Don't Forget To Breathe: Where grieving parents find voice, hope, and connection.
Don’t Forget To Breathe is a podcast for parents who have lost a child.
Hosted by bereaved parents Bruce Barker and Kristin Glenn, this show offers honest, compassionate conversations about life after child loss, long-term grief, healing, and learning how to keep living while carrying profound loss. Together, Bruce and Kristin create a space where grief does not need to be explained, and where parents can feel understood, supported, and less alone.
Originally launched in 2020, the podcast began as a form of soul-cleansing and healing, as Bruce shared his journey as a father who suddenly lost his 20-year-old daughter in 2006, a tragedy no parent should ever have to endure. After a three-year hiatus marked by deep personal transformation, including divorce, closing a business, intensive therapy, and continued healing, the podcast returns with a renewed heart and a deeper, more expansive perspective.
With Kristin joining as co-host in Season 4, the conversation widens. Drawing from decades of lived experience, Bruce and Kristin are joined by other parents who bravely share their stories of grief, resilience, and life after loss. Together, they explore how grief evolves over time, and how sorrow, hope, love, and even laughter can coexist.
You’ll hear the shift in voice, perspective, and presence—from surviving to living. Wherever you are on your grief journey, this podcast offers connection, understanding, and the quiet reassurance that you are not alone.
Don't Forget To Breathe: Where grieving parents find voice, hope, and connection.
Introduction: A Parent's Journey Through Child Loss and Grief
Don’t Forget to Breathe is a podcast about child loss, grief, and the life that follows a tragedy no parent should ever have to endure. Created and hosted by bereaved father Bruce Barker, the podcast began as one dad’s story after the sudden loss of his 20-year-old daughter, and has grown into a shared space for parents navigating unimaginable loss.
Across multiple seasons, Bruce speaks openly about grief in all its forms: anger, depression, numbness, isolation, and the moments when breathing itself feels difficult. He also explores what comes alongside the pain, connection, meaning, love, and the slow, uneven process of learning how to live again while carrying profound loss.
Beginning in Season 4, Bruce is joined by co-host Kristin Glenn, a fellow bereaved parent whose voice and lived experience deepen the conversation. Together, they create a compassionate, honest space where grief is not rushed, fixed, or minimized.
A central part of Don’t Forget to Breathe is hearing directly from parents who have lost a child. Mothers and fathers come on the podcast to tell their child’s story, speak their name, share memories, and talk honestly about life after loss. These conversations offer connection, understanding, and the reassurance that no one is alone in this journey.
This podcast is for bereaved parents, for those supporting someone through grief, and for anyone seeking a more honest conversation about death, loss, and love. Episodes aim to normalize grief, replace clichés with clarity, and honor the ongoing bond between parents and their children.
If you have lost a child, or love someone who has, you are welcome here.
This is not a how-to guide. I’m not a therapist or a counselor. I’m just a man. A dad. And now, I suppose, a storyteller.
So let’s begin, with my story.
A tragic story.
And, unfortunately, a true one.
Help keep the Don’t Forget To Breathe podcast going. Become a supporter today and be part of the movement to bring light, connection, and hope to those living with loss. Follow this link to become a Supporter:
Welcome to Don't Forget to Breathe. I'm your host, Bruce Barker. This podcast began as a way for me to navigate the aftermath of losing my 20-year-old daughter in 2006, a tragedy no parent should ever have to face. I was once told, talk about what you know. And well, I wish I didn't know this kind of loss, but it's part of my story now. Back then the pain was raw, the darkness was overwhelming, and my only outlet was journaling my thoughts that I could barely put into words. In 2020, I launched Don't Forget to Breathe as a kind of soul cleansing, a path toward healing, and maybe a way to help someone else feel a little less alone in their own grief. At the time I was hesitant to revisit those memories. They were still too close and too painful. But even then, I knew I had to walk through it to give purpose to my pain. Many years have passed since my daughter died, and while the sorrow never fully disappears, it has changed shape. I'm no longer in the same place I was in 2006, or or even when I first started this podcast. The emptiness, the anger, the depression, they're still part of my story. But so is resilience. And so is growth. And yes, even joy. I've learned how to laugh again, how to live again, and to heal, to actively heal while still carrying my daughter with me. This podcast captures the full arc of where I was in 2006, where I was in 2020 and 2021, and where I am now. After a three-year hiatus marked by deep personal transformation, including divorce, closing my business, uh intensive therapy, and continued healing, I returned with a renewed heart and a deeper understanding of what it means to live with loss. And beginning in season four, I'm joined by my co-host, Kristen Glenn, a fellow bereaved parent whose voice, compassion, and lived experience brings depth and shared understanding to this space. Together, we create room for honest conversations, not just between hosts, but with other parents who join us to tell their stories. A central part of Don't Forget to Breathe is hearing directly from mothers and fathers who have lost a child. Parents come here to speak their child's name, to share memories, and to talk openly about what life has been like since their loss. These conversations aren't about having the right words or being okay. They're about being seen, being heard, and honoring love that continues. Don't forget to breathe is not a guidebook. It's not a therapy session, it's storytelling, it's shared experience, it's parents walking alongside one another through grief, love, and healing. So if you've lost a child or if you love someone who has, you are not alone. And now we invite you to walk with us through our stories, through our grief, and through the healing that happens one breath at a time. So let's begin with my story a tragic story, and unfortunately, a true one.