{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Dawn Loses Justin To Suicide","description":"On episode 7 of Season 8 of The Surviving Siblings Podcast\u00ae, host, Maya Roffler sits down with Dawn, a surviving sibling who opens up about the unexpected loss of her brother Justin, just weeks before his wedding day. Dawn shares the full arc of their sibling bond, from pranks and family laughter, to the hidden pain Justin carried, to the shock of losing him to suicide in 2013. Through her storytelling, Dawn brings light to the complexities of grief, sibling guilt, the impact of hidden addiction and gambling, and the long road toward healing. This conversation is a tribute to Justin, a celebration of Dawn\u2019s strength, and a resource for anyone navigating the grief of suicide loss. She also shares how her daughter Justine, born later, became a symbol of healing and joy.   In This Episode: [0:00] \u2013 Meet Dawn & Her Brother Justin Dawn introduces her family, sharing about her close-knit childhood with her two brothers, including the deep bond she had with Justin, her "twin in spirit." [2:00] \u2013 Living with Visual Impairment & Justin\u2019s Support She opens up about growing up with congenital nystagmus, and how Justin always treated her with love and equality\u2014never seeing her as disabled. [5:00] \u2013 Prank Wars & Wedding Shenanigans From pranking their brother Jason to orchestrating a hilarious wedding garter joke, Dawn reflects on how laughter defined their sibling connection. [7:00] \u2013 Health Challenges & Justin\u2019s Shift Dawn explains how Justin\u2019s life took a turn after a medical issue ended his athletic dreams, which may have led to a spiral of hidden struggles. [10:00] \u2013 The Call That Changed Everything In May 2013, Dawn receives a devastating call: Justin was found in the woods by their father. He had died by suicide, just one month before his wedding. [13:00] \u2013 Processing the Shock Dawn recounts the overwhelming grief, the small details that haunted her (like how Justin\u2019s smile was missing in his casket), and how she stepped into her \u201celdest sibling\u201d role to hold the family together. [17:00] \u2013 The Unraveling Begins After the funeral, the family begins discovering secrets Justin had kept hidden\u2014dropping out of college, gambling debts, and signs of silent struggle. [23:00] \u2013 Navigating Family Shame & Speaking the Truth Dawn candidly discusses how her family wanted to hide the cause of death, but how speaking up and honoring the truth helped her begin to heal. [26:00] \u2013 Grief, Guilt & a Mud Run Gone Wrong On what would\u2019ve been Justin\u2019s wedding day, Dawn attempted to mask her grief with a mud run\u2014but broke her ankle, lost her job, and spiraled into depression. The symbolic \u201cfall\u201d marked a breaking point in her grief journey. [29:00] \u2013 Naming Her Daughter After Justin A year later, Dawn gave birth to her third child, Justine Brianna, named after her brother. From her left-handedness to her smile, Justine became a living tribute and source of healing for the family. [32:00] \u2013 Pregnant in Grief: The Duality of Joy & Loss Dawn shares what it was like to grieve while pregnant\u2014balancing immense sorrow with the hope of new life, and the bittersweet beauty of motherhood after loss. [34:00] \u2013 Six Years Later: The Weight of Untold Grief In 2019, six years after Justin's death, Dawn broke her silence\u2014not in therapy, but in a surprising place: a Weight Watchers meeting. Talking about her grief helped her shed both emotional and physical weight. [43:00] \u2013 The Power of Community in Grief Whether it\u2019s a podcast, support group, or a wellness meeting, Dawn emphasizes the importance of community when grieving a sibling. Talking changed everything. Listen to the full episode of \u201cDawn Loses Justin To Suicide\u201d now on all major platforms. This episode is sponsored by The Surviving Siblings\u00ae Connect with Dawn:  Email: \u200amfwbookkeeper@aol.com  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":"