The Surviving Siblings Podcast

Maya Roffler

1 Creator

This is a show where I share my journey about losing my brother. I realized after losing him in 2016 to a homicide and struggling for years after that there is little to no support for surviving siblings. We are expected to lose our parents and grandparents so naturally there are resources for those losses. When parents lose a child, that is one of the most tragic things that can happen and there are resources. But what happens to siblings? What happens to those of us who lose our brothers and sisters? We are deeply affected and impacted. Yet, hardly anyone talks about this topic. In the past five years, I have found half a dozen books and only one support group. I still miss my brother everyday. We don't expect to lose our siblings as we expect to go through life with them, not without them. This podcast is for you whether you have lost a brother or sister or if you are wanting to understand and support someone who has. I also dedicate this podcast to my brother, Andreas, as he was never afraid to speak his truth and tell his story. Now, I will be sharing my story of loss as a surviving sibling with you. I will also have incredible guests on the show to share their experiences as well. I hope this helps you and you know that you are not alone. XXX Surviving Siblings

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Top 10 The Surviving Siblings Podcast Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Surviving Siblings Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Surviving Siblings Podcast 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 The Surviving Siblings Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Hoping For The Best

The Surviving Siblings Podcast

04/06/22 • 41 min

Death can be something that can unite or separate families. It’s not natural for parents to lose their children, but what happens to the other siblings that are still on this Earth?

Surviving the death of a sibling is not easy, every step of the journey is painful. On top of that pain, the siblings have to deal with so many other situations. Reality begins to hit and everything starts to feel real. You feel lonely, even if you’re surrounded by a sea of people.

In this week's episode, I am sharing about when reality hit me, being abandoned by my family, and my mother’s relationship with her boyfriend.

In this episode I’m covering:

Returning from the hospital [00:01:04]
Efforts of trying to lift everyone's spirit [00:04:15]
My mother and her boyfriend [00:06:30]
Walking to my father’s hotel [00:09:45]
Sleeping for the first time in days [00:15:00]
The story of how I got my dog, Scarlett [00:15:15]
Waking up to a party in my living room [00:19:15]
The chaotic Thanksgiving dinner [00:29:15]
Feeling abandoned by my family [00:32:00]

For full episode show notes and transcript, click here

Connect with Maya

Instagram | @survivingsiblingspodcast | @mayaroffler

TikTok | @survivingsiblingspodcast

Twitter | @survivingsibpod

Website | The Surviving Siblings

2 Listeners

1 Comment

Discovering Information and Family Arrivals

The Surviving Siblings Podcast

03/23/22 • 25 min

The journey of a surviving sibling is full of ups and downs. Usually, people come to us to ask about how parents are, people forget that we have also suffered a loss, we are usually the forgotten mourners.

This week I’m sharing the first pieces of information that the detectives were able to gather and share with us, as well as how it was seeing my sisters, my mother, and my father while they arrived at the hospital.

In this episode I’m covering:

Meeting the first detective [00:01:04]
Organizing everything for the family arrivals [00:07:30]
My sisters arrive [00:08:30]
Another detective delivers more information [00:10:30]
My mother arrives [00:16:00]
Confronting my sister [00:18:07]

For full episode show notes and transcript, click here

Connect with Maya

Instagram | @survivingsiblingspodcast | @mayaroffler

TikTok | @survivingsiblingspodcast

Twitter | @survivingsibpod

Website | The Surviving Siblings

2 Listeners

2 Comments

The Call That Changed My Life

The Surviving Siblings Podcast

03/16/22 • 59 min

As a surviving sibling, there are defining moments in your journey. The first defining moment is the call, that call that changes your life forever, the call when we discovered what has happened, the call to provide information that you'd never want to receive.

This week I’m sharing the first part of my journey, how that call changed my life and the first series of events that happened after that first call. In this episode, I’m covering:

The first event [00:01:42]
Getting to the hospital [00:09:00]
Seeing my brother for the first time after the call [00:27:00]
Meeting my brother’s girlfriend [00:35:00]
Maya provides updates to the family [00:45:00]
First encounter with a detective[00:57:00]

For full episode show notes and transcript, click here

Connect with Maya

Instagram | @survivingsiblingspodcast | @mayaroffler

TikTok | @survivingsiblingspodcast

Twitter | @survivingsibpod

Website | The Surviving Siblings

2 Listeners

1 Comment

Emily Heim - Young Loss to Addiction

The Surviving Siblings Podcast

10/18/23 • 71 min

CONTENT WARNING: Please note that this episode contains depictions and stories of siblings lost by suicide, homicide and/or domestic violence. We understand that some people may find these triggering, activating and/or disturbing.

