Susan Gilbert & Suzanne Redfern

Suzanne Redfern (left) is the president of Redfern Ranches, Inc. Her thirty-two-year-old daughter died of lung cancer in 1999. She lives in Palo Alto, California. Susan K. Gilbert (right) was a pharmaceutical executive for many years in the Silicon Valley and is now active in the community, serving on a board for the San Francisco homeless. Her eighteen-year-old daughter was killed in an automobile accident in 1993. They are co-authors of a book entitled The Grieving Garden. Susan & Suzanne appeared on the radio show “Healing the Grieving Heart” with Dr. Gloria & Dr. Heidi Horsley to discuss “Living With the Death of a Child.“ To hear them being interviewed on this show, go to the following link: https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/33239/healing-the-soul-and-living-with-the-death-of-a-child

Articles:

Celebrating the Holidays After the Death of your Child

After my husband and I lost our daughter Amanda, age 18, the first few holidays held anxiety and dread for us. We anticipated waves of grief and deep sadness because she was not present to celebrate with us, and we wondered if we would ever find meaning in the holidays again. We did find a few techniques that have helped us through the years and you may find our experiences beneficial to you, especially in the early years following your loss. Have a plan. It is good to be mindful that the day will probably be difficult and it is […]

Read More

Planning Helps With the ‘Firsts’

By Sue Gilbert and Suzanne Redfern – The following is an excerpt from The Grieving Garden, authored by Suzanne Redfern and Susan Gilbert (Hampton Roads Publishing, 2008). In this excerpt, Susan Benveniste, one of the book’s 22 contributors, speaks of her family’s first celebrations, including Thanksgiving, without their daughter, Shelly. Enduring the “firsts” can be one of the hardest obstacles to face.  Examples of the firsts are:  holidays, birthdays, Mother’s or Father’s Day, and the death-day anniversary. These days can hit with a vengeance, like a blow to the gut.  Planning in advance how to celebrate or spend these days […]

Read More