Focus on Our Affiliate Leaders - Jeff Cottrell, Co-Affiliate Leader of Helping Fathers Heal

Focus on Our Affiliate Leaders - Jeff Cottrell, Co-Affiliate Leader of Helping Fathers Heal

Clockwise from Left: Austin's Family, Austin & Jeff fishing, The Little Free Library, Austin's car in Scottsdale, Austin Baby, Austin with Sasha, his host brother from Ukraine

Jeff Cottrell, Co-Affiliate Leader Helping Fathers Heal

Jeff and his wife Nan live in Oshkosh, WI and have 3 children. Austin (in spirit), Kevin and Baylee.  Austin passed in December of 2019 from hypothermia at the age of 24.

Finding and joining HPH early on helped Nan and I began to navigate our grief journey together and provided many resources to understand our “new normal”.   We attended many Zoom meetings, read many books and utilized providers that helped strengthen our connection with Austin and gave us comfort that he was still part of our lives from the other side of the veil. 

I joined HFH in early 2021 and didn’t know what to expect.  I was nervous and still very emotional.  I found it difficult to speak and share my story without breaking down.  I am so grateful I continued to attend meetings as I found a group of men who accepted me and provided a safe place where I could share my struggles, and they provided support and guidance.  Little did I know I would soon become a co-affiliate leader, write a chapter in the Helping Father’s Heal book, and present on a book panel at the 2024 HPH Conference.  I have found helping others has become a source of healing for myself.

It is very important to us that we keep Austin present in our lives and do things in his memory.  We have Random Act of Kindness cards at the ready as opportunities arise.  We also have a Little Free Library in his memory outside of our house for others.  We know Austin is present as he continues to show off to us including a dream visit wearing a bright pink shirt the night before the gender reveal of our granddaughter Teagan, having a package “mistakenly” arrive at our front door with the exact item our daughter put on her wedding registry that very morning, and bugging Gordon Smith during a HPH Holiday presentation to give us an incredible impromptu reading!

We have had some amazing experiences through HPH, highlighted by attending the 2024 Conference and meeting and connecting with so many other HPH parents and providers.  We are eternally grateful for the love and support we have found with our HPH family.  Thank you to all!

~Warmly, Jeff Cottrell

Please join Helping Fathers Heal FB group by clicking here. 

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