk: Accidental Fentanyl Poisoning
January 30, 2025
Trying to make sense of a senseless death to accidental overdose? Join Dr’s Gloria and Heidi Horsley and their guest Mark Bodnarczuk bereaved dad of 17-year- old Thomas who died shortly after taking a pill he bought on the Internet that he believed was Xanax but was fentanyl. Learn how Mark coped with the loss of his only son but also how he went on to forgiveness. He is the author of Finding New Life After the Death of My Son. Visit Mark Bodnarczuk at: markbodnarczuk.com https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Mark-Bodnarczuk_-Accidental-Fentanyl-Poisoning-mfBTQtSos04.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Winter Without Son is Lusterless
January 14, 2025
When your child dies, the holidays quickly lose their luster. The entire spectrum of lights is muted to a dull gray, while the endless barrage of seasonal music only brings out the blues. When you combine that with freezing temperatures and the whirlwind of activities, it can lead to treacherous living conditions. Additionally, a string of silent nights bring neither comfort nor joy. I spend a tremendous amount of time and effort during the holidays trying to block out the past and ignore the present. Why? Because all the great memories reiterate how much I have lost. But without them, […]
