Warrior Moms: Surviving Child Loss
A club no one wants to be in because the initiation is too big of a sacrifice: the loss of a child. Unthinkable. Unimaginable. Warrior Moms is local group in north Atlanta filled with strong, courageous, funny, and fiercely loving women who are surviving and thriving amidst horrific grief.
This podcast features Amy Durham and Michele Davis, two of the Warrior Moms, who will guide listeners through their grief journey. Every fourth or fifth episode will showcase another Warrior Mom, the trauma they endured, stories about their beloved child, and tips on how they get out of bed every day.
Each and every Warrior Moms' story is different, the children and the loss is different, but one thing they share is the decision to live. They have figured out how to live life putting one foot in the past and the other moving forward. Yes, it's beyond awful. Yes, it's hard. Yes, it's worth it. And yes, they say, you can survive child loss AND thrive.
Episodes
48 episodes
Nicole Canamare: Gavin's Story: S2 Ep4
Grief can split a life in two—before the call and after. We sit with Nicole Canamare to honor her son Gavin, a brown‑eyed, quick‑witted middle child who traded team sports for skateboards and a boxing ring, journaled dreams into a logo called&n...
How Shared Stories Turn Grief Into Strength -- The WM Retreat's Purple Table Reflects: S2 Ep3
You can feel the moment the room exhales: someone asks a mother her child’s name, and everyone leans in to listen. That’s the heart of this conversation with the Purple Table—women who arrived at a grief retreat braced for tears and left with s...
Warrior Moms Retreat Q & A : S2 Ep2
Fifty moms stepped into a Georgia barn and turned a hard weekend into a living map for anyone walking through child loss. We opened the floor for questions and went straight to the heart: how do you start a local grief group when it’s just you ...
Season Two Kickoff: We Published a Book! S2: Ep1
Season two: We return after months away to share how Amy's late-night title became a finished book, how 14 grieving mothers found their voices, and how a simple idea turned into a retreat that gave hope to an entire room. We talk honestly about...
Mary Leopold: Oliver's Story: Ep 43
Mary Leopold never expected to find herself on the other side of grief—as a psychotherapist with decades of experience, she'd helped countless clients through loss, but when her extraordinary 19-year-old son Oliver died unexpectedly in December...
Surviving Sibling: How a 13-Year-Old Navigates Grief After Losing Her Brother: Ep 42
Grief impacts every member of a family differently, but we rarely hear directly from children about their experience of loss. In this extraordinary conversation, 13-year-old Layla opens up about losing her brother Alec to addiction when she was...
Rebecca Buddin: Emily's Story: Ep 41
Rebecca Buddin opens her heart about the passing of her vibrant 9-year-old daughter Emily to a horse-related accident in July 2024, sharing the raw reality of grief while demonstrating extraordinary resilience.Emily was the quintessenti...
Michele Davis' Reaction to Slater Nalley's American Idol Journey, Her Poem and His Song "Traces of You", and Their Duet: Ep 40
A remarkable transformation unfolds when heartbreak meets creativity. Michele Davis, co-host of Warrior Moms podcast and grieving mother, shares the extraordinary journey of how her poem about her son Carter became "Traces of You" - a song her ...
Christi Howard Shares Her Passion for Organ Donation in Honor of Her Daughter Ashley: Ep 39
Christy Howard joins Amy Durham and Michele Davis to share their unique experience on organ donation few have experienced - being both a recipient family and a donor family. Her journey began when her father-in-law received a life-saving liver ...
Robyn (Noe) Willis -- Love After Child Loss: Ep 38
What happens when grief and love collide? Robyn and Bart's powerful story answers this question with extraordinary grace and honesty.When Robyn lost her children Shaun and Morgan in a devastating house fire, she never imagined finding l...
Alison Chick -- Alex Chick's Story: Ep 37
How do we find moments of light after unthinkable loss? Alison Chick joins us to share how her life transformed when her son Alex died in a motorcycle accident just days after his high school graduation. Her raw honesty about that devastating d...
