I am Gina Whalen and my precious son Izzy died by suicide in 2017. His death was the catalyst for the study referenced on this site which seeks to understand the experience of mothers who lost a child to suicide, in particular how they have learned to cope with their devastating loss. In the writings taking from this study that are shared on this site, I also share personal details about the events that followed my son’s death and how I learned to live with my painful loss. My stories will intertwine with those of my study participants who are also some of my greatest life teachers.

If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you.

If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.

Gospel of Thomas

The above quote was one that Dr. Libby Tisdell read at the start of a class one evening. It instantly resonated with me. I elect to share my deeply personal story for several reasons, one of which is to help dispel the stigma associated with suicide. Family and community members sometimes shun or ignore mothers like me because of the circumstances of our children’s deaths. Those who have not experienced suicide’s impact firsthand may have incorrect preconceived notions about the person who died by suicide, as well as the parents of children who die by suicide. The narratives of the mothers shared on this site will allow readers to peer into the world of suicide loss and will help humanize those who die by suicide.

As a bereaved mother, as an observer of the distress of my fellow grieving mothers, and also as an educator, I quickly discovered an appalling lack of educational resources available to assist individuals in the aftermath of a suicide and during the never-ending grieving process. Firsthand account books written by those bereaved by suicide provided some solace, but there was little else published that proved useful. To navigate through this horrific time and to understand how mothers survived and continue to function, I relied on the support of other mothers who were also grieving their child’s suicide. These mothers came into my life in various ways. A stranger mailed a letter to me and provided me with the contact information of a mother who lost her child to suicide. I immediately called her and asked to meet with her. Another bereaved mother was an outreach volunteer for a local support group. She contacted me and came to visit and comfort me. Another mother had been a former childhood friend who had started a non-profit after her son died by suicide. I had also met others in grief support groups. None of these women were formal educators, yet they taught me the most important lesson in life–how to survive.

Since my son’s death, I welcome the opportunity to be of service to the growing community of suicide loss survivors. The following are recent publications and presentations with an international audience in which I address suicide loss and maternal bereavement.

• Adult Education in Global Times: An International Research Conference (AEGT2020)
  • Conference Paper: Addressing a Global Epidemic: Opportunities for Adult Education to Assist Suicide Loss Survivors (Whalen, 2020)
• Adult Education in Global Times: An International Research Conference (AEGT2021)
  • Conference Presentation: Addressing a Global Epidemic: Opportunities for Adult Education to Assist Suicide Loss Survivors
• Illness, Crisis & Loss
  • Article: Bonded from Brokenness: A Collaborative Autoethnography on Maternal Bereavement. (Whalen & Simmons, 2021).
• International Transformative Learning Conference, April 2022
  • Presentation & Extended Abstract: Metamorphosis via Suicide: An Autoethnographic Exploration of the Transformative Learning Journeys of Mothers who Lost a Child to Suicide (Whalen, 2022)
• Journal of Transformative Education, 2022
  • Article: Black and Blue Butterflies: The Transformative Journeys of Mothers Who Lost a Child to Suicide (Whalen & Tisdell, 2022)
• Adult Learning, Vol. 33 No. 2, 2022
  • Article: The Super-vision of Autoethnographic Dissertation Studies: Transformative Stories of the Supervisor and the Supervised Revealed (Tisdell, Whalen, & Johnson, 2022)

I am an Assistant Teaching Professor of Business for Penn State University and the Program Director for the World Campus BS in Business Inter Campus (BSBIC) degree. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Logistics, a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management, and a Doctorate of Education in Adult Education. With over 25 years’ experience in educational leadership roles, my passion is helping individuals reach their fullest potential through education.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drginawhalen/

If you are interested in connecting with me to collaborate, share ideas, or discuss ways we could further dispel the stigma surround suicide deaths, please feel free to reach out to me.