The grave loss of a child is life’s cruelest blow. A wound that festers, never fully healing. For Janelle Brown of “Sister Wives” fame, that unimaginable agony was laid bare in a haunting social media tribute to her late son Garrison on the day he should have turned 26 years old.
“Happy Birthday Sweetheart,” the reality star’s April 10th Instagram caption began, her words already weighed down by sorrow. “We are missing you terribly today. It’s hard to believe you aren’t here anymore.”
Those two plain sentences packing a devastatingly complex punch. The raw reminder that for grieving parents, birthdays meant to be joyous instead morph into agonizing reminders of the child forever frozen in time. Janelle’s son, a bright light extinguished far too soon.
The 54-year-old mother went on to share how she and her family tried finding solace in reminiscing about happier times with Garrison that day. Even visiting his favorite restaurant, Texas Roadhouse, in a bittersweet attempt to feel close to him again through beloved familiar comforts.
“I still feel you nearby sometimes,” Janelle wrote, her words revealing the eternal paradox of grieving a loved one. That persistent sense they’re still there, mixed with the harsh reality they are not. “And I’m grateful we will see each other again when my journey is completed.”
The emotional message accompanied a poignant video montage showing Garrison beaming on his birthdays over the years, set to a somber whistled version of “Happy Birthday to You.” Reminders of a vibrant young life senselessly cut short.
Garrison was just 25 when he died by suicide in his Flagstaff, Arizona home on March 5th of this year. The tragic news was confirmed in a joint statement from Janelle and her former spiritual husband Kody Brown that laid bare their all-consuming grief.
“Kody and I are deeply saddened to announce the loss of our beautiful boy Robert Garrison Brown,” Janelle’s words read at the time. “He was a bright spot in the lives of all who knew him. His loss will leave such a big hole in our lives that it takes our breath away.”
In the nearly two months since his death, several of Garrison’s loved ones have courageously tried turning their profound loss into an opportunity to raise awareness about the often-misunderstood struggle of mental illness.
His older sister Maddie, 28, shared an emotional video continuing that candid discussion just weeks after laying her brother to rest. “Mental health is so important. And I don’t think we talk about it enough,” she stated firmly.
“It wasn’t bullying, it wasn’t a lack of love that Garrison had,” Maddie continued. “It was mental health. And I am going to continue talking about mental health and self-care until I’m blue in the face because I don’t think it’s talked about enough in a way that people understand it.”
The young mother went on to highlight how deceptive social media portrayals can be, noting her brother often felt inadequate comparing his own life to the carefully curated realities shared online by others.
For the Brown family, the loss of Garrison has shattered their world. After a funeral held March 9th, the Nevada National Guard, which Garrison served in as a staff sergeant, held a special ceremony March 24th at the Clark County Armory to honor their fallen brother.
But no reverent ceremony can fill the ever-present void. As Janelle’s tribute to her son on what should have been his 26th birthday so profoundly lays bare.
The shattering anguish that radiates from each mournful line. The sense that hindsight offers no comfort, no reassuring explanations. Only an eternal ache that a beloved life force burned out far too soon, extinguished by demons we still struggle to comprehend.
For Janelle and her family, the journey forward is one trudged through a dense fog of grief. With only fleeting reminders like shared memories at a favorite restaurant to briefly transcend the suffering and provide momentary solace.
If there is any lesson to carry from such immense heartbreak, it is the urgency to prioritize compassion, empathy and open discussion around mental health. To let no more bright lights like Garrison’s be tragically snuffed out due to a crisis we fail to understand or accept.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues or having thoughts of suicide, please reach out immediately to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
