We didn’t mean to be gone this long.

After what felt like being hit with grief again, a hard holiday season, illness, and the quiet realization of stepping into another year without Bella, we’re finally back. In this first episode of 2026, Lyle joins me for an honest check-in as we talk about recent travel and a Disney World recap, what surprised us, what helped, and what we’d do differently, alongside the deeper conversations we didn’t expect to be having. We open up about second-year grief, how it shows up differently than the first, and what it looks like to try to support each other in a marriage when both cups are empty. This is a real conversation about showing up changed, still learning, and choosing to come back anyway.

In this episode, Lyle and I finally share our full Ronald McDonald House story. From our very first stay in Calgary when we walked in terrified and exhausted, to our last days in Toronto with our Bella. Ronald McDonald House wasn’t just a place to sleep; it became our family. We talk about the rooms we lived in, the meals that kept us going, the programs that lifted us up, the volunteers who saw us on our hardest days, and the milestones Bella reached inside those walls. We also open up about what it was like to return to the House after Bella passed, and how they held us in our grief. If you’ve ever wondered what Ronald McDonald House truly means for families like ours, this is our story — start to finish — and why we’re so honoured to support them this Season of Giving.

In this Brave Mom episode, I sit down with Liz, a fellow bereaved and medical mom, to honour and share the story of her beautiful son, Mathias. This conversation was healing in a way only another SCID mom could understand. Liz and I share so many parallels in our stories… from navigating a SCID diagnosis, to battling CMV, to watching our babies endure bone marrow transplants. There are moments in this episode that felt like looking into a mirror… moments only a mom who has lived this kind of love and loss could connect to. I’m so grateful Liz trusted me with Mathias’ story, and I know her strength, honesty, and love for her boy will stay with you long after you listen.

Find Liz on Instagram at @li_zarrd.

If you’re a medical or bereaved mom who feels ready to share your brave story on Beyond Brave, I would love to hear from you. Please reach out anytime at hello@bella-brave.com.