A father who lost his 14-year-old daughter to suicide explains what most people get wrong about grieving parents. Avoiding her name doesn't protect him. It erases her. This piece covers why bereaved parents want your stories, what to say to a grieving parent, what to avoid, and the one small act that matters more than any card: mention the person. Say the name. You will not remind us. We never forgot.

The hardest part of losing a child is not the funeral. It is learning to live with the guilt, unanswered questions, and fear that your child will be forgotten. Chris Coulter shares what grief looks like ten years after losing his daughter Maddie and offers practical ways to support bereaved parents with compassion, presence, and remembrance.

Chris Coulter lost his daughter Maddie to suicide in 2015. For nine years he tried to recover the person he was before. Then something shifted — and Maddie came back not as a loss, but as a presence. A personal reflection on grief, purpose, and what it means to finally stop looking backward.

Chris Coulter reflects on losing his mother days after her stroke, and how eleven years of grieving his daughter Maddie prepared him for this loss. A deeply personal piece on grief, presence, and the unexpected gifts loss leaves behind. For anyone navigating the loss of a parent or child.

When Chris Coulter found his daughter Maddie's ice skates in storage after 10 years, he asked others what they kept after losing someone. The responses reveal how we protect proof of love through objects: worn clothes, handwritten letters, quilts made from favorite shirts, and items kept for decades. These stories show that holding on isn't denial and letting go isn't betrayal—both can be acts of love.

After my daughter's suicide, hundreds showed up. Then they left. The texts stopped. Check-ins faded. That silence is the loneliest part of grief—and it's the same isolation parents face when their teen is struggling. MentorWell closes that gap before loss, providing community, mentorship, and fast access to care when families need it most.

This is the story of losing my daughter and learning that healing is not about going back. It is about learning to live with grief, staying connected to love, and finding purpose again. I share the breakdown, the search for meaning, and the slow work of rebuilding. This is for parents and families who are grieving and trying to move forward without leaving love behind.

This message is for anyone grieving the loss of a loved one. I lost my 14-year-old daughter, Maddie, to suicide in 2015. Grief never fades, but it changes shape. Through writing and purpose, I found healing in honouring her memory. The MentorWell is a reflection of that love—proof that pain can become purpose and there is always a way forward.