When Susie and Nick Shaw’s nine-year-old son William died in a skiing accident, their world shifted permanently. In the six years since that day, they've found ways to carry their grief and stay connected to William, while continuing to honor the boy who inspired so much good in their lives and in their community. 

In this deeply moving conversation, Susie and Nick reflect on William’s life—his empathy, his humor, and the motto he created for himself in the year before he died: “Be Yourself.” A simple but powerful phrase that inspired their nonprofit, William’s Be Yourself Challenge. 

Together, we discuss:

• The day William died and what they’ve come to understand about control, safety, and loss

Whether you’re a parent or a caregiver who's grieving, a supporter of one, or someone walking alongside a family coping with heartbreaking grief, this conversation highlights the power of honesty, connection, and intentional grief work. 

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of child death, trauma, and detailed descriptions of the day William died. 

More from Susie & Nick: 

Jessie was 21. Molly was 11. Two days after their joint birthdays, their mom, Jill, was murdered by Molly’s father. In the hours, days, and years that followed, there was little room for grief. Jessie and Molly were expected to keep going — and they did. But that forward momentum came at a cost. 

It’s been nearly 20 years, and only recently have Jessie and Molly begun to revisit what happened and what it’s meant to live with unspoken grief and unacknowledged trauma. As part of that process, they discovered a manila envelope packed away in storage - inside were eight children’s book manuscripts written by their mom in the 1980s. Finding those stories sparked a new chapter of connection with their mom and motivated them to work towards getting them illustrated and published.  

Note: This conversation includes descriptions of domestic violence, stalking, violent death, and suicide. If you or someone you know needs support, see the list of resources below. 

In this conversation, Jessie and Molly talk about:

• What their mom was like and what she meant to each of them
• Their vastly different experiences of the day she was killed 
• What stood in the way of them naming what they lived through as abuse and trauma 
• How grief became something they held privately, even from each other 
• The impact of finally receiving permission to feel and grieve 
• Their efforts to get their mom’s children’s stories published 

Follow along and support their project: Barty Books on Instagram 
GoFundMe: Everyone Has A Story To Tell. 

Dougy Center: https://www.dougy.org

National Domestic Violence Hotline - 1-800-799-7233
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline - 988