What happens when grief meets artificial intelligence? In this thought-provoking episode, the co-hosts welcome Steve Joordens, professor at the University of Toronto and a leading voice on the use of AI in education and beyond.

Together, they explore the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence in the world of grief and bereavement. From practical applications to emerging ethical questions, the conversation examines how AI is already shaping the ways we learn, connect, remember, and mourn. They also delve into the fascinating and sometimes unsettling phenomenon of "grief bots"— AI tools designed to simulate communication with someone who has died — and consider what these technologies might mean for the future of grieving.

Whether you're entirely new to AI or already familiar with its possibilities, this lively and accessible discussion offers valuable insights into one of the most intriguing intersections of technology and humanity. Thoughtful, engaging, and deeply relevant, this episode invites us to consider how innovation may transform our experiences of loss, memory, and connection.

Have feedback about the podcast? Have an idea for a future episode? Get in touch with us: whatnow@hospicepeterborough.org

Someone once said that statistics are just numbers with the tears wiped away. But behind every number is a life, a family, and a story that matters.

Last year in Canada, 7,146 people died from drug overdoses. Today, we remember that those numbers are not just statistics — they are sons and daughters, parents and friends, deeply loved and deeply missed.

In this episode, Bob Campbell shares the story of his daughter, Kathleen, who died from an accidental overdose in 2019 at the age of 43. With honesty, love, and courage, Bob speaks about Kathleen’s life, the struggles she faced with addiction, and the profound grief that remains.

This conversation invites us to move beyond judgment and misunderstanding, and to see the humanity behind addiction and loss. Through Bob’s words, we come to know Kathleen not for the way she died, but for the remarkable person she was.

This is a story about love, loss, and remembering the person behind the statistic.

Have feedback about the podcast? Have an idea for a future episode? Get in touch with us: whatnow@hospicepeterborough.org

In this episode co-hosts Julie, David, and Red sit down with Dr. Natalie Whiting, a palliative care physician, and Emily Lamothe from Trillium Gift of Life Network to explore the life-changing impact of organ and tissue donation. Together, they walk listeners through how to become a registered donor, what the donation process can look like for individuals and families, and how Trillium Gift of Life supports donors and loved ones every step of the way. The conversation highlights how organ and tissue donation can become a powerful form of legacy-building, offering meaning and connection in the midst of loss. Natalie also shares personal reflections on how donation has touched her own life and family, bringing both professional and deeply human insight to this important topic.

Have feedback about the podcast? Have an idea for a future episode? Get in touch with us: whatnow@hospicepeterborough.org

Grief touches every part of us—not just our hearts, but our bodies too. In this episode, co-hosts Red and Julie speak with nutrition counsellor Vera Decena about what happens in the body when we experience loss. Vera explores how grief can disrupt our energy, appetite, and daily rhythms, and why everyday tasks like eating or resting can feel so different after a loss. Blending science with lived experience, Vera offers thoughtful suggestions for supporting yourself—or someone you care about—through one of life’s most difficult transitions.

Have feedback about the podcast? Have an idea for a future episode? Get in touch with us: whatnow@hospicepeterborough.org

We are honoured to welcome Dr. John Beamish back to the podcast for a thoughtful conversation about the physical process of dying and the bodily needs of those at the end of life.

With his customary ability to speak knowledgeably and compassionately, Dr. Beamish helps families and caregivers understand what is happening in the body during the dying process. Focusing on appetite and hydration, he explains why our instinct to encourage eating and drinking may not always align with the body’s natural needs—and what truly supports comfort and dignity in life’s final stage.

Have feedback about the podcast? Have an idea for a future episode? Get in touch with us: whatnow@hospicepeterborough.org

We are honoured to speak with best selling ghost writer Samantha Rose about her mother’s death by suicide and the bewildering yet healing journey of grief that followed. That journey is at the heart of her memoir, Giving Up the Ghost: A Daughter’s Memoir.

In this open and honest discussion Samantha shares the initial shock of her mother’s death and the complexity of losing someone to a death by suicide. Samantha guides us through the initial shock of her mother’s death, how her mother comes to her in dreams, and her writing ultimately leads to a greater understanding and compassion for her mother. This is a journey of pain and sorrow, confusion and questions, searching and finding and ultimately about the love between a mother and daughter.

Samantha Rose is a New York Times bestselling ghostwriter and Emmy award winning television writer. She has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Oprah and Harper’s Bazaar. Giving Up The Ghost: A Daughter's Memoir is her first publication under her own name.

To learn more about Samantha, please visit her website:

www.yellowskymedia.com

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In this episode, co-hosts Julie and Red sit down with Dr. Joshua Black, a leading researcher on grief dreams, to explore the powerful ways our minds process loss while we sleep. Dr. Black explains what grief dreams are, why they’re so common after losing someone we love, and how these dreams can range from deeply comforting to emotionally unsettling.

We discuss the emotional meaning people often attach to dreams and why dreaming of loved ones who have passed can feel incredibly real. Dreams can support healing, create ongoing bonds with the deceased, and challenge our cultural understanding of grief itself. On a personal note, Julie, Red and Joshua all share grief dreams they have experienced as well.

Whether you’ve experienced vivid dreams after loss or are simply curious about how grief shows up in the subconscious, this conversation offers insight, validation, and a deeper understanding of how love and loss continue—sometimes, even while we sleep.

Have feedback about the podcast? Have an idea for a future episode? Get in touch with us: whatnow@hospicepeterborough.org

In this returning episode of The Written Word, the co-hosts revisit a familiar and much-loved format—this time in conversation with Dr Natalie Whiting. Having explored the power of the written word together before, they now welcome Natalie, a palliative physician, to share some of her own writing and reflections from the edges of lived experience.

Together, they explore how poetry and lyrics can speak where ordinary language falters. When life becomes too complex or tender to explain, the written word can gesture toward the ineffable—offering resonance rather than resolution. This episode invites listeners to pause, listen, and consider how words can hold what cannot be neatly spoken.

Have feedback about the podcast? Have an idea for a future episode? Get in touch with us: whatnow@hospicepeterborough.org