Newsletters

Keep up to date on all Brian Dagle Foundation news and events

February Mid-Month 2024

With all the snow on the ground, we are thinking of the warmer spring and summer days ahead. But even once the weather changes, grief can leave us feeling like winter lingers in our hearts. Grief doesn’t melt with the snow. Sit with your grief, feel whatever comes your way, and remember: there is always hope.

If you’re needing extra support, don’t hesitate to reach out to someone you trust or join one of our grief support groups.


February 2024

I had the chance to attend a conference in January titled with Dr. Alan Wolfelt from the Center for Loss and Life Transition. The conference, “Living with Meaning and Purpose,” was created by Dr Wolfelt to help people maximize their natural gifts and strengths.


January Mid-Month 2024

As we settle into the new year, we have been dreaming and planning about new opportunities to provide comfort and support for all those who are grieving. We are excited for the new workshops, groups, and events 2024 will bring and are honored you’d continue to trust us with your grief.


January 2024

There is no doubt that 2023 was a year of  growth at the Brian Dagle Foundation. And, I find, with each year, I am also growing, changing, and transforming from the loss of Brian. I have to believe that everyday Brian is teaching me how to love, live, and be the person I am.  

After 12 years, I’ve learned to befriend the grief. There’s a knowing, an understanding of the undeniable connection between grief and love. Is this thing we are feeling still called grief or is it really our love with no place to go?


Happy Holidays 2024

At this time of year, in the middle of the holidays, I want you to know that you, your loved ones, and the loved ones who you’re missing are close to our thoughts.

While our holidays and new year’s celebrations may not always be as full of joy as we’d like, we wish you love and hope as we head into a new year.


December 2023

As 2023 draws to a close, we recognize that the holidays can be a difficult time for those dealing with loss. We have several upcoming events with those people in mind.

We hope you’ll join us and if not, we send you our warmest wishes for the holiday season and new year.


November Mid-Month 2023

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I wanted to express my gratitude for everyone who supports the work we do at the Brian Dagle Foundation. Without your contributions we would not be able to do what we do.

This year we spoke with 1,000+ student athletes through the LAX2LIVE program and hosted over 70 people per week between all of our support groups. We were able to renovate the garage into The Cottage in order to accommodate larger support groups and host workshops and other events. We have been able to comfort those who are grieving and give hope to those who need to know it’s okay to not be okay.


November 2023

Another November comes around without Brian and I’m reminded of the ten lessons I have learned from my grief.

Here are ten lessons for you to remember:

1. Be present. The good, the bad, and the ugly. You cannot change the past but you can change how you react to it. Loosen your grip on the future- it really is out of your control.

2. Honor your mistakes, learn from them. Forgive yourself. Don’t dwell on the “if only”. Listen to your heart. It is your truth.


As the Holidays Draw Near…

With the changing leaves and cooler temperatures, we know that anticipating the holidays and New Year can be overwhelming and full of grief. We hope you’ll come join us at one of the events we’ll be hosting in the coming months.

Even when there is pain, there is hope.


October 2023

Suicide prevention month has been a blur…

We shared Brian and our story all over New England. We taught QPR and did tables and pop up at schools and Patriot’s Place. We had middle schoolers paint inspiring messages on rocks for our healing garden and walked with many of you at the AFSP Out of the Darkness Walk. We are hosting more support groups than ever before and we finished construction on our new space: The Cottage.

But we’re not done. We have so many exciting things coming up…


Mid-September 2023

Suicide prevention month is a busy time for us; we get more invitations to share our story and spread awareness about suicide than any other time of the year. And we are happy to do it because there’s so much we didn’t know when Brian died and we don’t want any other family to go through it alone.

Our message continues to be “there is hope.” There is always, always hope.


September 2023

Since 2008, September has been dedicated to Suicide Prevention Month. 

It’s been 15 years but there is still so much awareness needed about this topic. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s (AFSP) latest campaign “Talk Away the Dark” is a touching discussion between a daughter and father surrounding the stigma of mental health and suicide. 

AFSP believes there are many reasons why people shy away from this discussion, a common one being, “We might worry that saying the wrong thing will make it worse. So, we end up not saying anything – even though a few kind words can make the difference in connecting someone to help or supporting someone who experienced a suicide loss.”

