Debra Reagan

Debra Reagan lives in East Tennessee with her husband of 33 years. They have one surviving son. Debra is the co-founder of Listening Hearts, http://listening-hearts.memory-of.com/About.aspx a non-profit corporation designed to help bereaved mothers. After some turbulent and confusing experiences, her youngest son, Clint, received the dual diagnosis of bipolar disorder and a drug addiction. Their lives changed forever when Clint died on August 6, 2005, at the age of 20 of an accidental overdose and bronchial pneumonia. Debra can be reached through the website she maintains for her son at www.clint-reagan.memory-of.com. Debra was a guest on the radio show “Healing the Grieving Heart” talking about “Getting Through Mother’s Day.” To hear Debra being interviewed on this show by Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heidi Horsley, click on the following link: www.voiceamericapd.com/health/010157/horsley051007.mp3

Articles:

Open to hope

A Marriage Survives the Loss of a Child

We have been traveling this grief journey after the death of our son, Clint, for seven years. We didn’t know what to expect along the way for ourselves or for […]

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Watching for Signs

I sat in the sunshine by the community pool and I overheard several sweet little voices call out, “Watch, Papa, watch.” This universal call of a child reminded me of […]

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Our First Christmas Without Clint

My life is divided into before and after, so each holiday or special event that happens my mind rushes back to compare the before and the after. Before Clint’s death, […]

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A Father’s Day Tribute to My Husband

With Father’s Day approaching, I would like to take this opportunity to express my love and gratitude to the father of our sons, my husband, Alan. He carried us through […]

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Still With Us: Son Visits Through Signs

The plans were set for a 9-day adventure with my sister. The excitement and anticipation were building. I had to pack carefully as our travels would cover different elevations and […]

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The Old Tree Keeps Memories of Boys Grown or Gone

The Old Tree There is an old tree that stands as a giant in our back yard. This tree stood tall on this land years before we built our home. […]

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Signs and Connections: Graffiti Offers Hope and Assurance

Our youngest son, Clint, died at the age of 20 in 2005. During the early times of my grief, a bereaved mom suggested that screaming was a good outlet for tension. She […]

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Signs and Connections: Happiness Returns

My younger sister and I have resided in the same area most of our lives. We have maintained a close connection despite the fact that we’re frequently in different phases […]

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While in Grief, Be Ready to Deal With Others’ Questions

After the death of my child, I was left feeling powerless. It felt as though I had lost everything. Not only did I lose my child, but I felt as […]

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The End of Grief: ‘Are We There Yet?’

As I open the new 2012 calendar I purchased at the mall, I think about where I have been and where I am going. Is my life what I thought […]

Open to Hope is an online community offering inspirational stories of loss, hope and recovery. We believe hope is the bridge between loss and recovery.