Fred Guttenberg - As Long as There are Helpers, There’s Hope

BRAVE JOURNEYS with TAMMI FARADAY

Sometimes you come across a person whose story breaks your heart, but whose will and determination for good – despite, or perhaps in spite – of the horrors they’ve faced, will ensure that they’ll leave the world better than they found it.

Fred Guttenberg’s story will make you press pause on this episode and go and love the ones you love harder than you’ve ever loved them before – but it’s what Fred has done with his unbearable tragedy that will embolden, you, me and hopefully all of us who are privileged to hear him, to become better people and live more purposeful lives.

Fred was a successful businessman for whom family was his EVERYTHING – as a father, husband, son and brother. But extraordinary circumstances would change the shape of Fred’s world forever.

Fred’s brother, Dr Michael Guttenberg, one of the 1st responders on 9/11 at the World Trade Centre, was trapped with a team of doctors at the bottom of one of the towers as it collapsed. The room where they hid out did not collapse, and Michael and his team of physicians, spent 16 days at Ground Zero taking care of others. As a result of the exposure, Michael was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which he battled until October 2017, when he tragically passed away at 50 years of age.

Fred was still grieving the loss of his adored brother when the unthinkable happened – his beautiful, kind, magical daughter Jamie, was gunned down - as one of the 17 victims brutally murdered in the shooting that took place at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school in Parkland, Florida on Valentine’s Day 2018.

Since Jaime’s death, Fred has been fighting tirelessly to pass gun violence prevention legislation, and to honour Jaime's life with the non-profit organisation - Orange Ribbons for Jaime.

Whilst this isn’t my tragedy – believe me when I say, this is everyone’s tragedy.

BUT BEFORE YOU GO…

Find out more about Fred here

Find out more about Orange Ribbons for Jaime here

Follow Fred on Twitter

Follow Fred on Insta

Buy Fred’s incredible memoir, “Find the Helpers”, here

Find out more about Tam here

Follow Tam on Insta

Follow BRAVE JOURNEYS on Insta

Join the conversation and chat about the episode here

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CREDITS:

Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday

With thanks to my special guest: Fred Guttenberg

Audio Editor: Zoltan Fecso
With very special thanks to George Weinberg.

BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.