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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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The Night He Died, My World Changed

by Carla Duff in Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation, Solo Parenting
March 9, 2019June 19, 2020
I will never forget the night Jared died. The night I held him in my arms as he took his last breath. The night my world changed. Going to bed that night hugging Jared’s pillow.  My heart shattered in a ...
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Guilt A Widow’s Best Friend

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation, Relationships and Dating
March 1, 2019June 19, 2020
Guilt is a widow’s best friend. Every window I know has felt guilty about something along their journey. Things they could control, things they couldn’t control, things that were in no way their responsibility. Yet every widow I know has ...
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It’s All His Fault

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation
February 22, 2019June 19, 2020
“It’s all his fault.”   That is a phrase I have often uttered in my house since my late husband died. Something breaks, it’s Jared’s fault because he’s not here to fix it. If something goes wrong, it’s Jared’s fault ...
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Doing The Widow Thing

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation, Solo Parenting
February 13, 2019June 19, 2020
Someone recently made a comment to me about “still doing the widow thing.” This person said your remarried, so you’re not a widow anymore. I tried to nicely say that even though I am Jon’s wife, I will always be ...
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Life Didn’t Go As Planned

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation, Relationships and Dating
February 6, 2019June 19, 2020
One thing I can definitely say about my life, is that it did not go as planned.   Almost 19 years ago I stood in the church and said I do to my husband. Vowed to love him until death ...
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I Am A Widow, But I Am So Much More

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation
January 28, 2019June 19, 2020
I am a widow. I never wanted to be a young widow.  I never wanted to bury my 37-year-old husband. When Jared first died, I loathed the word widow. It made my skin crawl. I did not want to be ...
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He Died And Everything Changed

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation
January 15, 2019June 19, 2020
So much has changed since Jared died. I often find myself thinking, if he hadn’t died things would be so different.   I wouldn’t have so much fear. I wouldn’t have so much anxiety. I wouldn’t have PTSD from holding ...
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Being A Widowed Mom Is HARD

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation, Solo Parenting
January 8, 2019June 19, 2020
Being a widowed mom is one of the hardest things I have ever done. No one prepares you to be a solo parent. There’s no one coming to take your child so you can have a break.  No one to ...
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New Year Without Him

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation
December 30, 2018June 19, 2020
New Year’s 2013 my little family of 3 rang in the New Year together in Virginia.  It was FREEZING (especially for us Floridians) but we enjoyed the local celebration and exploring the town of Williamsburg. As always, Jared and I ...
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Buying Myself A Christmas Gift

by Carla Duff in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation, Solo Parenting
December 22, 2018June 19, 2020
Today I took my son to the mall so he could buy my Christmas gift. And not because I need a present but because it’s important to him that he has something to give me under the tree. In the ...
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