“Our hearts may be tattered, but they are still useful in God’s hands.”

In this first half of my conversation with author Leanne Davidson, she shares the story of her son, Mikael — a compassionate, funny, energetic young man who loved people deeply and brought joy and laughter wherever he went. She also opens up about the difficult journey of walking alongside a child struggling with addiction and the devastating day her family lost Mikael to a fentanyl overdose in 2022.

Leanne speaks honestly about the complicated realities of addiction, the challenges families face along the way, and the ways God met her in the immediate aftermath of unimaginable loss. She also shares the heart behind her books A Beautiful Pain: Reflections of a Mother’s Journey of Grief and Tattered Hearts & Hopeful Souls: A Christian Devotional for Grieving Hearts.

Together we discuss:

• Mikael’s vibrant personality and the joy he brought to those around him
• Walking alongside a child battling addiction
• How addiction affected family relationships
• Establishing healthy boundaries while preserving connection
• The trauma and heartbreak of sudden loss
• The ways God carried Leanne through the earliest days of grief
• Why she chose the phrase “tattered hearts” for her devotional title
• Psalm 56:8 and the comfort of knowing God counts every tear
• The importance of lament and bringing our pain honestly before God

Leanne’s story is filled with sorrow, honesty, perseverance, and hope. If you are a grieving parent, especially one walking the unique path of addiction-related loss, I believe you will find comfort in her words and encouragement in her faith.

Resources & Links:

• Leanne Davidson’s website: A Mother's Grief Journey
• A Beautiful Pain: Reflections of a Mother’s Journey of Grief
• Tattered Hearts & Hopeful Souls: A Christian Devotional for Grieving Hearts

In next week’s episode, Leanne and I continue our conversation as we talk about guilt, unanswered questions, joy, supporting grieving families, and learning to live with a heart that has been forever changed. Be sure to come back for that!

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

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Contact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org

Today's episode features the second half of my conversation with Matthew Efird, as we move beyond Noah’s earthly 57½ hours and into the difficult road of learning how to live after he went to Heaven. (If you missed the first half of our conversation, click HERE.)

Matthew shares candidly about grief from a father’s perspective, which is something that often goes unseen, particularly after the death of a baby. He talks about the tension of wanting to protect and fix what can't be fixed, the importance of having other men show up and simply be present, and the practical ways friends and community carried their family through the hardest days.

We also discuss the emotional fog of grief, learning to take life one moment at a time, and the delicate balance of worshiping and weeping simultaneously. Throughout the conversation, Matthew continually points back to the faith that sustained his family and the phrase that became their foundation: Even though… we will.

This episode is filled with wisdom for grieving parents, especially dads, as well as practical insight for anyone who wants to walk alongside hurting families in meaningful ways.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Grief from a father’s perspective
• Why dads often feel unseen after infant loss
• The importance of safe friendships and honest conversations
• Helpful ways men supported Matthew during grief
• Learning that “it’s okay to have a good day”
• Practical advice for grieving dads
• Why presence matters more than perfect words
• The meaning behind “worshiping and weeping” at the same time
• Taking grief one moment—and one step—at a time
• The role of community in surviving loss
• Common phrases to avoid when comforting grieving parents
• The heart behind Matthew’s book and the Even Though We Will Foundation

Resources & Links:

• Even Though We Will written by Matthew Efird

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org

Matthew Efird and his wife, Hannah, were joyfully expecting their second son when the word "abnormalities" during a routine ultrasound changed everything. What followed was a journey into anticipatory grief after their son Noah was diagnosed with Trisomy 13, a condition often described as “incompatible with life.”

In today's episode, Matthew shares what it was like to walk through the remainder of the pregnancy with that knowledge—holding both hope and heartbreak at the same time. He talks about how he and Hannah navigated those months together, how they learned to communicate in the middle of grief, and the intentional ways they chose to spend their time with Noah before he was born.

Matthew also shares about Noah’s birth and the unexpected gift of 57½ hours together — time to hold him, to introduce him to family, and to fully experience what it meant to parent their son on this side of heaven.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The joy of expecting a second child after a season of waiting
• The moment everything changed at a routine ultrasound
• Processing the word “abnormalities” and a Trisomy 13 diagnosis
• Walking through anticipatory grief during pregnancy
• How Matthew and Hannah supported each other in their marriage
• Two simple but powerful questions that helped them communicate in grief
• Choosing to be intentional with the time they had with Noah
• Noah’s birth and the gift of 57½ hours together
• What it meant to parent Noah during his brief life

Be sure to join us next week for the second half of this conversation, when Matthew shares what life looked like after Noah’s passing and offers insight into grief from a father’s perspective.

Resources & Links:

• Matthew’s book: Even Though We Will
• Website: https://eventhoughwewill.com/
  
  

If this episode resonated with you, we invite you to share it with someone who may need encouragement today.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org