For me, Suicide Awareness Month means I stand a little taller, speak a little louder, and try with all my heart to be the voice for the more than 49,000 people that died in 2022 from suicide. The number of people that have attempted is considerably higher. But we have to have HOPE…


Mid-August 2023

Help Present Suicide TONIGHT

We wanted to personally invite you to the QPR suicide prevention training we are hosting tonight. We have only a few spots open, so if you’ve been considering it, please respond to this email or call us right away at (860) 451-8354.


August 2023

So much to be thankful for…

August is usually a quiet time at Healing Hearts, but this year it has been as busy as any other month. We are gearing up for Suicide Prevention & Awareness month in September, our Annual Golf Tournament in October, and our 10th Annual Niantic Jingle Bell 5k in December!


Mid-July 2023

Holding On To Hope For You

With the heat and summer storms, we are reminded that we weather storms of the heart as well. Grief can feel like storm clouds and it’s easy to fear that life will always feel that way.

We hope you’ll continue to hold on to hope, no matter how small. And if hope feels to difficult to hold, we will carry it for you.


July 2023

LAX2LIVE recognized by Patriots Foundation and CSMA

This spring, we were honored to be notified by the Connecticut Sports Media Alliance that our LAX2LIVE program was being awarded the Bob Casey Courage Award. It was humbling to be acknowledged for the work we do. We do it for the student athletes who need to know it’s okay to ask for help. And we do it for Brian.


Mid-June 2023

There Is Always Hope (& Save The Date For Golf 2023!)

Summer brings a quieter schedule for some and more chaos for others. Regardless of your schedule, we hope you’ll take a moment to step outside and take a deep breath and remember there is always hope — even when it doesn’t feel like it.


June 2023

2023: The Most Successful LAX2LIVE Season to Date

Our LAX2LIVE Program was started to communicate the importance of mental health for high school lacrosse players. This year’s program reached record high numbers of student athletes, students, family members, and friends. LAX2LIVE focuses on the importance of one’s mental health, the need to reach out for help if you or someone you know is struggling, and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – a resource that can save the life of someone who is in crisis…


Mid-May 2023

Grief And The Seasons (Plus Two Fundraisers)

As the trees have exploded with green and the gardens are beginning to bloom, we are reminded that grief comes in seasons, too. We hope you know we are here for you when you are full of hope and growth and also when you are weighed down by grief.

Thank you for inviting us to join you in this current season.


May 2023

Thoughts on Mother’s Day

Sending love to all who are hurting with the thoughts of Mother’s Day.
For those who struggle with infertility, have lost a pregnancy, lost an infant.
Or lost a child at any age. The pain and grief can be overwhelming. 
And my heart goes out to anyone missing their mom today.
Holding all of you close in my heart in the days and weeks ahead.


April 2023

Brian Dagle, son of Dagle Foundation founders Paul and Ann Dagle, would have been 31 on April 2nd. The following is a note Ann wrote that captures her thoughts on the day.

Dear Brian,

Without fail, almost to the day, every year at this time, the memories flood my heart of that early April day when you arrived, shadowed by the darkness when you left. Why am I surprised that the twelfth birthday without you should be any different? How do I accept what is unacceptable?


March 2023

On a walk this week, I was inspired to write Brian a letter. I hope it will encourage you to continue to love the people you have lost, to say their names, and to remember them through stories and photos.

“My dear sweet Son,

How do you describe something that was once a real, a beautiful, living soul that gets transformed into something that is a living legacy?

Over the years, I’ve tried my best to share you with the world. Somedays are easier to do that than others.

I’m not sure what today is...


February 2023

Broken Hearts Still Beat

Here we are in February. Heart health month. I wanted to share a message from my heart about your heart. 

Many people who walk through the doors at Brian’s Healing Hearts are seeking help for their broken hearts. We talk about the strong connection between grief and health. The body understands when a heart has shattered. It undeniably responds with physical exhaustion, pain, illness, and sometimes heart disease. 

Grief can be confusing because the heart and the brain are not always in sync, leaving you feeling like you’re losing your mind. The mind may understand that your loved one is not coming back. But the heart is usually slow to grasp onto reality, thinking your loved one is simply out of town or at work and will be home soon.

It’s ok…


January 2023

Starting a New Year

January 2023.

It will take some getting used to.

Another year, ready or not, life moves forward.

It still surprises me to be able to say that despite Brian’s death, eleven years ago, that my life has moved forward. And it’s beautiful. I am deeply grateful.

Many of you had something to do with that. You’ve touched my heart in a way that leaves me speechless…


December 2022

Thoughts on navigating the holidays…

As we settle into the darker, colder days of early winter here in New England, with the holidays on the horizon, I wanted to share a few thoughts as we navigate the weeks ahead.

