Episodes
March 12, 2025
The Weight of Unspoken Grief
What happens to the grief we never speak about? The losses no one sees? It’s time to give voice to the sorrow we’ve been carrying alone.
March 5, 2025
Grief Is Love Remembered
Grief is not just about loss—it is love that still lingers, love that refuses to fade. In this episode, I explore how grief is a continuation of love, a connection that remains even when the person we love is gone. How do we ...
Feb. 26, 2025
Holding On Without Holding Back: The Fear of Forgetting
Holding onto love, memories, and identity after loss—navigating the fear of forgetting while embracing healing. Grief isn’t just about loss—it’s about the fear of losing the memories, the voice, the presence of the person we ...
Feb. 19, 2025
Healing Together: The Role of Community in Grief
In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, we explore how community support can be a powerful force in navigating loss.
Feb. 12, 2025
Episode 13: Rebuilding After Loss: Who Am I Without This?
Send us a text In Episode 13, Rebuilding After Loss: Who Am I Without This?, we dive into the identity shifts that grief demands. Losing someone, a relationship, or a dream often leaves us questioning who we are and how to move forward. This episode explores how to navigate these changes, embrace l…
Jan. 29, 2025
Episode 12: Finding Strength in the Mess with Molly Booker
Send us a textIn this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, I sit down with Molly Booker, a passionate advocate for authenticity, mental well-being, and embracing life's imperfections. We dive into the raw realities of grief, resilience, and how to navigate the messy, unpredictable nature o…
Jan. 22, 2025
Episode 11: Healing in Community: The Power of Shared Experiences
Send us a text Healing doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens in connection. In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, host Fartumo Kusow explores the transformative power of healing in community. Discover why shared experiences foster resilience, how they help break down isolation, and…
Jan. 15, 2025
Episode 10: Resilience After Loss: Rebuilding and Finding Strength
Send us a text Loss reshapes our lives, challenging our sense of identity and purpose. In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, host Fartumo Kusow explores the true meaning of resilience after loss—not as bouncing back, but as growing and rebuilding in the face of pain. Join Fartumo as…
Jan. 8, 2025
Episode 9: The Ripple Effect: How Sharing Your Story Inspires Change
Send us a text In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, host Fartumo Kusow explores the transformative power of storytelling. Sharing your story not only helps you heal, but it also creates a ripple effect—connecting with others, inspiring courage, and fostering a movement for change.…
Jan. 1, 2025
Episode 6: Confronting Grief: A Journey of Healing
Send us a text In this episode of 'Break the Silence, Build the Future', Fartumo Kusow delves into the emotional and psychological costs of avoiding grief, sharing her personal journey following the tragic loss of her daughter. She emphasizes the importance of confronting grief rather than suppress…
Dec. 25, 2024
Episode 5: Living with Grief: Finding Strength in the New Normal
Send us a text Grief doesn’t have an endpoint; it becomes a part of who we are, shaping how we see the world and live our lives. In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, host Fartumo Kusow explores what it means to live with grief and make it a part of your story. Fartumo reflects on h…
Dec. 18, 2024
Episode 8: From Betrayal to Empowerment: Owning Your Story and Reclaiming Your Life
Send us a text In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, host Fartumo Kusow sits down with Victoria Ellen, author of Painting in the Rain: A True Story of Trickery and Triumph. Victoria Ellen is a survivor, the mother of two adult children, a wife, and an executive in corporate Americ…
Dec. 12, 2024
Episode 7: Owning Your Story: Finding Strength in Vulnerability
Send us a text In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, host Fartumo Kusow delves into the transformative power of owning your story. Sharing deeply personal reflections, Fartumo discusses the courage it takes to confront grief and speak your truth, even when it challenges societal exp…
Nov. 2, 2024
Episode 4: Delayed Grief
Send us a text In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, we explore the concept of delayed grief—the grief that we push aside when life’s demands leave us no room to process our loss. I’ll share my own experiences with delayed grief, from losing loved ones while adjusting to a new life …
Oct. 17, 2024
Episode 3: Learning to Breathe Through the Weigh of Grief
Send us a text In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, I reflect on the overwhelming nature of grief—how it doesn’t come in waves but floods every part of life, making even the simplest tasks feel impossible. After losing my daughter, grief became a constant presence, filling every mo…
Oct. 17, 2024
Episode Two: The Weight of Expectations: Grief Doesn’t Look the Way We Thought
Send us a text In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, I explore the tension between what we expect grief to look like and the reality of how it actually shows up. After the loss of my daughter, I found myself struggling with the disconnect between society’s expectations of grief—espe…
Oct. 17, 2024
Episode 1: Shades of Grief
Send us a text Are you struggling with grief that doesn’t look the way others expect? In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, we dive into the unspoken social pressures surrounding grief. Learn how societal expectations shape the way we mourn, the harmful impact of these expectations …
Aug. 15, 2024
Episode 20: Expectations vs. Reality: A Mother's Journey in Grief Unfiltered
Send us a text In this poignant and deeply introspective season finale of Break the Silence, Build a Future, I delve into the contrast between societal expectations of how one should grieve and the reality of my own experience. When I first learned on June 5, 2023, that my daughter's husband had be…
Aug. 8, 2024
Episode 19: Waiting For Justice
Send us a text In this poignant episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, we delve into the harrowing journey of seeking justice after the unimaginable loss of a loved one to intimate partner violence. One year after the tragic murder of my daughter by her husband of 18 years, my family and I a…
June 19, 2024
Episode 18: Navigating Grief and Justice: The Challenges of Family Support After My Daughter's Tragic Loss
Send us a text In this heartfelt and deeply personal episode, I open up about the tragic loss of my daughter, who was murdered by her husband last year. As we navigate the complex and often overwhelming legal process, my family and I have faced significant challenges, not only in seeking justice bu…
May 29, 2024
Episode 17: Shades of Grief: Navigating the First Anniversary of Loss
Send us a text In this deeply personal episode, I confront the complex and often overwhelming emotions that accompany the first anniversary of my daughter's murder. Through candid reflections and raw honesty, I explore the many shades of grief, from haunting flashbacks to feelings of helplessness. …
May 22, 2024
Episode 16: Turning Pain into Purpose: Lessons from Losing My Daughter to Intimate Partner Violence
Send us a text In this powerful and heartfelt episode, I open up about my personal journey through the unimaginable grief of losing my daughter to intimate partner violence. Sharing my story is not only a way to honor her memory, but also a means to reach out to others who might be facing similar h…
May 15, 2024
Episode 15: May 8th: The Weight of Joy and Sorrow
Send us a text Join me on this deeply personal episode as I reflect on the weight of May 8th, a day that holds both profound joy and unimaginable pain in my life. It's a date marked by the containers of my birth, a celebration of life and growth, juxtaposed against the harrowing realities of domest…
May 4, 2024
Episode 14: Legislating Change: Bill 173 and Surviving Intimate Partner Violence
Send us a text Join host Fartumo Kusow in a compelling episode of "Break the Silence, Build a Future" as we explore the legislative landscape surrounding Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). In this episode, we shine a spotlight on Bill 173, a pivotal piece of legislation aimed at deeming IPV as an epi…