Healing, Loss, and Connection: A Conversation with Jason Tuttle of Letters to Zachary

Welcome to the Rosabel Unscripted blog, where we dive deeper into the conversations and stories that matter. In our latest episode, I spoke with Jason Tuttle, founder of Letters to Zachary, a healing community built on unimaginable loss and the power of vulnerability. Here’s a look at our conversation and the insights that can help every family navigate grief.

From Early Hope to Profound Loss

Jason and his wife embarked on their parenting journey with joy and anticipation. Their first son was diagnosed in utero with multiple severe conditions, including Eagle‐Barrett syndrome—a rare disorder affecting just 1 in 40,000 births. Despite the perinatal specialists’ worst‐case scenarios, his birth brought new challenges: neurological delays, non‐verbal status, and respiratory fragility that led to repeated hospital stays. Two years later, their daughter was born with nearly identical complications, compounding the family’s responsibilities and emotional load.

The Night Everything Changed

Years of endurance honed Jason’s caregiving instincts. So when, one February evening, his son suddenly refused to sleep, eat, or drink—and later developed a rock‐hard abdomen—Jason raced him to the children’s hospital. In the trauma room, a team of medical professionals fought for forty‐five minutes, even using defibrillation, but ultimately Jason’s boy slipped away in his arms. He later reflected on the surreal coldness of a life suddenly gone and the silent drive home, wheelchair empty beside him.

Journaling as a Bridge to Healing

Early on, Jason’s counselor suggested journaling. Hesitant at first, he began writing raw “letters” to his son. When he shared one in an all‐women grief group on Facebook, the response was overwhelming: parents said Jason’s words mirrored exactly how they felt. That validation sparked Letters to Zachary, evolving into a Facebook page, Instagram and TikTok channels, and a complete website where Jason publishes prose, poetry, and candid video reflections.

Challenging Misconceptions About Men and Grief

Our conversation turned to a key mission of Jason’s platform: rewriting the script on how men grieve. Society often frames male grief as stoic or short‐lived—“three days and back to work”—but Jason reminds us that grief is lifelong. He encourages men to:

• Honor their emotions instead of burying them.
• Speak openly, even just a short note or a social‐media post.
• Seek community, knowing that vulnerability invites others to share their own pain.

He also gently educates loved ones—especially women—on supporting grieving men by listening to understand rather than “listening to respond,” and offering respect without minimizing a man’s emotional experience.

Practical Advice for Families

If you or someone you know has faced sudden loss, Jason’s guidance is simple and profound:

1. Acknowledge that grief “sucks.” There’s no shame in admitting it’s hard.
2. Allow your process. There is no right timeline—each journey is unique.
3. Watch for signs of overwhelm. If dark thoughts turn toward self‐harm, reach out for professional help immediately.
4. Lean on creative outlets. Writing, art, or even a grief‐themed coloring book can offer moments of calm and reflection.

One of Jason’s own mantras:

“Though we strive for the mountaintop, it is in the valley we live—and the valley builds the strength to climb again.”

Looking Ahead: Growing the Legacy

Jason isn’t done building. He dreams of speaking on live stages, sharing his message face‐to‐face with audiences who need permission to grieve authentically. He’s also published a grief coloring book—each page honoring a real child’s memory—that offers families a gentle way to remember and talk about loss together.

Connect, Subscribe & Support

• Visit Jason’s community: letterstozachary.com for his full archive of letters, videos, and resources.
• Follow on social media: Facebook · Instagram · TikTok (links on his website).
• Grab the grief coloring book: Amazon.
• Rosabel Unscripted hub: www.rosabelunscripted.com for all our media links—Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify—and past episodes.
• Subscribe on YouTube: The Life Unscripted with Rosabel.
• Follow on Spotify: Life Unscripted Podcast.
• To support our mission, please Pick up my book, The Courage to Succeed: A True American Dream, on Amazon.

Thank you for reading—let’s keep the conversation going, embrace our valleys, and climb the next mountain together.