Part 1 For the Brokenhearted: Hope After the Loss of a Child or Grandchild with Joy GaertnerPart 1 For the Brokenhearted: Hope After the Loss of a Child or Grandchild with Joy Gaertner
Crossroads with Jenny Bushkell
Jenny Bushkell talks with grief specialist Joy Gaertner about the unique pain of losing a child or grandchild, highlighting how unspoken grief affects families and how community, faith, and remembrance can offer comfort. The conversation also introduces the Love Lives On luncheon as a space for bereaved parents and grandparents to find connection and hope.
24:48•11 May 2026
Hope for the Brokenhearted: Child Loss, Grief, and Gentle Faith with Joy Gaertner
Episode Overview
- Unprocessed grief often shows up as anger, fear, depression, anxiety, and other ‘sideways’ behaviours rather than going away with time.
- Saying a deceased child’s name and using present tense helps parents and grandparents feel seen and honours the child’s ongoing place in their hearts.
- Isolation deepens pain; safe community, groups, and simple social connection can bring moments of relief and a sense of normal life.
- Miscarriage, abortion, and long-ago losses may be minimised by society, but they still carry deep, often unspoken grief that deserves acknowledgement.
- Events like the Love Lives On luncheon aim to give bereaved parents and grandparents comfort, connection, and practical resources rooted in Christian faith.
“When we push it down, it doesn't get smaller, Jenny. It gets bigger and bigger, and it comes out sideways.”
What drives someone to seek a life beyond crushing grief? This heartfelt conversation on *Crossroads with Jenny Bushkell* leans into that question with raw honesty and gentle faith. Jenny chats with her friend Joy Gaertner, a certified advanced grief recovery specialist and founder of Walking with Joy – Grief and Loss. Joy focuses on one of the hardest heartbreaks anyone can face: the death of a child or grandchild, whether through illness, overdose, suicide, miscarriage, abortion, stillbirth, accident, or tragedy.
This is aimed at parents, grandparents, and anyone who loves someone who is grieving and feels lost about what to say or do. Joy talks about how society often “swooshes over these hard things,” leaving bereaved parents feeling silenced and alone. She explains how unprocessed grief doesn’t shrink with time: “When we push it down, it doesn't get smaller… it gets bigger and bigger, and it comes out sideways,” showing up as anger, fear, depression, anxiety, or isolation.
You’ll hear practical, very human guidance: say the child’s name, use the present tense, share specific memories, and resist the urge to step back because it feels awkward. Joy stresses that isolation is “the worst thing we can do” and shares how groups, social events, and simple companionship can bring a brief but vital sense of normality and even a smile.
The episode also highlights the “Love Lives On” luncheon for bereaved parents and grandparents, with guest speaker and teacher Tracy Bradshaw, who writes children’s stories about her late son Sawyer through a character called “Sawbear.” The theme is clear: love continues, and remembering is part of healing. If you or someone you care about is carrying the weight of child loss, this gentle, faith-filled chat offers company, language, and hope.
Who could you honour today simply by saying their child’s name?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.
Related Episodes
Similar episodes from other shows in the catalogue.