In this powerful episode, Jason Tuttle shares his journey as a stay-at-home father of two children with special needs, and his path through grief after the unexpected loss of his son Zachary in January 2022. Jason discusses how this experience led him to create "Letters to Zachary," a community focused on supporting men in grief while helping women understand male grief patterns.

About Jason Tuttle

• Former elementary school PE teacher

• Stay-at-home dad for 12 years

• Creator of Letters to Zachary community

• Advocate for male grief expression

• Author of the Letters to Zachary grief coloring book

• Speaker and community builder

Journey Through Special Needs Parenting

• Navigating rare medical conditions

• Building community in isolation

• Managing complex medical care

• Creating structure and routine

• Balancing care responsibilities

• Finding support systems

Understanding Male Grief

Jason shares vital insights about male grief, including:

• How societal expectations shape male grief expression

• The importance of creating safe spaces for men to be vulnerable

• Ways to support grieving men effectively

• The "Male Grief Commandments" for partners

• Breaking generational patterns of emotional suppression

• The health implications of unexpressed grief

Key Insights on Supporting Grieving Men

• Listen to understand, not to respond

• Don't downplay emotional vulnerability

• Create space for authentic expression

• Understand generational influences

• Recognize the importance of shared experience

• Allow grief to unfold without time limits

Connect with Jason

• Website: www.letterstozachary.com

• Facebook community: Letters to Zachary

• Instagram: Letters to Zachary

• TikTok: Letters to Zachary

• Resource: Letters to Zachary Grief Coloring Book (available on Amazon)

Notable Quote

"The only way to get through grief is to grieve. There's no way around it... You just got to rip the bandaid off and deal with it."