S4- EP18 - “I Could Never Regret Loving Her” Danny Lesslie on Grief, Gratitude and Raising Their Girls Alone
About this episode
Danny Lesslie shares his journey of love and loss while raising his daughters after the death of his wife, Rafaela.
In this episode Rosie Moss speaks with widower, writer, coach and devoted girl dad Danny Lesslie. Danny shares the extraordinary love story he built with his wife Rafaela, known to everyone who loved her as Raffi. They met on the bluffs of Santa Monica, fell hard, built a family together and chose each other every day. But when Raffi was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive squamous cell carcinoma at just 30 years old, everything changed. What followed was five years of treatment, uncertainty, heartbreak and anticipatory grief. As the cancer spread, Danny and Raffi faced not only the reality of her illness but a cascade of secondary losses including financial pressure, housing instability, job loss and the exhausting reality of navigating a healthcare system that often seemed unable to help. In this deeply moving conversation, Danny reflects on caring for Raffi through her illness, raising their daughters through grief, and the faith that carried them when every sense of control had disappeared. He shares the remarkable moments of provision that became known in their family as “Jesus moments”, the decision to be completely honest with their children throughout Raffi’s illness…
People in this episode
Host: Rosie Moss
Guest: Danny Lesslie
Topics covered
- grief
- fatherhood
- love
- loss
- healthcare
- family
- gratitude
Keywords
- grief
- love story
- cancer
- fatherhood
- loss
- family
- gratitude
- healthcare
- anticipatory grief
- Jesus moments
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Thank You, Cancer
More episodes of Widowed AF: Real stories of love, grief and beyond - With Rosie Moss
- S4 – EP17 – “I Thought I Was Broken”: Emma Grey on Late Diagnosis, Grief and Learning to Regulate
- S4 – EP16 – “This One Was Different”: Donna Rice-Hannam on Hospital Failures, Grief and Surviving Without Mark
- S4 – EP15 – “I Don’t Know Where to Go for Comfort Now”: Corinne Longland-Malam on Sudden Loss, Trauma and Surviving After Lee
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