%20(Instagram%20Post).jpg)
The Leftover Pieces: Suicide Loss Conversations
Suicide loss changes everything. This show is about life after suicide—real talk and practical support for grief after suicide: parents, partners, siblings, and friends finding their footing again. Each week, we explore what helps in suicide bereavement so you can keep going with honesty and hope.
Hosted by Melissa Bottorff-Arey, whose 21-year-old son, Alex, died by suicide in 2016, the podcast blends intimate conversations with survivors, healers, and mental health experts with short solo “Daily Nugget” episodes you can actually use. We cover child loss, trauma and nervous-system care, anniversaries and seasons, stigma, faith and meaning, legacy, and the everyday practices that make life livable again. You’ll hear grounded tools, language that honors your person, and the reminder that you are not broken—you are grieving.
For supporters and educators, these episodes offer insight into the realities of suicide grief and what genuine, non-fixing support looks like. If you’d like to share your story or expertise, you can request to be a guest via my website. 💜
Content Note
This podcast speaks candidly about difficult experiences and may feel activating. We avoid method details and graphic description. Please care for yourself as needed. I’m not a doctor or licensed therapist; nothing here is medical or mental-health advice.
The Leftover Pieces: Suicide Loss Conversations
Suicide by Firearm; Two Survivors United for Change
Today, I sit down with two survivors left behind after losing their loved ones to suicide. Debbie lost her father Don 12 years ago, and Adrianna's brother Luc died in May of 2017 - both died by suicide with a firearm. These ladies are both a part of the "Everytown for Gun Safety" organization - although in different roles and capacities. Their stories are meaningful and deserve an attentive listen.
Today we discuss:
- Sibling AND Parent Suicide Loss
- Advocacy for Gun Safety as it relates to suicides
- Gun Safety initiatives, ERPO's, Education and more being done to help reduce death by firearm
- Why working with other survivors like yourself, finding a COMMUNITY, is helpful in healing
You can find "EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY" HERE
to Volunteer (if you are not a survivor) Text - READY to 64433
Want to GET INVOLVED? FIND SUPPORT? Text SURVIVOR to 64433
their SURVIVORS NETWORK HERE
Debbie Weir (She/Hers, Washington DC) - Debbie is the Chief Mission Officer at Everytown for Gun Safety. She works to ensure that those in the gun violence prevention movement, whether volunteers, survivors of gun violence, or her colleagues, have a better understanding of trauma and the different (and less obvious) forms it can take. Debbie is in leadership for the organization as well as the Survivor Team and is a great representative for us. She also identifies as a survivor of gun violence - she lost her father to firearm suicide.
Adriana Pentz (She/Hers, Sleepy Hollow, NY): Adriana is a Fellow with the Everytown Survivor Network. Adriana's brother, Luc-John, took his life with a gun on May 23rd, 2017, in Wallingford, CT. Adriana is a volunteer on the community outreach committee of the Moms Demand Action chapter in Westchester.
_______________________________________________________________________________
My website "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is LIVE and that means my different SUPPORT SPACE Options are available and much more will be coming in 2022
My first two books in the "Facing Life
__________________________________________________________________________
Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything! CLICK HERE
💜 The Leftover Pieces is support central for grieving hearts.
🔗 Stay connected: Join my free email community for weekly check-ins, resources, and encouragement.
🌟 For moms: Explore the $9 Lighthouse Community — safe connection, tools, and hope.
🛠 Resources for all grievers: Start here.
🤝 One-on-one grief coaching for moms after child loss to suicide: Learn more here.
📞 Need help now? If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 in the U.S. & Canada, or text HOME to 741741.