When she was five years old, Brenna lost her father to suicide. However, she didn't learn the truth about his cause of death until she was 17.

His death fractured the family, leaving Brenna estranged from her father’s side for years. As an adult, she reestablished those relationships and found joy in hearing stories about her dad.

Now, Brenna is a new mom and works as the Manager of Suicide Grief Support Services at Samaritans. In this video, she discusses how she coped with losing her father as a child, how she had to re-grieve as a teenager, and how she overcame the stigma and shame associated with suicide by learning more about mental illness and attending support groups like Samaritans SafePlace. She shares how her childhood loss shaped her, and how she is raising her son to know his grandfather’s story.

If you have lost someone to suicide, you are not alone. Samaritans is here to offer suicide loss survivors nonjudgmental listening and peer support through virtual and in-person programs.

Learn more at samaritanshope.org/gss.

0:00 Grieving as a Child
2:21 Grieving Again After Learning the Truth
5:26 Finding Support
7:50 Talking About my Dad
10:33 Grief is my Identity
13:25 Hopes for my Son