Family Flowers Only by Grief Ireland

This week I sit down with Craig Coady, a father who has faced an extraordinary amount of heartbreak and who is now fighting with everything he has for his son.
Craig speaks about his wife Della, who is living with Huntington’s disease and is now in full-time care, and their two boys, Rory and Paudie, who were both diagnosed with the rare and progressive condition Friedreich’s ataxia. Last year, Craig faced the unimaginable when 13-year-old Rory passed away as a result of the disease.
Today his 16-year-old son Paudie is living with the same condition, and Craig is campaigning for access in Ireland to Skyclarys, the first treatment for Friedreich’s ataxia, which can slow the progression of the disease.
This is a conversation about enormous loss, a father’s love, and a family who have already endured so much but above all, it’s about Craig’s determination to keep fighting for his son and for hope.
We mentioned at the end of the conversation that there is a march in Dublin this Sunday August 23rd beginning at 12 noon from the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin to Custom Quay House. If you can at all we would love you to get out and support

This week I sit down with Joe Grogan from Tuam, Co. Galway, to talk about his son Shane and a very different kind of grief, living grief.
In 2012, Shane’s life and the lives of his entire family changed in an instant when he was the victim of an unprovoked attack that left him with a severe acquired brain injury. More than a decade later, Shane requires full-time care and is unable to live the independent life that once lay ahead of him.
Joe speaks with incredible honesty about loving the son who is still here, while grieving the life that was taken from him, the future, the independence and all of the ordinary moments they thought they would have.
It’s a powerful conversation about a kind of grief we perhaps don’t talk about enough, when the person you love is still here but life will never be the same again.

🎧 Podcast DescriptionThis week I sit down with Ciara Keegan, who shares the heartbreaking loss of her sister Jessie a young mum of two who died last year from triple-negative breast cancer.
Ciara speaks so honestly about the incredibly close bond she shared with Jessie, the love that surrounded her within their family, and the devastating reality of watching someone you love face such an aggressive illness.
This is a deeply emotional conversation about sisterhood, family, anticipatory grief, and the profound loss that comes when someone so central to your world is no longer there.
🎧 Podcast Listener Offer
Family Flowers Only listeners can get 10% off their first month with BetterHelp:
http://betterhelp.com/familyflowers

This week I sit down with Marian Hastings who shares the loss of her husband James to cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer).
Marian speaks openly about the devastating reality of a diagnosis with so few treatment options, the fight they faced together, and the heartbreak of knowing there was very little hope. She reflects on the love they shared, the challenges of caring for someone through terminal illness, and the incredible compassion and support they received from hospice care.
This is a deeply moving conversation about love, courage, anticipatory grief, and the comfort that compassionate care can bring during life's hardest moments.
🎧 Podcast Listener Offer
I've partnered with BetterHelp to offer listeners 10% off their first month of online therapy.
👉 http://betterhelp.com/familyflowers

This week I sit down with Shaunna Briody who shares the devastating loss of her only sibling Ryan in a tragic accident.
Ryan was a young mechanic with his whole life ahead of him. Shaunna speaks openly about the trauma of his sudden death, the overwhelming grief that followed, and how it led to severe anxiety and panic attacks.
This is an honest conversation about sibling loss, navigating life after sudden bereavement, and finding a way forward after unimaginable heartbreak.
⚠️ Content note: This episode contains discussion of traumatic loss, grief, anxiety, and panic attacks.
If this episode brings up difficult feelings for you, support is available:
📞 Samaritans Ireland – 116 123
📱 Text HELLO to 50808
🤍 HUGG – www.hugg.ie
🎧 Podcast Listener Offer
I've partnered with BetterHelp to offer listeners 10% off their first month of online therapy.
👉 http://betterhelp.com/familyflowers