In the final episode of Season 2, Dawn and Mike Carroll share the unexpected path they took to find each other. In New Jersey, Dawn was a medic and flight nurse who thought she might never recover after the death of her firefighter fiance, Jon. In Maine, Mike was a paramedic and widower who poured his energy into helping his two grown sons cope with the loss of their mother, Cindy. One weekend, Dawn and Mike were both scheduled to attend a National Fallen Firefighters Foundation event. They describe their meeting and how their past partnerships helped them find love again after loss.

The post Love After Loss: An Unexpected Journey first appeared on Grief in Progress.

Claire Veseth loves to tell stories of her daughter Anne, a boundless spirit who loved trying new things and accompanying her mom on trips. Anne's passion for the outdoors led her to follow her older brother into the wildland fire service. And when she died in a line-of-duty accident in 2012, she left behind a deep hole in the lives and hearts of her family and friends. Claire talks about the unexpected connections she made after her daughter's death and the ways in which those relationships keep Anne close.

The post A Mother’s Love: Finding Support After Tragedy first appeared on Grief in Progress.

Jessica Seaburg was 13 years old when her firefighter father, Kevin Seaburg, died in the line of duty. She says she took on more adult responsibilities, often ignoring her grief to care for her mom and younger sister. Through the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Jessica connected with others who had faced the death of a Fire Hero parent, including her best friend, Marisa. She calls this finding sisterhood through the brotherhood of the fire service. These peer connections helped Jessica travel outside her comfort zone to help others in her hometown of Selkirk, New York, and Charleston, South Carolina.

The post A Legacy of Service in Her Father’s Honor first appeared on Grief in Progress.