Debbie Waffle's happy childhood, loving marriage, and successful career as an elementary school teacher all prepared her for a joyful, trouble-free path in motherhood. But early on, her firstborn child, Kelsey, developed medical problems that left Debbie both anguished by her daughter's chronic pain and determined to find the doctor, diagnosis, and treatment that would cure her. Instead, Kelsey's symptoms worsened. And as Kelsey's ability to feel well and live independently vanished, Debbie began to unravel-even as she continued to hunt for answers. When the unthinkable happened, Debbie blamed herself.
The grief of losing a child never goes away. But in the metaphor about the "grief jar," the space around that heartache eventually can grow-so there's more room to have other things in there, too. For Debbie, it's Kelsey's young retriever, Brody, who helps counter her despondency. Living out Kelsey's dream for Brody to become a therapy dog and help others in distress, Debbie felt-and still feels-her daughter's spirit infusing her new life with purpose and even happiness again.