In this episode of Growing Up Grieving, Cait Medugno and co-host Alyssa Shepard sit down with Queen Poole aka QueenAvius—kinship mom, grief educator, and “glow-up strategist.” Queen shares her powerful story of losing her mother, grandmother, and sister—the three foundational women in her life—and how those losses shaped her journey through grief, faith, and unexpected motherhood.

From the compounded heartbreak of losing 15 loved ones in a single year to the life-altering responsibility of becoming a “mom-tee” overnight, Queen opens up about what it means to hold on when everything feels like it’s falling apart. She talks about navigating court battles for custody, the weight of making end-of-life decisions, and how her faith and community continue to carry her forward.

This conversation is raw, moving, and filled with resilience. Queen reminds us that while grief can completely change who we are, it can also strengthen our hope, reshape our identity, and open us to unexpected love in the most beautiful of ways.