Radio host Delilah Rene has provided an open ear for those seeking to vent their heartbreak after the loss of a loved one for more than two decades. She, herself, knows a thing or two about coping after losing three of her sons.
“We’ve buried three sons since 2012,” the beloved radio figure told People in an appearance on one of the outlet’s podcasts.
Delilah Rene Opened Up About the Loss of Three of Her Sons and Stressed the Importance of Finding a Coping Mechanism for Yourself.
Delilah Rene experienced her first loss of a child in 2012 when her son, Sammy, died of complications caused by sickle-cell anemia when he was just 16-years-old. Then, five years later in 2017, her son Zachariah who was only 18 committed suicide. Most recently, in 2019, her stepson Ryan died in December.
“I think when you lose a child, if you don’t have coping mechanism, you’re not going to last long,” Rene told the outlet.
Rene advocates for seeking help from a grief counselor she characterized her own decision to see one as “probably the best thing I did for myself,” she added. The counselor, support groups, and her faith were important in helping her cope she explained.
However, it was the words of musician Rory Feek, who lost wife Joey to cancer in 2016, that really stuck with the radio personality.
“Right after Zack passed, [Rory Feek] reached out to me, and he said something to me that changed me,” she told People. “He said, ‘Your boys are much more a part of your future, than they are a part of your past.'”
Rene admitted that she was offended at first, before Fleek explained the meaning behind his words.
Because you know where they are,” she remembered Feek counseling her. “And because your hope is in the Lord, you know you’ll be with them again. So now you will look forward to that day with great anticipation. You won’t ever fear death again. You will look forward to it, because you know where they are.”
“And that was such a huge gift,” she explained. “It reframed everything, that one little conversation, and gave me the hope and something to look forward to. But while I’m here, I want to be as effective as I can as a mom, as a broadcaster, as a friend. And so I got to keep moving forward.”
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In total, Rene is a mother to 15 children, “13 here and a couple in heaven,” she said in the interview. “I can’t stop living just because they did. I have to keep moving forward to be the best person that I can be. And so that’s what I do every day. Every day I thank God that they’re safe with him. Every day I thank God that they’re not hurting. That the boys are not in pain. That they’re in paradise, and that one day we’ll all be there.”
Rene has warmed the hearts of her listeners for 48 years in total with the last 25 being syndicated nationally. Her loyal listeners who often call in to talk about love and romance with her were given a tip for how they can get on air with the host.
“I don’t want to hear ‘Yeah, I love him. He’s the love of my life. He’s my rock,'” she says. “Anybody can say that. I want to know your story. Like what made you fall in love, or what is it about your husband after 30 years that still makes you smile?”
“People will call me and I could hear the smile in their voice when they talk about their beloved,” she explained. “And I know when I hear that warm smile, that there is joy and there is the essence of real love. A lot of times, honestly, it’s what you don’t say that I’m listening to, as much what you do say.”
Delilah Rene really is the best. By sharing her own grief and mourning process with fans, we are certain she will help many others cope during these very trying times.
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