Podcasts · The Rollercoaster Podcast
Most Heartbreaking Story I've Ever Heard
· 1 h 07 min
Episode Most Heartbreaking Story I've Ever Heard
In this episode, I sit down with Matthew Griffin, who spent 21 years serving in the military and law enforcement. During those years, Matt saw things most of us will never see. But one call would stay with him for decades.
As a young police officer, Matt responded to the accidental death of two-and-a-half-year-old Benny Jr., the son of a friend. Matt was the first officer on scene and performed CPR, but Benny didn’t survive. What followed was years of guilt, nightmares, drinking, and the belief that if he had reacted just seconds sooner, maybe he could have saved him.
The trauma didn’t stay at work. Slowly, Matt began losing himself, his marriage, his identity, and eventually his desire to keep living.
In this episode, we talk about:
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The call involving two-year-old Benny Jr. that changed Matt’s life forever
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The hidden reality of PTSD, trauma, and mental health among police officers and first responders
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How undercover police work consumed Matt’s identity and contributed to the breakdown of his marriage
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The moments that pushed Matt toward suicide and what ultimately kept him here
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Why simply checking on someone can be more powerful than we realize
This conversation is about what happens when the people we expect to save everyone else are quietly falling apart themselves.
And why sometimes surviving starts with giving life one more hour. One more day.
Key Moments:
00:00 The Police Call That Changed Everything
03:03 Meeting Benny Jr. Days Before the Tragedy
10:24 The Guilt That Haunted Him for Years
18:02 The Hidden Mental Health Crisis in Policing
24:18 When Undercover Police Work Took Over His Life
27:31 Losing His Marriage, Home and Identity
32:14 Taking Accountability for Who He Became
36:04 His Chief Checked on Him, Then Died by Suicide
42:04 The Phone Call That Saved Matt’s Life
48:47 Why Checking In on Someone Could Save a Life
53:22 “If Today Is a Good Day to Die, So Is Tomorrow”
59:44 The Check-In Every Leader Should Be Doing
1:03:29 What Matt Would Say to Someone Considering Suicide
Connect with Me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tyler.hall/
Connect with Matt:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormatthewgriffin/
Links in the notes 2
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