Resilience, mental health and masculinity – Talking Sticks national tour to transform the conversation

Crises can and do hit families all the time. In order to shine a light on what it truly takes to live, and love after loss, Talking Sticks is hosting Cameron and Sam Bloom, who will share their story and explain what kept their family together after their lives were turned upside down.

The minute we are born, we are invited into wholeheartedness. And inevitably, with this courageous way of life comes heartbreak, grief, and loss. As David Whyte says: “heartbreak is unpreventable; the natural outcome of caring for people and things over which we have no control.” 

It’s difficult to stay strong and resilient when we suffer loss, when we grieve and when our hearts are broken – even harder when the cause of our pain seems so random, harsh and completely beyond our control. 

There is every chance we will all be impacted by crisis at some point in our lives. As the statistics show, it is highly likely each of us will endure some family crisis.

In Australia alone, there are about 50,000 divorces granted each year and of those, 50 per cent involve children; 8 per cent of children under 15 have a disability; there are 1.5 child deaths per day in Australia; 12,000 people die each year in Australia from injury or accidents, thousands more endure a life-long disability from injury or accident; and 300,000 children will experience the loss of a parent by the time they turn 18. 

It seems crises can and do hit families all the time. We also know that many families don’t survive crisis – they fragment, fall apart, break down and break up. So what is the secret to family resilience in the face of crisis, what is the make-up of the glue that holds families together through the tough times? 

Heartbreak, grief, loss, pain and crisis are no strangers to Sam and Cameron Bloom, Sydney mum and dad to three boys, whose lives were turned upside down when Sam became a paraplegic after a catastrophic accident. 

Talking Sticks looks forward to hosting Cameron and Sam as they share their story with you live in conversation around Australia in October/November, with a two-hour experience titled When the Heart Breaks: Life and Love After Loss. 

Audiences can expect to:

• laugh and cry;
• hear truth about surviving and thriving;
• see the story of two remarkable humans in images, words and intimate conversation;
• discover what kept their family together through the most challenging of times;
• see the embodiment of healthy masculinity in a man who overnight became carer to his partner;
• witness the strength, vitality and vulnerability of a courageous woman who has traversed the depths of depression to achieve goals and mother her three boys.

This is one for mums, dads, grandparents, families who are struggling, teenagers and people working with families – a fresh perspective on mental health, masculinity, and family resilience. 

Pro Bono Australia is proud to partner with the tour. Be sure to book early as spaces are limited at our selected lovely venues across Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. Book here: https://www.talkingsticks.com.au/when-the-heart-breaks

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article included mention of events in Perth and Brisbane. These events have since been cancelled. This version has been corrected.