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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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Decorating The Christmas Tree

by Carla Duff in Coping Mechanisms, Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation
December 13, 2019June 19, 2020
  This is our 6th Christmas without Jared.  Our 6th time decorating without him. Our 6th time filling his stocking with love.  Our 6th year doing Christmas without him.    Decorating the tree is a bittersweet time for me.  All ...
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A Different Thanksgiving This Year

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation
November 26, 2019
For the first time, I’ll be spending Thanksgiving with my new husband’s family.  My family always traveled on this holiday. Went on an adventure. That has been our Thanksgiving tradition for years...travel somewhere new and eat local food.  This is ...
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Children’s Grief Awareness Day: Children Grieve Differently Than Adults

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope for Widows Foundation
November 17, 2019June 19, 2020
  My son was just 10 years old when his dad died.  Old enough to understand. Old enough to feel the magnitude of his loss.  Yet also young enough to not be able to express his feelings and emotions.  On ...
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Holidays Are Hard For Widows

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation, Solo Parenting
November 15, 2019
The holidays are fast approaching.  And for me and a lot of widows, it’s a difficult time.  The holidays are supposed to be festive, joyous, happy times.  But when your person is dead, they feel anything but festive.    For ...
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Grief: An Ever Changing World

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation
November 6, 2019June 19, 2020
When Jared died, my entire world changed. It doesn't mean that my world couldn’t  be good, or that I couldn’t be happy, or have a life filled with joy. It just means my world has changed. But until you have ...
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Feeling Disloyal To My Late Husband

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation
October 29, 2019June 19, 2020
I am a remarried widow.   I love my new husband. I am happy with my new life. And sometimes that makes me feel disloyal to my late husband.    My late husband loved me completely.  Unconditionally. More than anything else.  ...
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Parenting After Loss…

by Carla Duff in Coping Mechanisms, Grief, Hope and Healing, Solo Parenting
October 21, 2019June 19, 2020
As a solo widowed mom, I often think that I have to be extra careful.  That nothing can happen to me. Because if I die, there is no one left to love my child completely, unconditionally in a way only ...
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Can We Ever Be The Same After Loss?

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation
October 11, 2019June 19, 2020
These last few weeks have been extremely rough.  I am emotionally exhausted. My cup is empty and I have no more to give.  And that feeling of complete emotional emptiness puts me in a melancholy mood.  I begin to question ...
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Grief Changes Over Time

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation, Relationships and Dating
September 30, 2019June 19, 2020
When my partner in life died, the world as I knew it died.  I was all alone.  Heart broken.  Devastated.  And knew I would be that way for the foreseeable future.  After a year or so, others encouraged me to ...
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Wedding Anniversary: A Lonely Day

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope for Widows Foundation
September 22, 2019June 19, 2020
Monday I will be celebrating my 19th wedding anniversary. But I will not be celebrating it with my husband. I will celebrate it as I have celebrated every anniversary for the last five years.  Alone. Jared died seven days, exactly ...
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