The Dead Sibling Society

In our fifth episode of Season Two, we sit down with Dr Emily Cooper.  Emily is a senior lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire, and a mum of four beautiful children. Emily lost her son, Alexander in 2021, and her daughter Isabelle, in 2024, both to a rare genetic condition. Emily speaks to us about her experience of losing both Alexander and Isabelle, the complexity of navigating grief while continuing to parent, and the reality of living with a diagnosis that so little is known about. She also shares how her family’s experience has led her to advocate for greater awareness, support, and research for others facing similar circumstances. We talk about the uncertainty that comes with rare conditions, the weight of unanswered questions, the love that sits alongside unimaginable loss, and the ways people try to make sense of something that feels impossible to understand. It’s an episode that holds both love and honesty, and a reminder of the strength it takes to keep going in the face of so much honesty.

In our fourth episode of Season Two, we sit down with Zara Muse. After Zara’s Mum, Janet, died in 2019, Zara turned to painting to help with her grief, and has since developed an incredible career, using only a palette knife to create her beautiful portraits.  Zara speaks to us about her own experiences of grief, and why she believes it needs to be spoken about with more honesty, humour, and humanity.  We talk about the strange and sometimes daft ways we cope, the lengths we’ll go to for the people we love, creativity, tattoos, finding light without minimising the pain, and why grief doesn’t have to be spoken about in hushed tones to be taken seriously. It’s an episode full of warmth, wit, and truth – you’ll probably laugh more than you cry - and a reminder that there’s no “right” way to grieve, only your own. Zara brought the most wonderful energy with her, and I can promise this one will have you laughing far more than crying!    ----- For more information on the brilliant Zara and her work: https://zaramuse.com

In our third episode of Season Two, we sit down with Amber Jeffrey - whose mum, Sue, died suddenly from a heart attack when Amber was just 19. Amber talks to us about that moment, the shock of grief and being so young, and what it’s like trying to keep going when the person who anchored your life is suddenly gone. She shares how those first few years shaped her, and the long, uneven process of figuring out who you are after something like that happens. We talk about The Grief Gang - the community, podcast, and space Amber has created - and how she has turned something so painful into something that helps others, and has became part of her own grief journey. Amber, Gracie and Callum talk honestly about rebuilding your life, living alongside grief rather than fixing it, and about the strange, slow work of finding meaning again after something terrible, (and also the heartbreak of losing a 4- legged friend.) It’s an episode about grief, identity, and what can grow when people are brave enough to speak about what they’ve been through.   — For more information on the incredible Amber and her work: https://www.thegriefgang.com 

In our second episode of Season Two, we sit down with Kay Backhouse - whose younger brother, Syd, died in 2019 at age 35 after being diagnosed with a rare neuroendocrine tumour. Kay talks to us about growing up with him: the mischief, the chaos, and the kind of closeness that comes from having a little brother five years younger. She shares what those final years were like, the ways she spoke honestly about death with Syd, and the shock of what grief does when it hits the centre of your family. We also talk about her book, ‘Losing You, Finding Me’, and the way writing became both a lifeline and a mirror for her.  Kay talks about how Syds’ death changed her from the inside out, and why she retrained as a grief counsellor so she could sit with other people in the depths of their grief.  It’s an episode about siblings, about identity, and about the strange, terrifying, beautiful work of rebuilding yourself when the person who helped shape you isn’t here anymore.     -- For more information on Kay and her work: https://www.kaybackhouse.com/ Kay’s book is available to buy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Losing-You-Finding-Kay-Backhouse/dp/1914083938

In the first episode of Season Two, we talk with Chanel Williams - whose brother, James Williams, known to many as The Vivienne died in January of this year after taking Ketamine.  Chanel shares what it was like growing up with James: the teasing, the in-jokes, and how the same brother who drove her mad as a teenager became her best friend and an uncle her kids adored. She speaks about the day he died, the shock that followed, and the space that kind of grief leaves behind when you never get to say goodbye.  We also talk about the work she’s been doing since James' death - using her voice to raise awareness around ketamine use and addiction, and to tell the truth about what this kind of death really takes from a family. It’s an episode about siblings, about love and about how complicated it is when the person who knew you best isn’t here anymore. -- Watch the beautiful posthumous tribute to Drag Race legend The Vivienne. Featuring unseen archive, and touching interviews with close friends and family of the first ever winner of Drag Race UK. 'Dear Viv' on BBC 3 For help and support with mental health, drug or alcohol use, and other challenging circumstances, please see: adferiad.org