Isadora — “What I've tried to do is surrender to grief.”

Isadora Kosofsky is no stranger to grief – as a photojournalist, she’s spent years documenting individuals in hospice care. But when her own father passed away in a hospital overloaded with COVID-19 patients, she was reminded that you can never be prepared to lose someone you love. Find Isadora on…

Barry — “My voice had been a bridge for him.”

With the first wave of COVID-19 surging, an iPad became Barry Joseph’s lifeline for communicating with his dad, Paul Joseph, in the hospital. Guided by the poems of Billy Collins, Barry stayed by his dad’s side – virtually – until it was time to let go.    Find Barry on Instagram and TikTok at @f…

Last Day Preview: Everyone Out Here is Armed

In episode 1, our team travels to Montana, where cowboy culture reigns supreme, everyone is armed, and 86% of firearm deaths are suicides. There, we meet a couple that represents all the contradictions at the root of America’s gun debate: One is a suicide prevention advocate, and the other is the m…

Sabila — “We watched his burial on our phones.”

Publishing executive Sabila Khan was stunned by her father Shafqat’s sudden death due to COVID-19 in early 2020. After having to forgo the traditional Muslim rituals tied to his passing, Sabila struggled with the pandemic’s overall effect on her attempt to return to normalcy.    Find Sabila on Tw…

From Bad to Worse: COVID’s Toll on a Top Child Care Center

We are excited to share another Lemonada Media show you will love. It's called No One Is Coming to Save Us and it tackles the American child care crisis. No One Is Coming to Save Us has new episodes out every Thursday. Gloria is back and ready to tackle America’s child care crisis head-on. To kick…

Paula — “The center of our universe is gone.”

Paula Edgar has spent the past 20 years conflicted about her grief -- does she take part in our country’s collective grieving on September 11th? Or does she simply mourn her beloved mother Joan in private, who she thinks of fondly whenever she hears a Broadway tune?    Find Paula on Twitter at @P…

Introducing Last Day Revisited: The Opioid Crisis with Stephanie Wittels Wachs & Jackie Danziger

Opioids are killing more people than ever. In 2020, overdose deaths in the U.S. spiked nearly 30% to a record high -- the sharpest annual increase in 30 years. Fentanyl sold on the street and the ongoing toll of the pandemic are the primary drivers. With so many of us affected, there’s a dire need …

Claire — “We welcome people into the world; we should also see them out.”

Renowned grief therapist and ‘New Day’ host Claire Bidwell Smith was forced to confront her parents’ cancer deaths by the age of 25. Her quest to find meaning in the “nothingness” afterward led her down a healing path that she now explores with clients facing similar loss.    Find Claire on Twitt…

Meghan — “The curtains were pulled, and it was quiet.”

Meghan Britton-Gross finds it hard to believe it’s been nearly 30 years since she lost her little brother, Andrew, in a car accident. He was 7. She was 12. Meghan still vividly remembers the dark and lonely aftermath of his loss, particularly as a junior high student processing the pain of being tr…

Julie — “I wanted to crawl out of my own skin.”

Latinx comedian Julie Piñero was swept up by her partner Jose’s adventurous spirit almost immediately. To make sense of his murder just weeks later, she threw herself into performance, ultimately developing a one-woman Zoom show centering on the intersection of love and loss.    Find Julie on Twi…