The Rollercoaster Podcast

We Were Just Setting up The Nursery - Now She's Dead

There are some stories you hear that stay with you long after the conversation ends. This is one of them.In this episode, I sit down with Nathan Wieser, a husband, father and author of We Did It, to talk about a journey through pregnancy loss, infant loss, miscarriage, PTSD, grief and a fight to become a father that lasted more than a decade. Nathan and his wife Lucy endured loss after loss. But nothing could prepare them for the day their daughter Mary died during birth, while Lucy herself was fighting to stay alive. Nathan remembers sitting alone in a hospital hallway waiting for one thing: to hear his daughter cry. The cry never came. What followed were years of grief, trauma and fear before they found the courage to try again.Then came Otto. Born at just 26 weeks and weighing only two pounds, Otto spent 121 days in the NICU fighting through emergency surgeries, sepsis and moments when his parents didn't know if he would survive.In this episode:Losing their daughter Mary during childbirth and nearly losing Lucy tooThe miscarriages, grief and PTSD that followed their devastating lossFinding the courage to try for another child after years of traumaOtto’s premature birth and the terrifying 121-day fight for his life in the NICUHow loss changed Nathan’s perspective on fatherhood, marriage and what truly mattersThis is an incredibly raw conversation about losing children, surviving trauma, marriage, fatherhood and finding hope when life has given you every reason to stop believing things can get better.This conversation gave me a lot to think about as a father. I think it will do the same for you.Key Moments:00:00 Waiting for a Cry That Never Came06:22 The Diagnosis No Parent Is Ready For12:38 The Moment Everything Went Horribly Wrong18:04 Telling His Wife Their Baby Had Died24:19 Could They Ever Try for a Baby Again?28:17 Losing Their Twins Without a Heartbeat31:12 The Phone Call That Saved His Life36:45 Meeting His Two-Pound Son for the First Time41:42 The NICU Nightmare Begins47:25 His Heart Stopped Again49:13 The Miracle Doctors Couldn’t Explain52:06 They Finally Got Home... Then Lost Everything54:15 Walking Through Hell to Find Their Miracle58:28 The Best and Worst of the Medical System1:00:36 Why He Gave Up Alcohol for His SonConnect with Me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tyler.hall/Connect with Nathan Wieser:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanwieser/We Did It by Nathan Wieser (Author): https://www.amazon.com/We-Did-perspective-enduring-miscarriages/dp/B0FLVTTHPY/

My Family Keeps Dying & I Can't Explain It

In this episode, I sit down with Jaclyn Rose, a mental health advocate whose life has been shaped by unimaginable loss. Jaclyn shares the heartbreaking story of losing her uncle to suicide, her father to addiction, and years later, her older brother to the very same battle. Rather than allowing grief to harden her heart, she chose to understand it.This conversation challenged the way I think about addiction, mental health, suicide, grief, and what it truly means to love someone who is suffering. We talk about the silence that often surrounds these struggles, why shame keeps so many families trapped, and how healing begins when we stop asking, “How could you do this to us?” and start asking, “What pain were you carrying?”In this episode:Losing her uncle, father, and brother to suicide and addictionThe text message from her dad hours before he unexpectedly diedWhy shame and silence make grief even harder to carryWhat addiction taught her about love, forgiveness, and compassionHow she turned unimaginable loss into a mission to help others healIf you've ever lost someone to suicide or addiction, love someone battling mental illness, or are carrying grief that still feels too heavy to name, I hope this episode reminds you that you are not alone.Key Moments:00:00 The Text Message That Changed Everything05:12 Seeing Her Uncle After Suicide at Just 9 Years Old09:08 Why Silence Makes Grief Even Worse16:17 The Birthday That Changed Her Relationship with Her Dad20:01 The Truth About Her Father's Addiction24:03 Reuniting With Her Dad One Week Before He Died31:00 How Grief Turned Into Anxiety, Addiction & Survival34:19 Why Time Doesn't Heal Trauma36:05 Can You Love Someone Who Keeps Hurting You?43:03 What Addiction Really Feels Like46:41 Her Brother Started Following the Same Path50:10 Loving Someone Without Enabling Them54:08 "I Got My Son Back"... Or So We Thought59:20 The Second Phone Call That Broke Her Heart1:02:00 Saying Goodbye Without Shame1:07:48 The Biggest Gaps in Mental Health Treatment1:10:04 Why We Need to Change the Way We Talk About GriefConnect with Me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tyler.hall/Connect with Jaclyn Rose:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellnesswithjac/

