Ep. 156. Myra Sack: How to Survive the Death of Your Child Using Movement and Connection

Grief Is My Side Hustle

My guest this week is the incredibly soulful and inspiring Myra Sack.

Myra’s life changed when her first daughter, Havi Lev Goldstein, was diagnosed with Tay-Sachs, a terminal neurodegenerative disorder, on December 17, 2019. Havi passed away on January 20, 2021.

In 2021, Myra and her husband Matt began supporting Courageous Parents Network, a Boston-based nonprofit organization and educational platform that “Orients, empowers, and accompanies families and providers caring for children with serious illnesses.” Myra is also trained as a Certified Compassionate Bereavement Care facilitator and began writing a memoir to share the story of Havi’s illness, her passing- and the aftermath. Myra’s writing focuses on the beauty and pain that can be found in loss and the power of community to sustain and uplift those who are suffering. Her first article on her experience, “A Mother’s Letter on the Passing of Her Young Daughter,” was published on upworthy.com in January 2022, and quickly reached over 2.7 million viewers. Her memoir, "Fifty-Seven Fridays," just won a 2025 Nautilus Book Award!

Myra speaks in such a straightforward, passionate, and insightful way about grief as a whole, as well as her very specific personal experience. She shares how movement has helped her stay in the present as much as possible, and how she and her family work to move forward, while still carrying Havi's memory close to their hearts. Thank you for joining us this week for this very tender conversation.

Learn more about Myra:

Website: https://www.myrasack.com/
Book: Fifty-Seven Fridays
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myrasack/