GrandFamilies just like you

She knew for a long time before she let herself know. One GrandRaiser on loving the child who left, and the child they left behind.

Deb and her husband live in Austin, TX in the United States. She shares some of the heart-ache and some of the joys they experience as their raise their precious grand-babies. She also shares about some of their lost dreams, and looks towards the future. I am sure many who read this will feel her…

Tim lives in Edmonton Alberta, in Canada and is a single grandfather raising three special needs grandsons for 12 years. When I got them they were 5, 2, and 14 months old. I had no idea they were special needs though there were some small signs (like the 2 year old didn’t talk at all)….

In the suburbs of Saskatoon, Rosa Arcand’s life has become a constant challenge. After a tragic accident left her grandchildren’s parents permanently incapacitated, Rosa became their primary caregiver. She stepped in to keep the children out of foster care and to keep the family together. Rosa is already dealing with her own health issues and…

In Dublin, Eamonn and Fiona Murphy find themselves overwhelmed by the daunting task of raising two grandchildren: a teenager and a preschooler. The sudden arrival of these young ones into their home was unplanned, the result of their daughter’s neglectful behavior compounded by personal struggles, leaving the Murphys to pick up the pieces. The teenager,…

In Toronto, Jacques and Marie Lavoie find themselves as primary caregivers following their son’s sudden death. The loss is profound, and their grief is an ongoing presence in their daily life. Together they approach this new chapter with the steadfast resolve ingrained by years of experience. Nonetheless, the loss of their son is a weight…

The Nguyen household, in Queensland, presents a complex narrative of love enveloped by challenge. Lin and Mei Nguyen find themselves stepping back into the role of sole-caregivers, a responsibility they had long thought would have been shared with their children. This does not look possible. Their granddaughter, bright and sensitive, has come to live with…

Granddad Dennis has found himself navigating an unexpected chapter of parenthood. His daughter and her new boyfriend, with minimal consideration of its impact on Dennis’s life, left to work abroad and entrusted him with the care of their young son. Dennis initially embraced the role with both love and apprehension, but now, as the parents…

Ruth and Bill have been facing challenges they never anticipated at this stage of life. Do farmers ever retire? They just knew that their plans for semi-retirement was supposed to be their time to unwind and enjoy the simple pleasures of farm life, on their small dairy farm in Ohio. But life’s unpredictability has thrust…