This week I sit down with Sarita Egan a mum of four who shares the heartbreaking loss of her husband Mark, who died by suicide. Mark had also battled for a period with severe psychosis on and off whilst coming off anabolic steroids.

Sarita speaks openly about the shock of what happened, the guilt she carries, the complexity of Mark’s mental health in those final weeks, and the devastating impact his loss has had on her and their children. She shares her experience with honesty and courage, shedding light on a topic that is often misunderstood and rarely spoken about.

This is a deeply emotional conversation about grief, mental health, and the ripple effect it continues to have on a family.

⚠️ Content note: This episode contains discussion of suicide and mental health which some listeners may find distressing. Please take care while listening.

If you have been affected by anything in this episode, you can contact Samaritans for support:
📞 Freephone 116 123 (Ireland & UK)
🌐 www.samaritans.org

For more information on grief support and resources, visit www.griefireland.com.

You can find Sarita on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sarita_innerlightpsychotherapy/

This week I sit down with Brittany Dowling who shares the heartbreaking story of losing her husband Danny Dowling who died suddenly at just 36 following an epileptic seizure known as SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy).

Danny was a devoted father to two young boys and a well-known business owner, running a much-loved lodge in the Wicklow Mountains. His sudden death has left an unimaginable void in Brittany's life and in the lives of those who knew and loved him.

In this episode Brittany speaks about the shock of losing Danny so unexpectedly, the reality of navigating life and motherhood in the aftermath, and the deep love and village that continues to carry her through.

This is a powerful and emotional conversation about sudden loss, family, and learning to keep going when everything changes in an instant.

For those who may need support in their own grief journey:

• Tickets for my Parent Loss Grief Workshop in Athlone – April 19th can be found here:

https://www.griefireland.com/grief-retreat/p/grief-workshop-for-partner-loss-athlone

• You can also learn more about my community membership After the Flowers, where members can access full video episodes, support resources and a private community space:

https://after-the-flowers.circle.so/checkout/after-the-flowers-membership

This week I sit down with Joanna McNulty who shares the devastating and very recent loss of her father Joachim McNulty.

Joachim was a seasoned fisherman who knew the sea well but tragically lost his life when his car slid down the slipway at Belderrig Pier in Mayo and entered the water. The pier surface had become dangerously slippery due to moss and algae and he was unable to escape the vehicle.

Joanna joins me in the very acute early stages of grief to speak about what happened, the shock and devastation of losing her dad in such preventable circumstances, and the reality of navigating grief so soon after a tragedy.

Alongside sharing her father’s story Joanna is determined that no other family should experience the same loss. She is now advocating for proper maintenance and safety standards across Ireland’s piers so that something like this cannot happen again.

This is an incredibly raw and powerful conversation about grief and also about the need for safety measures to be implimented immediately

You can support Joanna’s campaign by signing her petition here:
https://c.org/ZNbyTcyjdg

For those who may need support in their own grief journey:

• Tickets for my Parent Loss Grief Workshop in Athlone – April 19th can be found here:
https://www.griefireland.com/grief-retreat/p/grief-workshop-for-partner-loss-athlone

• You can also learn more about my community membership After the Flowers, where members can access full video episodes, support resources and a private community space:
https://after-the-flowers.circle.so/checkout/after-the-flowers-membership

This week I sit down with Rachel Gotto, a trauma and crisis coach and clinical hypnotherapist, who shares both her personal story of loss and the work she now does supporting others through trauma and grief.

Rachel speaks about the devastating loss of her husband Nick, who died in a tragic accident when she was six months pregnant with their first child. She also reflects on the earlier loss of her brother Dominic at a young age, a grief that had a profound impact on her life and the path she would eventually take.

Drawing from both lived experience and her professional work, Rachel offers powerful insight into trauma, grief, and the ways people can become stuck in their pain as well as how they can begin to gently move through it.

It’s a thoughtful and deeply insightful conversation, full of wisdom for anyone navigating loss or supporting someone who is.

