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Life, Love and Loss

Life, Love and Loss

The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne

This podcast series focuses on the experience of parents of children who have died or are likely to have a short life. Despite advances in health care, children and young people still sadly die from a range of life limiting conditions. The parents in this series have been supported by palliative care teams to face multiple challenges in caring for their children. These parents bravely share the love and beauty of their children and the joy and sadness of their individual experiences. They hope their voices can support, inform, and better prepare other families who may need to face similar challenges. Season One is a collaborative project funded by the Quality of Care Collaborative Australia (QuoCCA) in partnership with The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne and the Victorian Paediatric Palliative Care Program. Season Two is a collaboration between The Royal Children's Hospital, Victorian Paediatric Palliative Care Program and ​Palliative Care Australia, funded as part of the Paediatric Palliative Care National Action Plan Project. This project received grant funding from the Australian Government. We warmly thank the parents who have generously taken part in this series.
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Top 10 Life, Love and Loss Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Life, Love and Loss episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Life, Love and Loss for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Life, Love and Loss episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Life, Love and Loss - The heartbreak of perinatal and infant loss
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11/04/22 • 47 min

The death of an infant before or after birth is a profoundly sad experience with many layers of grief and loss for every family. New parents are forced to confront the death of their baby and the loss of their hopes, dreams, and expectations for the future life of their child and family. Parents may experience challenges to their own identity and how they are treated by their family, friends, and community. We hear from families discussing their experience of perinatal loss and the tragedy of the death of their baby.

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Life, Love and Loss - Life after loss – One year on
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10/20/22 • 51 min

The death of a child is a profoundly devastating experience for every family. Families live with intense grief, many varied challenges, and a rollercoaster of often unpredictable emotions. Family’s experience and process grief in very individual ways. The loss of a child has lifelong impacts on all family members, together and individually as they piece together a new life without the physical presence of their child. In this episode we hear from parents who share their family’s grief experience following the death of their child only one year ago. They will discuss the challenges they have faced, the ways they continue to honour and remember their child and how they continue to live in the wake of such tragedy.

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The suggestion of a referral to palliative care is often scary and overwhelming. Families approach referrals in individual ways. Some avoid it at all costs, some openly embrace it and there is a vast spectrum of responses in between. Some families feel like a referral to palliative care signifies “giving up” on their child or foregoing further treatment and care. Others find value in hearing how palliative care can make a difference to support their child and family.

In this episode, we hear from three parents who reflect on how their family tackled a referral to palliative care, how they managed their fears and hesitations, and what they would like to share with other families about the experience.

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Life, Love and Loss - Communicating with siblings - “What about me?”
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11/04/22 • 52 min

Good paediatric palliative care includes care of the whole family, including brothers and sisters. Parents are often fearful or anxious about how to approach conversations about illness, death and dying with siblings of their sick child. In this episode, we hear from two parents who share how they approached these conversations with their children. They share with us what worked, what was challenging, and how they keep the memory of their child alive in their family.

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Life, Love and Loss - Hearing from fathers - “Just call me Dad”
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11/04/22 • 76 min

Families function in individual ways, with parents taking on various roles and responsibilities across the parenting spectrum. This episode focuses on the experiences of two fathers caring for and parenting their children with life limiting illnesses.

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Life, Love and Loss - Life after loss -“Living in shadows and sunshine”
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11/04/22 • 59 min

The death of every child is unimaginably devastating and tragic. The grief that follows is individual, powerful and lifelong — a rollercoaster of often unpredictable emotions. Families tell us it's okay to be okay, and it's okay to not be okay.

In this episode, two bereaved parents discuss the range of emotions and triggers that impacted them and their family. They share the love and beauty of their children, the enormity of their losses and how connections and memories allow them to continue to live meaningful lives.

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Life, Love and Loss - Life after loss – Ten years on
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01/13/23 • 56 min

The death of a child is a profoundly devastating experience for every family. It has lifelong impacts on all family members, together and individually, as they piece together a new life without the physical presence of their child. Families experience and process intense grief in very individual ways, facing varied challenges and a rollercoaster of often unpredictable emotions. In this episode a family shares their experience of grief and loss following the death of their child and sibling ten years ago. They explore the ways they have adjusted over time and how they continue to honour and remember their loved one.

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Adolescents and young adults are a unique population, with distinctive developmental needs and challenges. Adolescence is a time of emerging autonomy, fledgling independence, development of self-identity and connection with peers. Adolescents with life limiting conditions are confronted with considering their own mortality and face complex developmental and spiritual contradictions. Adolescents require an opportunity to be involved in their care decisions, address unfinished business, voice their own wishes, have their hopes acknowledged and live full lives. In this episode we hear from parents of young people who have died from a life-limiting illness. These parents reflect on the experiences of their adolescents who endured the complexities of their terminal illness.

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Life, Love and Loss - Hope, spirituality and meaning
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12/02/22 • 52 min

Aspects of hope and spirituality in paediatric palliative care (PPC) are unique to every child and family, and closely attuned to a family’s beliefs, attitudes, values, and culture. Caring for a child and family’s spirit should be seen as a vital component of holistic PPC, along with the physical, psychological and social components of care. The role of spiritual care takes on greater importance as a child approaches the end of their life. While some children and families feel conflicted about hope and spirituality, many seek opportunities to find meaning, purpose, and fulfilment in their lives. In recalling their experiences of caring for their children, two families consider what hope and spirituality mean to them, and how their views may change over time.

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Life, Love and Loss - Funerals, rituals and remembrance
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01/06/23 • 71 min

The death of a child goes against the natural order of life events. For many families, planning their child’s funeral can be a daunting, overwhelming, and highly emotional time. Some families like to plan, while others are unable to discuss the impending death of their child until after it occurs. Some families may have specific requirements, cultural and religious tradition or rituals that are important and help to bring comfort. Some children like to be included in the planning of their own funeral. This episode explores two families' experience of taking on the unimaginable task of planning their child’s funeral. They also discuss the ways they continue to remember and honour their child’s memory in death, and how rituals support their continued connection with their child.

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FAQ

How many episodes does Life, Love and Loss have?

Life, Love and Loss currently has 11 episodes available.

What topics does Life, Love and Loss cover?

The podcast is about Parenting, Kids & Family and Podcasts.

What is the most popular episode on Life, Love and Loss?

The episode title 'Life after loss – Ten years on' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Life, Love and Loss?

The average episode length on Life, Love and Loss is 59 minutes.

How often are episodes of Life, Love and Loss released?

Episodes of Life, Love and Loss are typically released every 7 days, 7 hours.

When was the first episode of Life, Love and Loss?

The first episode of Life, Love and Loss was released on Oct 20, 2022.

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