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Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 27: What Must Be Carried (Pt.1 ) w/ Whitney Lynn Allen

In this deeply personal conversation, we sit down with Whitney Lyn Allen—grief coach, attorney, author, and widow—to talk about the life she built with her late husband Ryan, and how she’s navigated life after his sudden passing from a rare reaction to a bee sting. In Part 1 of our two-part series, Whitney shares her early life influences, her path into law, and the love story that led to motherhood and devastating loss.

We explore the raw emotional terrain of early grief—numbness, rage, tears—and why she believes you don’t “get over” grief, but learn to carry it differently over time. She offers powerful wisdom on identity, parenting through pain, and why healing is messy, non-linear, and uniquely your own. Whether you’re newly grieving or years down the road, Whitney’s honesty and heart offer hope, not as a destination—but as a companion on the journey.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones

Guest: Whitney Lynn Allen

Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winners (Like A Gazelle Productions)
Editing: Chris Gazzo
Music:
Grenada, "Treasure"
McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", otismusic.com

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