Let's talk about grief
As part of our 2025 Grief Awareness Month campaign, we invited people across Australia to help make grief more visible by sharing their personal stories — showing what we’re feeling and what we’re missing when it comes to the grief experience.
By using this platform to share stories of loss and love, we hope more people feel acknowledged and supported — whether you’re grieving a recent death or learning to live alongside older sorrow.
Grief is complex and shaped by our individual experiences. Every story shared here offers a glimpse into how it can affect us — and how we carry it.
Click on the links beneath each image to read the full stories, and perhaps find hope, comfort, or a new perspective along the way.
We’re incredibly grateful to the courageous individuals who have shared their experiences of grief with us. By speaking openly about their pain, hope, and search for meaning, they are helping others feel seen, understood, and less alone.
We invite you to share this page with someone who may be walking their own path through grief.
Emily’s story: What it’s like to lose a parent in your 20s
Losing a parent in young adulthood changes everything — your identity, your relationships, your future. For Emily, the pain was compounded by silence and a sense that no one truly saw what she was going through.
Benn’s story: Breaking the silence for grieving fathers
When Benn Lockyer’s son James died at just three days old, the world outside kept moving — but his had stopped. In the isolation that followed, he found solace in connecting with other bereaved dads, discovering the power of shared grief and the importance of being seen.
Kia’s story: When the nurse becomes the grieving sister
Caring for her sister with medical knowledge meant Kia could advocate fiercely, but it also stripped away the protective layers of denial. She saw every decline for what it was. While others held on to hope, Kia carried the quiet truth — and the unbearable weight of trying to be both the sister and the nurse.
Eva’s story: Rebuilding life through creativity, community, and advocacy
After a brain injury ended her professional dance career, Eva had to rebuild from the ground up — physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. Along the way, she discovered the disability arts and advocacy space, transforming personal loss into a powerful platform for change.
Julie’s story: Forever 45 – a mother’s account of sudden loss and enduring love
When her son Aaron called her his “warrior mum,” neither of them knew it would be their last conversation. Just two hours later, her world shattered. In this moving and personal account, one mother shares the shock of sudden loss, the silence that followed, and the love that still carries her through. A tribute to a life well lived — and a son who will forever be 45.
Kristen’s story: Turning sisterly love into community care
After the heartbreaking death of her sister Brodie, Kristen Brennan began creating gentle, creative spaces for others to explore their grief. From vision board workshops to local fundraising, she’s helping her Queensland community open up conversations about loss, connection, and healing — and ensuring no one has to navigate grief alone.
Marie’s story: How she kept a promise — and found joy again
Marie never imagined she’d be raising their two boys without Rob. In the early days of loss, everything felt surreal — like life was moving on without her. But over time, she found strength in the promise they once made: to choose joy for their children, no matter what. Grief became a space for reflection, but also transformation — one small, intentional step at a time.
Shanna’s story: Grief before, during, and long after loss
After more than 25 years walking alongside the dying and the bereaved, Shanna Provost — funeral celebrant, end-of-life educator, and death doula — shares her insights into the complex terrain of grief.
Harry’s story: Why grief needs more than time off
When Charlie’s younger brother died of brain cancer everything changed for Harry. During Charlie’s illness, Harry also lost his grandfather, grandmother, and uncle. Grief came all at once, crashing in after the final goodbye.
Sue’s story: Finding words when grief feels unspeakable
After Glenn’s death by suicide, Sue found herself in a world that didn’t know how to respond. The silence was deafening, the systems overwhelming. In the absence of answers, she turned to poetry — not as a writer, but as someone searching for meaning in the aftermath. Her poems became a quiet rebellion against the loneliness of grief, giving shape to pain and permission to feel.
Dave’s story: Finding truth in grief, illness, and poetry
Poet, counsellor, and creative space holder Dave Clark lives with chronic fatigue syndrome on Arrernte Country. Through his words, he brings visibility to quieter forms of grief — the kind bound up in illness, vulnerability, and life changes that can’t be reversed. His poetry gives shape to the unspoken, helping others feel seen, heard, and less alone.
Suzana’s story: Grieving a life that never was
At 51, Suzana found herself grieving not only the end of a relationship, but the life she had envisioned — one filled with partnership, children, and shared milestones. What unfolded was a deep reckoning with identity, purpose, and the grief that doesn’t come from death, but from dreams that no longer had a place to land.
Stephanie’s story: The shape love takes – a widow’s journey through grief, caregiving, and healing
"Grief isn’t just pain — it’s the shape love takes when the person we shared it with is no longer physically here." After losing her brother, caring for her fiancé through terminal illness, and becoming a widow at fifty-three, Stephanie reflects on the sacredness of love, the raw truth of loss, and the strength found in showing up — for others and for herself.
Moira Junge – My story of grief, sleep, and the paths they’ve led me on
Grief taught me early on how fragile and vital sleep is — and how essential it is to our ability to cope, regulate emotions, and begin healing.
Chris’s story of spiralling pain and slowly rising again
After the unexpected death of his son, grief hit Chris like a tidal wave — overwhelming and all-consuming. It led to a breaking point, but also a turning point. Through connection, community, and supporting other bereaved parents, Chris found a way to live with the pain and honour his son’s memory.
Catherine’s story: From loss to legacy
After surviving a life-altering car crash and then experiencing the sudden death of a close friend, Catherine Ashton found herself at a crossroads — grieving not only the people she loved, but also parts of her identity. In response, she founded Critical Info, a social enterprise helping Australians prepare for the inevitable, navigate loss, and reduce the burden of confusion for those left behind.
Daniel’s story: Grief, mental health, and the courage to feel it all
When Daniel’s niece was lost at sea just weeks after the death of his best friend, the grief hit like a tidal wave. "Living with bipolar disorder has meant a lifetime of suicidal ideation," he says. "I couldn’t see why my niece should die so young while I still live." What followed was a journey into the depths of emotional pain — and a new, honest relationship with grief.
Natalie’s story: Finding healing through art after loss
When Natalie’s husband died by suicide, she was left navigating unimaginable pain while supporting her children and managing daily life. Through art, she found moments of relief — and a path to helping others heal.
Georgia’s story: Grief, migration, and memory: honouring our ancestors through ritual
For many in culturally diverse communities, grief is more than emotional, it’s ancestral, collective, and ritualised. For Georgia, traditional practices like lighting a kandili and preparing koliva remain vital connections to family, culture, and identity.
Cassandra’s story: Grief cracked me open — and helped me rebuild.
When Cassandra was 30 weeks pregnant, her world shattered. In the space of a few months, she lost her husband, her uncle, and — later — the career she’d built over 15 years. This is how she learned to live with grief and transform it into purpose.