How can you grapple with the devastating pain of losing a sibling to addiction and transform it into a beacon of strength? Emily's older brother Peter was a quintessential jokester with a magnetic personality that knew no bounds. But behind the mask, he waged a war against depression that led him down a spiraling path of opioid addiction.

Emily reveals the deeply personal of her family's battle with addiction, the impact of her parents' divorce on Peter, and the crippling belief he held that he was the cause of their separation. The episode further traverses the rocky terrain of coping with loss and grief. Emily shares the confusion she felt at trying to deal with such a loss at only 13 and the need to feel like a normal teenager. This conversation takes an introspective turn as Emily discusses her decision to enlist in the military in honor of Peter’s once shared dreams. The therapy, discovery of her ADHD, and the supportive leadership proved to be a transformative experience for her. Emily carries her brother's values and legacy in her life as a testament to his influence. Laced with an exploration of the opioid crisis, Emily's story is a powerful reminder of the complexities of grief, the importance of communication, and the lasting legacy of a loved one.

In this episode we are covering:

(0:18:27) - Family Struggles With Addiction

(0:29:58) - The Impact of a Tragic Loss at 13

(0:36:15) - Funeral Planning and Seeking Normalcy

(0:44:54) - Impact and Legacy of a Loved One

(0:50:01) - Multiple Losses and Coping With Grief

(1:04:39) - Military and Therapy

This Episode is sponsored by The Surviving Siblings Guide. ✨Get The Surviving Siblings Guide HERE

For full episode show notes and transcript, click here

Connect with Emily:

Emily's Facebook: Emily Heim

Emily's Linkedin: Emily Heim

Connect with Maya:

Podcast Instagram: @survivingsiblingpodcast

Maya's Instagram: @mayaroffler

TikTok: @survivingsiblingspodcast

Twitter: @survivingsibpod

Website: Thesurvivingsiblings.com

Facebook Group: The Surviving Siblings Podcast

YouTube: The Surviving Siblings Podcast

Patreon: The Surviving Siblings Podcas

1 Listener

1 Comment

Christine Bartlett - Losing the Mental Health Battle

The Surviving Siblings Podcast

10/04/23 • 59 min

For years Christine answered multiple ‘goodbye calls’ from her brother Pete. Finding him in the midst of attempted suicides. Their family supported him through life changes, diagnosis and therapies but in the end, he was unable to fight the illness.

In this episode, we discuss the emotions that come with being the support person to a loved one with mental health issues during their ups and downs. How Christine faced the “what if” questions that come along with grief after suicide loss. We also have an important discussion on mental health and stigma that surrounds it.

In this episode we are covering:

(00:03:50) - Depression throughout Peter’s life

(00:33:00) - Peter’s last days

(00:43:42) - Understanding his last moments

(00:48:00) - Society’s view Mental Health

This Episode is sponsored by The Surviving Siblings Guide. ✨Get The Surviving Siblings Guide HERE

For full episode show notes and transcript, click here

Connect with Christine:

Christine’s Instagram: @christinebee33

Christine’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christine.bartlett3

Connect with Maya:

Podcast Instagram: @survivingsiblingpodcast

Maya's Instagram: @mayaroffler

TikTok: @survivingsiblingspodcast

Twitter: @survivingsibpod

Website: Thesurvivingsiblings.com

Facebook Group: The Surviving Siblings Podcast

YouTube: The Surviving Siblings Podcast

Patreon: The Surviving Siblings Podcast

1 Listener

What Happens Now?

The Surviving Siblings Podcast

05/04/22 • 55 min

After coping through different mechanisms after the homicide of my brother, I am left thinking “what now?”. What happens now that all the chaos and the spiraling stops? What happens when everything has “calmed down?”

In this episode, I’m talking about what happened with my boyfriend at the time during the holidays, how I was dealing with my anxiety and taking medication, the reunion of the reality show I was in, and feeling something for the first time as I was traveling in Mexico.

In this episode I’m covering:

Coping and wondering what happens next [00:01:03]
Dealing with my anxiety and changes in the medication [00:06:00]
My boyfriend, Holiday celebrations and the laundry list of events going on in my life [00:08:45]
The Reality Show Reunion [00:23:15]
Getting a new job and traveling to Mexico[00:44:30]
Feeling for the first time [00:49:26]

For full episode show notes and transcript, click here

Mentioned in the episode

YouTube | Andreas Roffler

Connect with Maya

Instagram | @survivingsiblingspodcast | @mayaroffler

TikTok | @survivingsiblingspodcast

Twitter | @survivingsibpod

Website | The Surviving Siblings

1 Listener

1 Comment

Celebrating My Brother's Life

The Surviving Siblings Podcast

04/20/22 • 59 min

The purpose of a Celebration of Life is to remember a loved one, to tell their story and to come together to celebrate their unique personality. My mother decided to celebrate my brother by scattering his ashes in a creek close to where we grew up.