Remember, it’s ok to set limits on your productivity at work or at home.

Give yourself permissions to say no thank you to holiday invitations.

Maybe we should follow the path of Mother Nature this time of year…


November 2022

November is for Brian

Every November since I began writing a newsletter, I try my best to share my thoughts about Brian and the emotions surrounding date he left this earth, November 12, 2011.

Eleven years.

Thinking about that day, really thinking about it – I question how I survived.

It feels like a lifetime.

It feels like yesterday…


October 2022

A WHIRLWIND SEPTEMBER

September has been a whirlwind of events to promote National Suicide Awareness Month. Talks, presentations, interviews, events, and fundraisers for both the Brian Dagle Foundation and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I’ll be honest, it’s been exhausting, both physically and emotionally. But we continue to do it for Brian and for all the others out there who didn’t know how to share the depths of their darkness.

For parents, I pray never have to know the pain of losing a child to suicide.

For anyone struggling, you are not alone…


September 2022

September is Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month

“As the summer winds down, the Brian Dagle Foundation is preparing for National Suicide Awareness Month beginning September 1st. 

This is the month that I stand a little taller, speak a little louder, and be the voice for the more than 46,000 people we lose to suicide each year.

The number of people who think about or attempt suicide is even higher. In 2020, an estimated 12.2 million American adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.2 million planned a suicide attempt, and 1.2 million attempted suicides.


August 2022

New suicide hotline…

Summer may be a quiet time here at Brian’s Healing Hearts, but a new mental health crisis resource recently launched that has us really excited.

On July 16, 2022, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK (8255)) is becoming the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In Connecticut, the United Way of Connecticut/211 (UWC) Health and Human Services Contact Center is the only provider answering calls for the NSPL/988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The 800 line and 211 will not go away in the event people need to call and aren’t familiar yet with 988.⁠..


July 2022

A record LAX2LIVE season

The 2022 LAX2LIVE season was an incredible opportunity for the foundation to start the necessary conversation with hundreds of young men and woman athletes about depression and suicide prevention. These players work hard, study hard, and put so much pressure on themselves, they (and we) sometimes forget to look at them as simply a person – not the athlete and not the student.

Our message is this: It’s okay to ask for help. You would ask for help if you hurt yourself on the field if you were sick. The same is true for your mental health. Talk about it. Ask friends if they’re ok. Really ask them. As athletes, you have each other’s back on the field. Do the same off of the field. Sometimes it’s okay not to be okay…


June 2022

As summer approaches…

School is coming to a close and summer traffic in Niantic is picking up. It’s been a busy spring for us at Healing Hearts and we have a few more exciting things coming up in June before a quiet summer.

This year we had 15 LAX2LIVE games with over 20 high school and college lacrosse programs represented. It was encouraging and inspiring to see the student athletes open up about mental health and take suicide prevention seriously…


May 2022

As the daffodils are bursting to life all over Niantic, we have been busy with LAX2LIVE games around Southeastern Connecticut. Connecting with high school and college students to share about suicide prevention is one of my favorite things about the work that we do and it’s a special way to remember Brian by sharing his love of lacrosse with another generation of players.

We have so many games this year, it’s difficult to keep up! Check out our social media for photos from all the different schools.


April 2022

“Dear Friends, Family, and Supporters,

This day arrives each year with the anticipation beginning about a month before when the calendar turns to March 2nd. Regardless of the number of years, the hesitation, the anticipations begins again, counting down to April 2nd. This year would have been a milestone year.

This year on April 2nd, Brian would have celebrated his 30th birthday.”


February 2022

Dear Friends, Family, and Supporters,

“Open your heart as often as you need to.” I read this quote four years to the day on which we opened our hearts to yours at Brian’s Healing Hearts. Four years ago, January 27, 2018. On that glorious sunny January day I was filled with emotions – love, joy, kindness, and, yes, that bittersweet sadness whispering why it all happened.


End of the Year Message from Ann

January 2022

Dear Friends, Family, and Supporters

In the final weeks of 2021, like most of us, I find myself reflecting on this past year. Honestly, I’m still processing the incredible growth and milestones the Brian Dagle Foundation has accomplished over the past twelve months. 


A Reminder for You, through the holidays…

December 2021

Ready or not, here they come. They’re here, the Holidays. For so many grieving, this is a painful time of year. The messages of the most wonderful time of year and good cheer are enough to bring us to tears.


