The Leftover Pieces: Suicide Loss Conversations
Suicide loss changes everything. The Leftover Pieces® Podcast explores life after suicide through honest conversations with survivors, experts, and grieving parents learning to live forward after unimaginable loss. Parents, partners, siblings, and friends share what it means to keep living when the world has been forever changed.
Hosted by Melissa Bottorff-Arey, whose 21-year-old son Alex died by suicide in 2016, the show blends intimate conversations with survivors, healers, and mental health professionals with short solo reflections you can actually use. Together we explore child loss, trauma and nervous-system care, anniversaries and seasons, stigma, faith and meaning, legacy, and the everyday practices that help make life livable again.
At its heart, this podcast is about learning to live forward after loss. We never move on from the people we love, but we can learn to carry the grief differently. This road can feel incredibly lonely—but you are not alone here.
For supporters, educators, and professionals, these conversations also offer insight into the realities of suicide grief and what genuine, non-fixing support can look like.
If you’d like to share your story or expertise, you can request to be a guest through Melissa’s website.
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Content Note
This podcast speaks candidly about grief and suicide loss and may feel activating for some listeners. We avoid graphic descriptions and discussion of suicide methods. Please care for yourself as needed. Melissa is not a doctor or licensed therapist, and nothing shared here should be considered medical or mental-health advice.
The Leftover Pieces: Suicide Loss Conversations
Dads Grief Matters; David James of The Peyton Heart Project
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Today I release an impactful conversation that I had recently with Peyton James' dad - David. Peyton was an incredible young man who died by suicide in 2014 and while his dad will feel his absence for the rest of his life, he takes some comfort in spreading the ripple effects of Peyton's life with hope through the legacy foundation started in his sons' name - The Peyton Heart Project. You should ALL take a look and consider getting involved at the link below-- they make it super easy!!
Among other things we discuss stigma, mental health in schools, organ donorship and how dads grief matters - deeply - and yet often feel forgotten or like they have nowhere to turn to find support. We also discuss how suicide loss is different. This dad has definitely leaned into his pain to find purpose. This is one for everyone to listen to!
READ MORE HERE on the Peyton Heart WEBSITE
At the Peyton Heart Project, our mission is to raise global awareness about suicide, bullying, and to help end the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
We’re doing this through our campaign of distributing small, knitted and crocheted hearts with inspirational messages in locations where we hope they’ll be easily found. To date, we’ve scattered over 100,000 hearts all across the country and the world.
You can help us spread our message by making hearts and shipping them to us or scattering them yourself, or we’ll gladly ship you a package of hearts that you can use to spread our message. Our project is donor-funded, so we ask that you keep us in mind in your giving plans. Thank you for your generous support. We couldn’t do it without you.
"David is the father of The Peyton Heart Project’s namesake, Peyton James. After losing Peyton to suicide in 2014, David set out to raise awareness of mental health issues and suicide so that other families wouldn't feel the pain of losing a loved one to suicide. Knowing that education is the key to prevention, David has lobbied for laws in his home state of Texas that require educators to be trained yearly in suicide awareness. He also speaks at various events using Peyton’s story to help others. He resides in the Texas Hill Country with his wife Lisa, daughter Emmalee, and two corgis Earl and Zelda."
Again --- Find all of the great things they do HERE
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💜 The Leftover Pieces is support for life after suicide loss. Click links below
🎙 Leave me a message: Share a question, your story, or your person’s name for a future episode → theleftoverpieces.com/voicemail
🔗 Stay connected: Join my email community for weekly support, resources, and honest conversations.
🛠 Start here: Explore website for suicide loss resources for early grief, family support, and next steps.
🤝 For moms: One-on-one grief coaching for mothers navigating life after child loss.
📞 Need support right now? If you or someone you love is struggling, call or text 988 (U.S. & Canada), or text HOME to 741741.