Valerie Hirsh on Healing Through Grief – Jack Hirsh’s Legacy and the Child Life Program
In this profoundly moving and intimate episode, I sit down with my dear friend, Valerie Hirsh, to confront the unimaginable: the loss of a child. Valerie, the mother of the late Jack Hirsh, shares the personal story behind the creation of the Jack Hirsh Endowed Fund for the Child Life Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).
Valerie Hirsh and Jeanne Pepper on September 11, 2025 at the PeppTalks Studio
Our connection goes back decades, starting in 1996 as young lawyers at a chaotic new law firm in Irvine, California. We became mothers around the same time in 1998 —I had Blaze, and Valerie became pregnant with her first son shortly after. Tragically, we were later bonded less than 20 years later by the shared, excruciating experience of losing our beloved children. I lost Blaze in January 2018 at age 19, while Valerie was just learning about her son’s cancer diagnosis. Unbeknownst to me, Jack passed away two years later in April 2020 at 18 years old. It was not until 2024 that I became aware of Jack’s passing through a social media post about the anniversary of Jack’s death. I reached out to Valerie. It had been over ten years since I last saw Valerie and her sons at a Destination Imagination Tournament. This history provides the foundation for an especially candid conversation about profound grief. We discuss the devastating sadness the Hirsh family experienced with the loss of their bright light, Jack, and how the challenge of carrying that sorrow became a pivotal turning point in their lives.
In a conversation that is central to this episode, Valerie opens up about the immense pain, but also how they chose to channel their grief into a powerful force for good. She discusses Jack's profound connection to the Child Life team, which provided comfort, normalcy, and a sense of control during his treatment. The Child Life Program uses therapeutic play and education to help pediatric patients and their families cope with the stress and trauma of hospitalization. It’s a vital service that focuses on the emotional and developmental well-being—a service that helped ease some of the Hirsh family’s own suffering.
The Hirsh and McSwain families established this endowed fund to ensure that Jack's spirit of generosity and his interest in helping other children experience a gentler hospital stay lives on in perpetuity. This powerful act of medical philanthropy is a testament to turning personal tragedy into a lasting legacy of compassionate care. Whether you are seeking a meaningful discussion on navigating parental grief, or looking for inspiration to give back, this episode will resonate deeply. Learn how the fund supports Child Life Specialists and how you can join the mission to provide comfort to vulnerable children. To read more about Jack's interest in the Child Life program or to donate, please visit: http://connect.chla.org/goto/jackhirshendowment.