In this week's episode, I am sharing about the moments I shared with my mother before the Celebration of life, my thoughts and feelings during the event and what happened after, at my brother’s girlfriend's home.

In this episode I’m covering:

Conversations with my mother [00:02:15]
The Celebration of Life [00:15:15]
Eulogy for My Brother [00:27:00]
Words from the rest of the family [00:38:15]
Scattering my brother’s ashes [00:43:00]
My brother’s girlfriend house [00:45:45]
The advice from the girlfriend’s father [00:51:25]
Hearing my brother’s voice [00:56:15]

For full episode show notes and transcript, click here

1 Listener

1 Comment

Welcome to the Surviving Siblings Podcast

The Surviving Siblings Podcast

11/21/21 • 4 min

This is for all my forgotten mourners, for all my Surviving Siblings. In this podcast, I am going to tell you my story, the story of my brother, what happened and I will tell you how I went on my mourning and healing journey.

1 Listener

Judy Lipson - Celebration of Sisters

The Surviving Siblings Podcast

04/05/23 • 60 min

Judy Lipson is the middle of three sisters. She became a surviving sibling when she lost her younger sister Jane in a car accident. Nine years later, she lost her sister Margie, who had been fighting bulimia and anorexia for over two decades. Judy decided to honor her sisters by starting a fundraiser for Mass General Hospital, where she helped raise over $80,000 in a decade. After that, she decided to put it on paper and wrote her book Celebration of Sisters: It Is Never Too Late to Grieve

In this week's episode, Judy and Maya talk about how it was for Judy when she lost Jane and Margie, how she deals with the dreaded question of how many siblings does she have, how she’s moving forward in her grief journey, what inspired to write her book, and how she felt when her grandson was born.

Season 3 is brought to you by SibsForever.org, a virtual platform to commemorate and honor your sibling relationship. Create your free profile and start building beautiful commemorative web pages that can include photo and video galleries featuring you and your sibling.

In this episode I’m covering:

Intro [00:00:00]
Judy, Jane, and Margie’s story [00:01:23]
Losing Jane [00:08:46]
Losing Margie [00:16:26]
Handling the question “how many siblings do you have?” [00:21:39]
Judy’s grief journey [00:28:10]
Honoring Margie and Jane [00:34:57]
Celebration of sisters [00:40:31]
New life, triggering grief [00:48:25]
Advice for younger Judy [00:51:36]

For full episode show notes and transcript, click here

Connect with Judy

Facebook | Judy Lipson

Instagram | @celebofsisters

Linkedin | Judy Lipson

Book | Celebration of Sisters: It Is Never Too Late to Grieve

Connect with Maya

Website | The Surviving Siblings

Instagram | @survivingsiblingspodcast | @mayaroffler

TikTok | @survivingsiblingspodcast

Facebook Group | The Surviving Siblings Podcast

YouTube | The Surviving Siblings Podcast

Patreon | The Surviving Siblings Podcast

Twitter | @survivingsibpod

✨Get The Surviving Siblings Guide HERE✨

1 Listener

Confronting a Sisters Addiction

The Surviving Siblings Podcast

05/15/24 • 71 min

How do families navigate the loss and addiction? Join us as Julia, a woman whose life has been intimately shaped by such an ordeal, shares her story with honesty and vulnerability. We traverse through her childhood marred by divorce and alcoholism. The narrative takes a particularly tender turn when reflecting on her younger sister, Rianna, whose vibrant personality and later struggles with substance abuse paint a bittersweet picture of familial love and the often-hidden battles against addiction. Listen in as we unravel the difficult transitions Rianna faced, from her high school days marked by self-esteem battles to her college years, where her choice to study social work is revealed to be potentially influenced by her sisters. This candid discussion sheds light on the darker aspects of the party culture at VCU and how it may have contributed to her challenges.

The conversation doesn't shy away from the raw emotions that surface when discussing the impact of drug use, Rianna's untimely termination from her practicum, and the ultimate tragic loss that left an indelible mark on her family.

In this episode:

(0:07:51) - Rianna's College and Lifestyle Journey

(0:27:43) - Struggle With Addiction and Family Conflict

(0:41:56) - Tragic Death and Family Grief

(0:51:15) - Julia’s Journey and Narcan Awareness

(1:02:25) - Navigating Loss Together

This Episode is sponsored by The Surviving Siblings Guide. ✨Get The Surviving Siblings Guide HERE.

Connect with Julia:

Tik Tok | @juliafill

Instagram | @itsjuliafill

Connect with Maya:

Podcast Instagram: @survivingsiblingpodcast