Episodes

On episode 1 of Season 8 of The Surviving Siblings® Podcast, host, Maya Roffler sits down with Amanda, who shares the heartbreaking story of losing her older brother, Bill, to hyperthermia in the Arizona desert. Amanda walks us through the unique sibling dynamic they shared, the evolution of their relationship as adults, and the tragic events that unfolded in the summer of 2013. From the moment Amanda lost her housing at 19 and moved across the country into Bill’s home, to the tight-knit bond t...

On episode 2 of Season 8 of The Surviving Siblings Podcast®, host, Maya Roffler welcomes Lori to share the heartfelt journey of losing her sister, Gina, to breast cancer. What begins as a candid reflection on sibling dynamics soon unfolds into an honest, powerful testimony of anticipatory grief, advocacy, and resilience. Lori opens up about growing up as the “quintessential middle child” in a close-knit family, the evolution of her relationship with Gina from sibling rivalry to deep sisterhood,...

On episode 3 of Season 8 of The Surviving Siblings Podcast®, host, Maya Roffler sits down with three surviving siblings Elizabeth, Roger (Avery), and Ryan to share the heartbreaking and inspiring story of losing their sister, Kathryn “Kayleigh” Thurgaland, in a tragic car accident in October 2020. What makes this episode truly unique is hearing the story from three perspectives, each sibling offering a different memory, emotion, and lens through which Kayleigh is remembered. From early childhoo...

On episode 4 of Season 8 of The Surviving Siblings Podcast®, host, Maya Roffler is joined by Michael Tobin, who shares the raw and unfiltered story of losing his older brother, Jimmy, to homicide in 1992. Over 30 years later, Michael reflects on how this traumatic event shaped his life, his family, and his ongoing mission to keep Jimmy’s memory alive. Michael recounts the joys of growing up in a big Irish-Catholic family in the Bronx, the tight-knit neighborhood where breakdancing, graffiti, an...

On episode 5 of Season 8 of The Surviving Siblings Podcast®, 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...

On episode 6 of Season 8 of The Surviving Siblings Podcast®, host, Maya Roffler sits down with Tommy, a surviving sibling who lost two brothers—John to addiction and Tim to cancer. Tommy shares a powerful testimony of family, trauma, guilt, grief, and recovery offering a rare and vulnerable glimpse into what it means to survive sibling loss from two very different but equally devastating causes. Raised in Queens, New York, Tommy opens up about growing up in a family marked by love, loyalty, and ...

On episode 7 of Season 8 of The Surviving Siblings Podcast®, 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 addictio...

On episode 8 of Season 8 of The Surviving Siblings Podcast®, host, Maya Roffler speaks with Dan Dunsmore, a devoted brother, father, and educator who shares the heartbreaking story of losing his sister Patti at just 13 years old to a sudden and misdiagnosed case of appendicitis. Dan takes us back to 1968 in South Knoxville, Tennessee, and walks us through the idyllic beginnings of his childhood, followed by a series of devastating family losses, each one reshaping the course of his life. Dan op...

On episode 9 of Season 8 of The Surviving Siblings Podcast®, host, Maya Roffler sits down with Katherine Mandzak, a writer and advocate, as she opens up about losing her beloved younger brother Colin to a rare and aggressive form of bile duct cancer. From growing up as inseparable homeschool siblings to navigating a shocking cancer diagnosis, Katherine shares the raw reality of becoming the only surviving sibling and how her identity, grief, and life path were forever changed. She walks us thr...

On episode 10 of season 8 of The Surviving Siblings® Podcast, guest host Chelsey McHale takes over the mic to interview podcast founder and host Maya Roffler in a deeply personal and reflective conversation. With 2026 marking 10 years since the loss of her brother Andreas, Maya opens up about what this milestone means to her, how her grief has evolved, and the legacy her brother continues to leave behind through this powerful community. From the early days of navigating violent loss to foundi...