Growing Up Grieving - A Podcast on Grief and Self-Discovery

Welcome.

Hi, I’m Cait, the host of a new podcast, Growing Up Grieving. I’m so glad you’re here!

Growing up in a household with chronically ill parents, I experienced the profound impacts of illness and loss from a young age. My journey with grief began early, with the loss of my uncle when I was just four years old and the passing of my maternal grandparents within a month of each other when I was seven. Living with constant illness in my formative years, I grieved my mother for decades before her passing in 2017, at age 61, after battling kidney disease, undergoing two life-saving kidney transplants, open-heart surgery, and years of dialysis.

My father, diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when I was a child, faced numerous health challenges in the last years of his life, including a stroke, bladder cancer, and ultimately esophageal cancer, which he succumbed to on Christmas Day 2023 at age 73. My sister was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and was one of the first children diagnosed with Kawasaki disease in Boston. Both she and I were diagnosed with celiac disease within the last five years. My other sister lives with undiagnosed autoimmune issues, experiencing uncomfortable symptoms regularly.

For decades, I’ve been consumed by fear, grief, and sadness, always dreading the next loss, and fearing the day my mother would finally succumb to her illness and die. When ultimately she did die, it felt like a part of me died too. The pain was immense, and I spent years in depressive cycles, not realizing that my grief which pained me so, could actually become a source of strength some day.

It’s my mission to bring grief to the forefront, to break the silence around this often-ignored and misunderstood emotion. If you’re reading this, you’re not alone. There are so many of us suffering, and together, we can find solace and healing by sharing our stories.

Growing Up Grieving is a safe space for everyone, especially those who are grieving. Through sharing our experiences, we can help mend the holes in our hearts. Join me on this journey as we navigate the complexities of grief and find ways to cope and heal together.

Thank you for being here, and welcome to our community.