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Written By Ashley Babcock, Co-Author Chronically Thriving, The Triumph Program.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the purpose of The Triumph Program: Chronically Thriving, allow me to introduce the co-author and myself. Since Melanie is the Founder of the Triumph Program, I will start with her.  Melanie Davis is a personal historian who specializes in gathering and preserving important stories, especially “Triumph Stories.” Her passion in life is helping others  find joy after tragedy, not by overcoming them, necessarily, but by helping people use those tragedies to drive themselves to a meaningful and triumphant future. 

Now, that’s not exactly the sort of thing that people say they want to be when they grow up, so you won’t be surprised to learn that Melanie stumbled upon this path after a tragedy of her own: the loss of her young daughter, Brynn, to crib death. When she was born, Melanie began a journal for Brynn so she could capture the precious moments of her daughter’s first few years of life and give it to her when she was older. 

In The Triumph Book, the first in The Triumph Series, Melanie tells her daughter’s story by sharing excerpts from this journal, writing with the joy and love only a mother can have as Brynn eats her first baby food, blows bubbles, and learns to crawl. Then, as sudden as it is shocking, Melanie records her horror when she found Brynn burning with a fever, lying motionless in her crib. Melanie was unable to save her, and only seven months after Brynn was born, she was pronounced dead at the hospital.

I can’t imagine the anguish Melanie must have felt on that day. But what is truly remarkable about Melanie’s story is not what happened but how she responded to her circumstances. Melanie continued to record her thoughts and impressions about Brynn in her journal, celebrating her life and processing what she went through, from the funeral to the understanding that eventually followed. Soon, she was drawn to serve others who were suffering with the loss of their own little ones and found joy in raising their spirits and giving them hope that a joyful, meaningful future was possible. In her own words, Melanie writes, “Every time I am able to share my story with someone sorrowing and give them hope, it increases the meaning of Brynn’s death. I believe that by sharing my story and inspiring others, Brynn’s effect on the earth can be as if she lived her whole life.” 

Melanie’s life became filled with purpose and joy, even greater than it was before Brynn’s death. Determined to share her discoveries with others, she compiled a book filled with stories of people who had found meaning after tragedy, which I mentioned earlier, called The Triumph Book. She also developed The Triumph Program, a narrative therapy workbook to help even more people cope with the bereavement process. This profound and unique program allowed its participants to both celebrate their loved ones and find new meaning and purpose in life not just in spite of, but because of what they have been through. 

Soon, Melanie realized that losing a loved one is not the only cause of grief. Over time, she began helping veterans, prisoners, and disabled people tell their stories of Triumph in hopes that it would help others in their suffering. She also created modified versions of The Triumph Program for incarcerated veterans and their prison neighbors. The Triumph Program, Incarcerated Edition, was so successful in helping prisoners rise above their challenges that it has been fast-tracked to prisons throughout the nation and received the 2019 Texas Governor’s Award for Service to Veterans.

ABOUT ASHLEY BABCOCK, Co-author of the Triumph Program, Chronically Thriving Edition