ABOUT US
Guys and Grief launched in January 2023 as the first podcast specifically for men focused on pregnancy or infant loss in North America and only the second podcast of its kind in the world.
Our hosts Brad, Brandon, and Brian have all experienced the heartbreak of losing a child. To be clear - we’re not doctors, we’re not psychiatrists, we’re 3 friends. We are grieving fathers that have been through the unthinkable and want to help others by talking about the unique, and often undiscussed, perspective of men that have experienced child loss. Unfortunately, after such a life-changing experience, we struggled to find resources that were specifically for men in support of navigating this grieving process.
Brad Kogut
Brad lost his son Beckham on November 19th, 2020 and daughter Ariana on November 18th, 2021, in addition to 3 early-stage miscarriages. Beckham was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, leaving Brad and his wife Jessica with the heartbreaking decision to have a TFMR at 20 weeks; though he was never alive, they birthed and spent 4 beautiful hours with Beckham that day. Ariana was a perfectly healthy pregnancy that sadly ended too soon, and to this day the doctors are uncertain as to why she passed at 14 weeks, 364 days apart from the loss of Beckham. Brad and his wife also spent nearly a year going through IVF leading to Ariana’s pregnancy, and after these losses have decided their pregnancy journey has come to an end. While the 5 years of loss and heartbreak have been challenging for Brad and his family, it is this experience that inspired Guys and Grief to honor his children and build a support community for other men.
Outside of the pod, Brad is a passionate father to his living son Ashton, and a loving husband to his beautiful wife Jessica. He is a former hockey player, an avid sports fan, and professionally is a Human Resources executive at the largest residential real estate company in the world. Originally from Buffalo NY, Brad has lived in 3 countries and 8 states and is now permanently settled down in Pittsburgh PA.
Brian Scruton
Brian, who lost his second son Austin on January 21st, 2019. Austin passed away at 5 weeks old in his sleep due to SIDS. Austin was perfectly healthy and brought so much joy to the Scruton family. The grief journey was extremely devastating to Brian and his family. The SIDS diagnosis left Brian with many unanswered questions as well as a great deal of guilt. After a year of fighting the grief, Brian elected to join the board of First Candle (Sponsor of the G&G podcast). This started a new journey of healing and positivity as Brian’s family began helping other families who had suffered a similar type of loss. Through fundraising and other events, Brian has been able to raise awareness and facilitate education on the SIDS subject matter. Additionally, Brian and his wife Lindsie have started the Austin Henry Foundation to start raising funding for important infant loss bereavement projects and SIDS research.
Austin brought Brian’s family so much joy in the 5 weeks he was alive. His brother Colin was able to celebrate Austin’s birth and first Christmas. Austin’s siblings now have a guardian angel looking over them for the rest of their lives. His presence is felt every day.
For work, Brian is a commercial real estate broker in Fairfield CT where he lives with his wife Lindsie and children Colin (6), Grace (3), and Eve (1). Originally from Syracuse, NY, he played soccer at Cornell University and continues to play in leagues and with his children. He is a die-hard Buffalo Bills fan and enjoys family adventures.
Brandon Thurman
Astoria (Stori) Lee, the daughter of Brandon and his wife Joellen (Brad's sister), passed away on April 7, 2019. This was the beginning of our journey with loss. We were forced to acknowledge that, despite the challenges of living with Down’s Syndrome, "Stori's" life would have been filled with the greatest love.
At 39 weeks gestation, just 3 days before our scheduled c-section, we were sent to the hospital for a standard check as Joellen had not felt any movement that day. We were met with those dreadful words no one can prepare you for, “I am sorry, there is no heartbeat”. During delivery, it was discovered that the umbilical cord had been wrapped around her neck twice. Stori was born still on April 7, 2019, weighing 6 pounds 2 ounces. We spent the morning with her and were able to share her with our families. She was a beautiful baby. In the coming years after Stori’s passing, we tried multiple rounds of Infertility/IVF and had 3 other losses.
Although Stori is not with us here on Earth, her presence is still felt in our everyday lives. We look for ways to celebrate her life every day and share her with anyone who will listen. We continue to go to an amazing support group and have developed deep relationships with friends who have had similar struggles. We express our sincere gratitude for the support from family and friends and have now found the strength to pull others through their own struggles as well.
In his personal life, Brandon is a Dean of Students at a Charter school in Buffalo NY where he coaches multiple sports teams. He is an amazing father to his daughter Gavi and husband to wife Joellen. Brandon is a die-hard Buffalo Bills and Florida State Seminoles fan.