Glow For Hope: Sparking Conversation on Mental Health

Camille Ellis: Don’t Forget What You Had

Grief after suicide loss, healing after the loss of a child, changing the stories we tell ourselves, and learning to hold gratitude alongside grief

Host: Kelly Poelker
Guest: Camille Ellis
Category: Grief & Loss · Suicide Loss · Healing · Identity · Suicide Prevention

What if one change in perspective could transform the way you carry grief?

After losing her 18-year-old son, Wes, to suicide, Camille Ellis believed she would never experience happiness the same way again. Like so many people navigating profound loss, the weight of grief seemed impossible to escape.

Then she realized something that would forever change the way she viewed her son’s life—and her own.

“A lot of people get so stuck on what they lost, they forget what they had.”

In this deeply personal conversation, Camille shares how one simple shift—from saying “I lost my son” to “I had my son”—helped her carry grief differently without diminishing her love for Wes or the sadness of losing him.

Before talking about how Wes died, Camille wants people to know how he lived.

She remembers an intelligent, athletic, funny, mischievous young man who struggled from an early age. She shares the challenges of trying to find answers, the guilt many parents carry after losing a child, and why she refuses to let the circumstances of Wes’s death become the defining story of his life.

But this conversation reaches far beyond the loss of a child.

Whether you are grieving the death of someone you love, the end of a relationship, a change in your health, a career you thought would last forever, or simply the future you imagined, Camille offers a perspective that may help you carry those losses with a little more grace—and a little more hope.

Rather than believing every painful thought our minds create, Camille encourages us to become curious about the stories we tell ourselves. Sometimes another story is just as true—one that leaves room for gratitude, healing, and hope alongside the grief.

It is not about forgetting.

It is not about “moving on.”

It is about remembering that love and loss can exist together.

And perhaps the most powerful reminder of all:

Don’t become so focused on what you lost that you forget what you had.

In This Episode

• Who Wes was beyond the way his life ended
• Camille’s experience parenting a child who struggled from an early age
• The guilt and responsibility families may carry following a suicide
• Why Camille changed “I lost my son” to “I had my son”
• How the stories we repeat can intensify emotional suffering
• Remembering what we had without minimizing what we lost
• Giving yourself permission to heal without forgetting
• Why grief, gratitude, love, and happiness can exist at the same time
• Rebuilding your identity following a profound loss or life change
• How to support someone who is grieving through conversation and connection

Powerful Moments From the Conversation

“A lot of people get so stuck on what they lost, they forget what they had.”

“I changed ‘I lost my son’ to ‘I had my son.’”

“You can give yourself permission to heal.”

“You don’t have to believe every story your mind tells you.”

“I’m still sad that he died, and I’m incredibly grateful that he lived.”

About Camille Ellis

Camille Ellis is a coach who helps people examine the thoughts, emotional patterns, and stories that may be keeping them stuck following loss or significant life change.

Drawing from her own experience following the death of her son, Wes, Camille helps others give themselves permission to heal, rebuild their identity, and create a life that can hold both grief and joy.

She offers a complimentary 30-minute consultation for people who would like to explore whether coaching may be helpful.

Connect With Camille Ellis

• Website: YourCoachCamille.com
• Email: yourcoachcamille@gmail.com

If This Episode Resonated With You

If you are grieving, remember that moments of happiness do not erase your love, diminish your loss, or mean that you are leaving someone behind.

Healing does not require you to forget. It can mean learning to carry the relationship, the memories, and the love in a different way.

If someone you care about is grieving, you do not need perfect words or a way to fix what happened. Ask whether they want to talk. Invite them to tell you more. Listen to their memories and help them remember the person they love for how they lived—not only for how they died.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 in the United States to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If there is immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

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