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Her son gave her purpose, his loss gave her a mission. 'Stories that Heal' returns to Frankfort's Garden Theater.

Christina Ryan-Stoltz and her son Isaac Julian Ryan McKinnon.
Courtesy of Christina Ryan-Stoltz
Christina Ryan-Stoltz and her son Isaac Julian Ryan McKinnon.

When Christina Ryan-Stoltz lost her son Isaac to suicide, her world fell apart. After his death, Christina says she was a wreck and searching desperately for answers to a question no parent wants to ask: Why?

Courtesy of Christina Ryan-Stoltz
Isaac Julian Ryan McKinnon as a teenager.

In the years that followed, Christina began to rebuild—not by moving on, but by learning to carry the weight of her grief. She studied trauma and healing and began piecing together a set of tools that helped her process what had happened.

Today, she shares those tools with young people in her community—teaching mindfulness and breathwork, offering students ways to pause, reflect, and take care of themselves.

As a part of that work, Christina worked as a facilitator with “Stories That Heal”, a songwriting workshop that brings together people with lived experience and local musicians to create original music from real-life stories.

The project culminates in a live performance at the Garden Theater in Frankfort, this Sunday at 5 p.m. More details at gardentheater.org.

Maxwell Howard is a journalist based in northern Michigan.