Keep the Conversation Going

November 2021

Dear Family, Friends, and Supporters-

We’re grateful you are here, although for many of you, we’re sorry you’re here. Chances are you discovered us through your loss. And now, we are walking this journey together as we navigate the wilderness of grief and loss, searching for the roads of healing and hope. Perhaps you learned about the Brian Dagle Foundation from a suicide prevention training, or from an event.  We welcome you all to come along on this journey.


Better Together

October 2021

Dear Friends and Supporters,

As I’m writing this, Suicide Awareness Month is almost over. The good news is that currently the number of suicides during the past few years, overall has decreased.

The bad news is that certain categories such as race and ethnicity, have seen an increase in suicides. It’s also important to note that in 2019, there were nearly 2.5 times as many suicides (47,511) in the United States as there were homicides (19,141).


Need to Know News of the Month

September 2021

Dear Friends and Supporters,

This is a first for us. Two newsletters in one month. But there is so much happening this month we felt it warranted an extra mailing during this extra important month- Suicide Awareness Month, to share all the special events, programs, and fundraising opportunities available to our community. 
We hope you will join us, support us, and be our ambassadors of hope in helping us to create awareness for suicide prevention and mental health.  


Let’s Talk About It!

August 2021

Dear Friends and Supporters,

September is Suicide Awareness Month. It’s an opportunity to educate ourselves on a subject we tend to avoid. 
 
Suicide Awareness and Prevention is a core part of the mission of the Brian Dagle Foundation which was founded in 2014 after the loss of my 19-year old son Brian to suicide. Back then, in 2011, there was little or no conversation about mental health and suicide. I did not know then what I know now. If I did, maybe my life would look very different.


Welcome to our Safe Space

July 2021

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Welcome. Whatever reasons brought you here, I’m glad you’ve arrived. Many of you are traveling the long and winding road of grief and loss. Others are seeking support, understanding, and conversation surrounding mental health and suicide awareness. Or maybe you’re just curious about who we are and what we do!


An Invitation to Remember

June 2021

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Since the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic in March of 2020, the 9 Southeastern Connecticut towns that comprise the Ledge Light Health District have collectively lost 284 residents to Covid-19 (as of this writing). While there has been a national time for remembrance of those lost, commemorative events have yet to take place on a local level in most states/cities/towns.


We Live by the Three H’s – Helping, Healing, and Hope

February 2020

Dear Friends and Supporters,

“How can I help?” I love that phrase.  I borrowed these words from the popular television show, New Amsterdam. Each time the profoundly warm hearted Dr. Max Goodwin met someone, he would ask, “How can I help?”
Four simple words we can all live by.  

Please take a moment to look through the recently updated website at 
brianshealinghearts.org and wonder, how can we help?


Saying Hello to a Year of Hope and Healing

January 2020

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Welcome the the Brian Dagle Foundation. I’m glad you found us. 

Maybe you are here because someone in your life has died and you’re left wondering,”how do I survive”? Perhaps you want to support someone who is grieving and wondering what do I say?

Did your search bring you here because you or someone you care about is struggling with mental health or even thoughts or suicide?


Jingle All the Way!

December 2019

Dear Friends and Supporters,

It’s that time of year again when all the Elves, Grinches, and Santa’s will dressed in their holiday best, lacing up their sneakers to walk or run for a great cause-the Brian Dagle Foundation’s 6th Annual Niantic Jingle Bell 5K.  

Exciting news to share this year. Everyone is a winner! Every person who crosses the finish line receives our specially designed Niantic Jingle Bell 5K finisher medal! 


A Message of HOPE

November 2019

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all. — Emily Dickinson

Recently, I spoke about hope. It seems to be front and center in my life lately. On October 19, the Brian Dagle Foundation celebrated five years of “Anchored in Hope”. It was both a celebration and an opportunity to honor and thank all of the people who have given me hope.


Special Grief Support Events

September 2019

Dear Friends and Supporters,

The Brian Dagle Foundation — anchored in hope and empowered to support, is dedicated to the healing of grieving adults as well as community education on suicide prevention and awareness.

We are pleased to offer two workshops to support those who are grieving.
Understanding Your Grief and a Meditation Workshop. 


My How We’ve Grown!

August 2019

Dear Friends and Supporters,

The Brian Dagle Foundation is almost five years old. The official date stamp on the IRS Letter of Determination (501(c)3), is September 14, 2014.

My how we’ve grown! And, with growth comes change. The mission, although it remains the same, the words are now clear and heartfelt, “anchored in hope and empowered to support”.