Loss, Legacy and Choosing to Thrive with Bridget Costello

Bridget Costello survived the unimaginable...the loss of her son from a drug overdose. In this episode we share about his life, and how she managed the to survive the event that would change everything for her family. Bridget shares the story of getting pregnant at 19. That took her off the course of her life’s dreams, yet she had tremendous family support raising her son Conor. But sadly, his addiction escalated such that after numerous rehabs and attempts to help him sober up, he died.

What is remarkable about this story is two things. First, that she was able to go on. We share in detail what she did and how she navigated this most horrific event. Part of what kept her going was her two younger daughters who needed their mom (and dad) to be present for them. But what she also realized, from the advice of her very wise Irish grandmother Delia who had also lost a baby, was that in order for her to start to recover, she had to say yes to everything. That meant taking all the support that was offered and making sure that she did not perish along with her son. She kept making herself available to new things and eventually landed on a career as a Development Director for non-profits that has been richly rewarding.

Next, we talk about the legacy she was able to create in her son’s name. Bridget’s family has created “For the Love of Conor” foundation which is a non-profit designed to help the youth of Arizona have enrichment activities, so they don’t make bad choices for themselves. You can learn more about that here (and donate if you feel so inclined.) Each January there is a local event designed to raise funds to support three non-profits. You can learn more here.

So this truly is a story of turning tragedy into something good.

Bridget Costello began her work with non-profit organizations. She served as the Regional Coordinator for The American Ireland Fund, an international charitable organization that has raised over $300 million for worthy causes in Ireland. Additionally, she served as The Development Director for Saint Mary’s High School in Phoenix, Arizona, and the Children’s Museum of Phoenix, where she raised sizable funds for both organizations’ operating budgets. In 2008 she founded Emerald Consulting, a consulting firm that specializes in elevating non-profit organizations through inspiration and education.

You can learn more about For the Love of Conor here (and donate if you feel so inclined.) >> https://fortheloveofconor.com/

Each January there is a local event designed to raise funds to support three non-profits. You can learn more here >> https://www.facebook.com/events/447427193346793/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22search_results%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22search%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D

Free Arts

Art has the power to transform lives. That’s why we make it our mission to connect children who have experienced trauma with resilience-building arts programs and caring adult mentors. >> https://freeartsaz.org/

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