Breaking Through: How Dr. Dhaval Desai Faced COVID-19 and Grief: Ep 36
Dr. Desai joins Warrior Moms Amy Durham and Michele Davis to share a raw, powerful account of what happens when professional and personal crises collide. As a hospital director during COVID-19 and a father to a newborn born just two weeks befor...
Rae Ann Gruver-- Advocacy Helps Her Grief: Ep 35
The heartbreaking story of Max Gruver sheds light on the often unseen dangers of hazing in college settings. His mother, Rae Ann, joins Michele and Amy to share not only the tragedy that took her son's life but also the mission that has risen f...
Amy and Jeff Durham -- Navigating Compounded Grief and Finding Peace: Ep 34
Experiencing multiple losses in quick succession, Jeff opens up about the emotional complexity and heart-rending journey of losing both his stepson Alec and his father. We explore with Jeff and Amy the nuances of compounded grief, especially wh...
Melanie Hall -- Bennett Hall's Story: Ep 33
Melanie Hall shares her profound journey of grief after losing her son, Bennett, and how she navigated motherhood amidst the trauma, deep heartache, and being a mother to two children under two. She discusses the challenges of grief, the import...
Rae Ann Gruver and Brandi Couey -- Stories and Strategies for missing Max Gruver and Cole Couey During the Christmas Season: Ep 32
Facing the holiday season after losing a child is an unimaginable challenge. Imagine the struggle of embracing Christmas traditions when the absence of a loved one is overwhelmingly palpable. In this episode, we're joined by Rae Ann Gruver and ...
Jenny Stanley -- Navigating Grief During Thanksgiving: Ep 31
How do you navigate the ups and downs of grief during the holiday season, especially Thanksgiving, after losing a child? Join us, Amy and Michele, as we sit down with our guest, Jenny Stanley, to share personal stories and offer strategies for ...
Jenny Schick -- Logan Schick's Story: Ep 30
Jenny Schick joins us to share the courageous story of her daughter Logan, a young woman whose vibrant spirit was shadowed by struggles with anxiety, ADD, and, ultimately, addiction. Jenny opens up about the early signs of Logan's mental health...
Brandi Couey -- Cole Couey's Story: Ep 29
Brandi joins us for a deeply moving episode of Warrior Moms, where she shares an intimate and poignant story about her son Cole, a young man whose spirit touched everyone he met. Discover how Cole's joyful nature and love for sports and life le...
Normalizing Grief and Finding Joy with Dr. Natasha Trujillo: Ep 28
Can you truly find joy after profound loss? Join us as we explore this compelling question with Dr. Natasha Trujillo, a psychologist who has dedicated her career to helping individuals navigate the intertwining paths of grief, trauma, and perfo...
Vacation and Grief: Ep 27
Planning a summer vacation should be joyful, right? But what happens when the simple thought of packing your bags brings on a wave of anxiety and sadness? Join us as we unravel our own emotional journeys through vacation planning. Amy and I can...
Sibling Series: Annie Howard, Ashley Howard's sister, Christi Howard's daughter: Ep 26
What a beautiful interview we had with Anna Howard, lovingly referred to as "Annie" in her early years. Her wisdom is beyond her twenty-three years and shares important advice for other siblings who have lived losing their beloved sibling. For ...
Sibling Series: Emily McHenry, Jamie McHenry's Sister, Christine McHenry's Daughter: Ep25
To say we are honored to witness such joy and bravery is an understatement. Emily McHenry, you amaze us. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and joy.When Emily McHenry speaks about her brother Jamie, you can hear the love and loss in ever...
Siblings Series: Melissa Crouch, Michele Davis's Sibling, Carter Davis's Aunt: Ep24
In our latest episode, we're joined by Melissa Crouch, my cherished youngest sister, who bravely shares her journey through the valleys of grief following the murder of my son, her nephew Carter. With raw emotion, she opens up about their close...
Siblings Series Introduction: Ep23
The echo of loss resonates beyond what we can see, touching those who stand beside us in the shadows – our siblings. As we embark on our Sibling Series here at Warrior Moms, Amy and I hold space for the often-overlooked warriors who bear the we...