We Thought She Was Just Struggling With Friends, But It Was Something Much Worse

As a parent, there are certain things you never think you’ll have to face. Watching your child fight for their life is one of them.In this episode, I sit down with Jheri South, a mother of seven whose story is filled with heartbreak, addiction, mental health struggles, suicide attempts, and an unbelievable determination to keep fighting.Jheri shares how her seemingly picture-perfect life unraveled when her husband’s crystal meth addiction tore their family apart. Years later, she would face every parent’s worst nightmare when her daughter Grace attempted to take her own life and collapsed into her arms having seizures.What follows is a raw conversation about suicide, autism in girls, ADHD, neurodivergence, parenting teenagers, and what our children may be carrying without us ever knowing.In this episode:Addiction tearing apart Jheri’s familyThe warning signs she never saw comingThe night she almost lost her daughterDiscovering undiagnosed autism and ADHDHow parents can truly connect with struggling teensThis conversation gave me a lot to think about as a father. I think it will do the same for you.Key Moments:0:00 I Thought My Daughter Was Dying 6:36 Leaving Home at Just 15 10:02 When My Kids’ Mental Health Changed 16:01 The Loneliness Nobody Saw 23:26 The Mindset Shift That Changed Everything 29:16 The Suicide Attempt That Haunts Me 35:22 The Night My Daughter Tried to Die 40:02 “Are We in Heaven?” 47:32 Parenting vs. Connecting With Your Teen 54:22 The Hidden Damage of Seeking Approval 58:02 Are You Borrowing Your Self-Confidence? 1:04:02 Your Thoughts Aren’t Always True 1:06:57 Breaking Free From External ValidationConnect with Me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tyler.hall/Connect with Jheri:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jherisouth/

He Thought it Was a Stomach Ache - Now My Brother is Dead

In this episode of the Roller Coaster Podcast, I sit down with Rebecca Doyle, who shares the heartbreaking story of losing her only brother, Edward, to an unexpected complication from cancer treatment at just 28 years old. What started as stomach pain quickly became a Stage 3 cancer diagnosis, months of chemotherapy, and a phone call that changed her life forever.Rebecca opens up about watching her brother die over FaceTime, the grief she buried to stay strong for her young daughter, and how years of unresolved trauma, postpartum depression, and unimaginable loss eventually pushed her to the brink of suicide. This is an honest conversation about grief, survival, faith, and finding a reason to keep living when life feels impossible.In this episode:Losing her only brother to cancer just days after doctors said he was close to remissionThe FaceTime call where she watched her brother die and how that moment changed her foreverHow buried grief, postpartum depression, and trauma led her to two suicide attemptsThe moment she chose to ask for help, entered psychiatric care, and began healingFinding hope through therapy, faith, and rebuilding a life she never thought she'd want to live againIf you've ever lost someone you love, struggled with suicidal thoughts, or wondered if healing is possible after tragedy, I truly believe this conversation will remind you that you're not alone.Key Moments:00:00 The Phone Call That Changed Everything03:39 "Edward Is Going to Die Today"06:12 Why Her Brother Meant Everything09:38 The Stage 3 Cancer Diagnosis11:57 The Chemo Complication That Killed Him16:02 When Grief Became Suicidal Thoughts19:44 The Night She Tried to End Her Life21:40 Her Second Suicide Attempt24:51 How Does Someone Reach That Breaking Point?27:55 Why She Couldn't Stop Blaming Herself30:30 What Her Brother Would Say Today33:28 The Truth About Therapy No One Wants to HearConnect with Tyler :Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tyler.hall/#SuicidePrevention #GriefRecovery #HealingAfterLoss

I Was at a Sleepover When I Got the Worst Call of My Life...

Some stories leave you speechless. This is one of them.In this episode, I sit down with Kelle Bott for one of the most raw, emotional, and unforgettable conversations we've ever had on the Rollercoaster Podcast.At just 18 years old, Kelle watched her father take his final breath. In a matter of seconds, the person she believed was invincible was gone, and the grief that followed completely changed the course of her life. What started as a way to numb the pain through alcohol quickly became a devastating addiction filled with withdrawal, hallucinations, relapse, isolation, and the belief that she would never be okay again.But Kelle's story doesn't end there.She courageously shares her journey through addiction recovery, entering treatment, losing a baby through miscarriage, becoming pregnant again, and making the heartbreaking decision to place her son for adoption so he could have the life she dreamed of giving him.This conversation is about grief, alcoholism, sobriety, recovery, trauma, motherhood, open adoption, healing, and finding hope when life feels impossible. Kelle's vulnerability is extraordinary, and her story is one that will stay with you long after this episode ends.In this episode:Watching her father take his last breath in the ICUHow grief turned into a life-threatening alcohol addictionLosing herself after the death of the person she loved mostWhy she almost chose abortion with her second pregnancyThe heartbreaking decision to place her son for adoptionFinding sobriety, healing, and hope after unimaginable lossIf you've ever experienced loss, struggled with addiction, questioned your worth, or wondered if life could ever get better, this conversation is for you.Key Moments:00:00 The Last Night I Ever Had With My Dad04:27 COVID Took My Dad So Fast09:00 The Impossible Decision to Let Him Go14:00 The Promise My Dad Never Got to Keep19:10 When Grief Turned Into Alcoholism24:15 Alcohol Took Control of My Life29:35 Detox Saved My Life35:20 The Wake-Up Call I Couldn't Ignore40:40 I Got Pregnant 90 Days Sober45:30 I Almost Chose Abortion49:20 Hiding My Pregnancy From Everyone52:05 The First Time I Held My Son53:30 His Father Overdosed in My Hospital Room55:45 My Final Night With My Baby58:10 The Hardest Goodbye of My Life1:03:40 How I Found Hope Again1:07:00 If You're Struggling, Hear ThisConnect with Kelle Bott:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellebott/Connect with Me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tyler.hall/