You can learn more about Rachel and her work at www.rachelgotto.com, and find her on Instagram at @rachelvgotto.

This episode of Family Flowers Only is kindly supported by Flowers.ie.

Flowers.ie is an Irish business helping people send thoughtful, beautiful flowers across Ireland, whether it’s to celebrate, say thank you, or simply let someone know you’re thinking of them during difficult times.

You can find them online at www.flowers.ie and follow along on social media:
Instagram: @flowers.ie
Facebook: flowers.ie
TikTok: @flowers.ie_

A big thank you to Flowers.ie for supporting the podcast and helping these important conversations reach more people.

This week, I sit down with Tommy Martin who shares the deeply traumatic loss of his brother Chris who died suddenly from an asthma attack in front of him.

Tommy speaks openly about the shock of that moment, trying to save his brother by performing CPR, and the lasting impact that night had on him. He reflects on how the trauma changed him, how he tried to bury his grief, and how eventually it all caught up with him.

We also talk about the later loss of his father, and the complicated feelings that followed, including regret, reflection, and the weight of things left unsaid.

This is a powerful and honest conversation about trauma, sibling loss, father loss, and the importance of allowing yourself to feel what you’ve been carrying.

For tickets to upcoming Grief workshops please visit www.griefireland.com

For watch Podcast Video episodes in full and have early access to episodes plus a full supportive membership community with live support calls and therapeutic practises and more please join the "After the Flowers Membership" here

https://after-the-flowers.circle.so/checkout/after-the-flowers-membership

This week I sit down with Zoe Williams who shares the heartbreaking loss of her brother Lee who died from cancer at just 27 years old.

Zoe speaks openly about what it was like to watch her brother become ill at such a young age, the shock of losing him when life should have been stretching out in front of him, and the deep bond they shared as siblings.

She reflects on the aftermath of his death, the silence, and the space he left behind.

This is a tender and honest conversation about loosing someone far too soon, and learning how to carry them with you in the years that follow.

For more information on Grief Retreats please visit www.griefireland.com

To WATCH podcast episodes and find real support in the membership - https://after-the-flowers.circle.so/checkout/after-the-flowers-membership

This week I sit down with Lyn Kennedy for an honest conversation about two very different but equally profound kinds of loss.

Lyn first speaks about her wonderful dad Peter who developed depression later in life and struggled openly with his mental health before dying by suicide. She reflects on what it was like to witness that decline, the impact it had on their family, and the shock and grief that follows such a complex loss.

We then move into Lyn’s own journey with secondary infertility, the seven-year struggle to have another baby and the emotional toll of longing, hope, and uncertainty. Lyn shares candidly about what that chapter looked like for her and where that journey has led.

This is a conversation about love, resilience, and the many forms grief can take, both sudden and slow, visible and invisible.

For more information on Lyns work you will find her on Instagram @lynkennedyphotography

For more information on The Grief Workshops please visit www.griefireland.com

This week I sit down with Evan Daly, who speaks with such love and honesty about losing his dad Iggy to an extremely aggressive cancer, Cholangiocarcinoma. Evan’s dad died just one month to the day after his diagnosis, and Evan reflects on the courage and calm acceptance his dad showed from the very beginning and how that strength carried their family through the hardest weeks of their lives.

Beyond the loss itself, this conversation gently opens into something many people experience after grief, loosing your way, feeling disconnected from your body, your routine, and yourself. Evan shares his perspective as an online coach, speaking about compassion, empathy, and meeting yourself where you are, especially after loss, when motivation and structure can feel impossible.

We also talk about Evan’s coaching platform app Glean and how movement, routine, and self-kindness can become supports rather than pressures during grief.

For anyone looking for additional support you’ll find my membership space After the Flowers here https://after-the-flowers.circle.so/checkout/after-the-flowers-membership

For upcoming Grief Workshops - visit https://www.griefireland.com/

For more information about the incredible work Evan is doing visit: https://www.gleanapp.com