{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Brennan Loses Jackson To A Storm Accident","description":"On episode 5 of Season 8 of The Surviving Siblings Podcast\u00ae, host, Maya Roffler welcomes Brennan to share the devastating and unexpected loss of her younger brother, Jackson, during a freak storm in 2019. What begins as a reflection on their sibling relationship through childhood, divorce, and young adulthood turns into a powerful story of trauma, survival, family dynamics, and what it means to rebuild, both physically and emotionally. Brennan takes us back to life growing up in the Mississippi Delta, the evolution of her bond with Jackson, and the unique pain of being the only surviving sibling. When a storm tore through her hometown, uprooting trees and altering the course of her family\u2019s life in an instant, Brennan was thrust into a nightmarish journey of grief, resilience, and reconstruction, literally and emotionally. The episode dives deep into themes of sudden loss, natural disaster trauma, complicated family dynamics, anticipatory grief, and healing through change. Brennan shares how she supported both of her divorced parents in uniquely different ways, helped rebuild the family home, and eventually made a life-changing move across the country that helped her begin healing. In This Episode: (0:00:00) \u2013 Meet Brennan and Her Brother Jackson Maya welcomes Brennan, who shares stories of growing up six years apart from her brother Jackson and how their sibling dynamic changed over time. (0:03:00) \u2013 Childhood, Divorce, and Reconnection Brennan reflects on how her parents\u2019 divorce affected her relationship with Jackson and how their bond began to strengthen as they got older. (0:05:00) \u2013 The Day Everything Changed Brennan recounts the tragic storm that took Jackson\u2019s life, the chilling phone call from her father, and the frantic drive through fallen trees and flooded roads to reach her family home. (0:07:00) \u2013 A Father\u2019s Desperation and a Devastating Scene She shares the harrowing details of her arrival: her father soaked and shivering, first responders delayed, and the realization that her brother was already gone. (0:09:00) \u2013 A Freak Storm with No Warning Brennan explains the storm conditions and how a misreported tornado warning led to five massive oak trees being uprooted one of which landed directly on the home\u2019s front door. (0:11:00) \u2013 Shock, Rescue, and Reality Setting In She describes the painful wait, her father's rescue attempts, and the surrealism of those first few hours of grief. (0:13:00) \u2013 Storm Preparedness, Tornado Drills, and Coping with Chaos Maya and Brennan reflect on growing up with tornado drills and how this tragedy added a new, personal layer to those experiences. (0:23:00) \u2013 Planning a Funeral Through Grief Brennan takes the lead on planning Jackson\u2019s service, navigating her parents' conflicting wishes, and honoring her brother with a celebration at his childhood church. (0:26:00) \u2013 A Standing Room Only Memorial The funeral draws a massive crowd every seat filled, and hundreds standing. Brennan reflects on how that overwhelming support was both shocking and comforting. (0:29:00) \u2013 Back to Work and Back to the Build Just days later, Brennan returns to work and begins helping her father rebuild the house, an emotional and physical labor of love that spans over two years. (0:33:00) \u2013 Grieving Through a Pandemic She shares how grief collided with COVID-19, slowing down the rebuild and affecting her mental health, her parents\u2019 well-being, and their support systems. (0:35:00) \u2013 A Fresh Start in Las Vegas Brennan talks about the pivotal phone call from her mom asking her to move across the country. Without hesitation, she says yes. (0:44:00) \u2013 Helping Her Mom Through Grief She reflects on moving in with her mom, their evolving relationship, and witnessing how differently each parent handled Jackson\u2019s death. (0:47:00) \u2013 Two Parents, Two Grief Journeys Brennan discusses how her dad grieved through action, while her mom grieved through emotion, and how she found herself trying to show up for both\u2014while still navigating her own loss. (0:50:00) \u2013 The Only Surviving Sibling As the only surviving sibling, Brennan opens up about feeling lonely in her grief, questioning her place in her parents\u2019 world, and learning to own her voice and her story. (0:56:00) \u2013 Advice to the Newly Bereaved Brennan\u2019s parting words are powerful: \u201cGive yourself grace. Don\u2019t bottle it up. If you don\u2019t let it out, it becomes a monster.\u201d She encourages all siblings to reach out, speak up, and find safe people to lean on. Listen to the full episode of \u201cBrennan Loses Jackson To A Storm Accident\u201d now on all major platforms. This episode is sponsored by The Surviving Siblings\u00ae   Connect with Brennan:  Facebook: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/19cVFTC25o\/?mibextid=wwXIfr Tik Tok: https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@brennansaulter?_t=ZT-8y3tkBQ2egx&_r=1 Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/brennansaulter?igsh=ZWJ1ejZzamxzNWNx&utm_source=qr   Connect with Maya: Podcast Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/survivingsiblingspodcast\/ Maya's Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/mayaroffler\/ TikTok: https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@survivingsiblingspodcast Twitter: https:\/\/x.com\/survivingsibpod Website: thesurvivingsiblings.com Facebook Group: The Surviving Siblings Podcast YouTube: The Surviving Siblings Podcast Patreon: https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/TheSurvivingSiblingsPodcast   ","author_name":"The Surviving Siblings\u00ae","author_url":"https:\/\/www.thesurvivingsiblings.com","html":"