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Carla always knew she would be a widow but didn’t have any idea how it would actually feel. When Carla met her late husband Jared, he was waiting for a lung transplant due to Cystic Fibrosis, a chronic disease affecting the lungs and pancreas. So she knew that most likely someday she would say goodbye to her husband. But she never dreamt it would be exactly one week before their 14th wedding anniversary. In August 2014, Jared was diagnosed with a rare bacterial infection in his transplanted lung and was expected to survive at least 6 months if not a year. Instead, he died just 6 weeks later. And in the blink of an eye, Carla became a solo mom to their 10-year-old son. And even though her life was forever marked before and after, she was determined to live life to the fullest because her husband would expect no less.

She founded Breathing for Jared, a Foundation to provide college scholarships to those suffering from lung disease in honor of her late husband. Became a supporter of the CF Foundation and Donate Life. And discovered that writing out her emotions and fears on her blog Transplant Wife and Widow helped her to process her grief

Carla recently remarried and is now blending a family with her new husband, bonus daughter, and son.

Recent Posts by this Author

Author Carla Duff

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National Widows Day: I Decided I Deserved to Be Happy Again

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation, Widowhood Journey
May 2, 2023May 2, 2023
Today is National Widows Day. Ten years ago I had never heard of this day. Then my late husband died. And for the last 9 years this has been a day that I know all too well. Widowhood is a ...
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Day of Love

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation, Widowhood Journey
February 14, 2023
 Today is the day of love. One that can be a joyous day. Full of laughter and celebration. It is also one that can be full of sorrow for anyone who has lost their love.   The first Valentine's Day ...
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Grief and Life Coexist

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation, Widowhood Journey
December 21, 2022
The holidays are always a difficult time. I feel the loss of my late husband so much deeper this time of year. It doesn't matter how many years it's been since he died, I always wish he could be here ...
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Always A Widow

by Carla Duff in Coping Mechanisms, Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation, Relationships and Dating, Widowhood Journey
November 16, 2022
I recently received a comment from a reader. And she commented that since I talked about my new husband I'm obviously no longer a widow. That I should no longer be writing on this blog. And that my blogs should ...
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8 Years: What Has Changed With Time

by Carla Duff in Coping Mechanisms, Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation
September 16, 2022
Today is eight years. Eight years since my late husband died. Eight years since my world changed. Forever.    Time after loss is a funny thing. It feels like forever and yesterday all at the same time. My heart does ...
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September – My Least Favorite Month

by Carla Duff in Coping Mechanisms, Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation, Widowhood Journey
September 3, 2022
Once again it is September.   September used to be one of my favorite months of the year. I met my late husband in September. We had our first date in September. We were married in September. And we conceived ...
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Running or Coping?

by Carla Duff in Coping Mechanisms, Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation
August 17, 2022
When my late husband died, I hated being home. Home had too many memories. It’s where we lived our lives. It was where he died. So to escape the pain of home, I traveled. A lot. If I was traveling, ...
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Just Like Grief

by Carla Duff in Coping Mechanisms, Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation, Solo Parenting, Widowhood Journey
July 26, 2022
I left my heart in Charleston.   My son officially started his college career. And he has chosen the path less traveled. He is attending a military college, playing football, and participating in ROTC. Plus he will have a rigorous ...
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Grief Trigger: Grief Feels Like Fear

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation, Solo Parenting, Widowhood Journey
July 10, 2022
In two weeks, my son will leave for college. And he is not going to a traditional university. Instead, he’s going to a military college to play football. And the knowledge that I will have extremely limited communication with him ...
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What I Have Learned in Eight Years

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation, Widowhood Journey
June 2, 2022
It has been almost 8 years since Jared died. Eight years that feel like yesterday and forever at the same time. Eight years and so much has changed. Eight years and I have learned so much.   I have learned ...
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