[UPDATE:  Since the release of this episode, a suspect has been arreted in Jamie’s murder in March 2019. Further updates to be provided later.]
On August 28, 2016, Valerie Silveira had a parent’s worst nightmare come true—a knock on the door with the news that her 30-year-old daughter, Jamie, was murdered. She evidently was shot multiple times in the chest at close range. And to this day, the case is still unsolved. Valerie tells the story of how years earlier her intelligent, happy and outgoing teenaged daughter with a promising future suddenly changed when she started hanging around with “the guy.” She said Jamie’s life had spun out of control and led to a life that included dropping out of school, surviving a gunshot wound, and drug addiction. Valerie said she had feared for Jamie’s life, watching her self-destruct despite trying everything to save her daughter from herself, but to no avail.  Depressed, heartbroken and feeling hopeless, Valerie eventually learned she had no control over her daughter’s spiraling life—no matter how much she loved her.  But even while Jamie was still alive, something changed in Valerie. She stopped asking Why Me? and started asking herself, Why Not Me? She then wrote her first book, Still Standing After All the Tears: Putting Back the Pieces After All Hell Breaks Loose, and began helping others manage and cope with being a parent or loved one of an addict, teaching lessons that helped her.  Then in 2016 she got the knock on the door and her hope and prayers for a miracle for Jamie were shattered. But, incredibly, Valerie has learned the power of forgiveness—even to her daughter’s murderer—and now helps guide people out of darkness and fear to live a life of courage and happiness again.

Mentioned in this episode:

 

Still Standing After All the Tears: Putting Back the Pieces After All Hell Breaks Loose

 

 

 

 

Misery, You Don’t Get My Company: Finding the Courage to Be Happy Again

 

 

 

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