Donna Berger

Donna Berger lived a balanced life of faith, family, friends and her career as a nurse anesthetist until one hot summer day in August of 1989 when her life was torn apart. That day an impaired driver crashed into her parked car killing her husband, Gerry, their three children, Dawn (8), Stephen (6), and Michael (3); and leaving Donna fighting for her life in a burn intensive care unit. Clinging to life and to Romans 8:28, ‘And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them’, Donna chose to not count her faith amongst her many losses and reached out to the only One who could truly heal her. Christ’s faithful presence in her life carried her through tragedy and provided her with the blueprint for living through loss. Just days after that accident, while Donna’s fate was still uncertain, her husband Gerry’s best friend, John Berger, came to her bedside. He was moved powerfully by the Lord during that encounter, and while he was not completely sure she could hear or understand him, he whispered in her ear the promise that if she lived, he would take care of her. Today, Donna is a passionate witness to the presence of Jesus in her life and speaks about living a full life after loss. She is an author/blogger. Her first book, Living through Loss - A Memoir was published in 2022. Donna lives with her husband, John, in Florida where they enjoy their morning coffee, long walks, welcoming family and friends who come to visit, and witnessing to the faithfulness of God in their lives. When possible, she and John also look forward to traveling to see their daughters, Meredith, who lives in the Washington, D.C. area, Laura who lives in California, and their son, Christian, who lives in New York City.

Articles:

What to Say to a Family After Suicide

What to Say to a Family After Suicide The death of a loved one is a catastrophic loss, but when a loved one has taken his or her own life, that loss presents a unique set of grief challenges for those left behind. The “complicated grief” of suicide can leave family and friends feeling weakened and even incapacitated for long periods of time. Some are never able to come to terms with that loved one’s death. The greatest barrier to healing for survivors is guilt. The enemy’s favorite weapon is imposing guilt on mankind, and those who have lost a […]

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Suicide Leaves Question of Why

Suicide Leaves Question of Why Five years ago, my nephew – my brother’s son – died by suicide. He left behind his wife, three precious young children, his mom, dad, and brother as well as extended family members, friends, and business acquaintances. The shock was palpable. Thoughts were confused, words were hard to come by, and “why?” was the question of the day. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the US and its incidence has increased approximately 30% since the year 2000. In 2021, there were over 48,000 deaths by suicide among 1.7 million suicide attempts. […]

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