Dr. Laura Call of the Day — "My Parents Say I Killed My Child"

Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Caller: Michelle Rochelle
Date: September 30, 2025
Podcast Theme: Parenting, Family Estrangement, and Taking Back Personal Power

Episode Overview

This emotionally intense episode centers around a caller, Michelle Rochelle, who is navigating profound grief after the loss of her child and grappling with ongoing verbal abuse and public shaming from her own parents. Dr. Laura provides her frank, uncompromising viewpoint on toxic family relationships, the obligation (or lack thereof) to maintain contact, and seizing the personal agency to protect one's mental health.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Caller’s Background and the Situation

• [01:19-02:50]
  • Michelle Rochelle introduces her ordeal:
    • As a young, single mother, her daughter suffered a drowning accident and lived in a near-coma state for 17 months before passing.
    • During this period, she was solely responsible for her three young children; her partner had also died.
    • Rochelle’s parents, described as "heavy drinkers," have, ever since, claimed the child's death was her fault—both in private and publicly on social media.
  • Quote:

    "Since my daughter's accident... they have told me that I was the one that... killed my daughter, that it was my fault why she died."
    (Michelle Rochelle, 02:50)

2. Dr. Laura’s Immediate Response to Family Toxicity

• [03:40-04:50]
  • Dr. Laura responds with directness and empathy:
    • Declares the parents are unfit and "hateful."
    • Asserts that maintaining contact is a form of self-harm rooted in yearning for parental affection that will not come.
  • Quote:

    "You have shitty parents and you never should have had any contact with them. The first time they said that—they’re drunks, they’re bad people, they’re hateful people."
    (Dr. Laura, 03:48)

  • She labels the caller’s continued connection as “your sickness,” signaling it’s an act of self-punishment, not filial duty.

3. Core Message: Boundaries and Self-Protection

• [07:08-08:58]
  • Dr. Laura expands on the theme, challenging notions of obligatory family loyalty:
    • Urges Rochelle to emotionally detach and recognize that parental status doesn’t excuse cruelty.
    • Clearly stresses that fault does not belong with Michelle for her daughter's accident.
    • Advocates for “making believe [her parents] are dead” as a step toward living a freer, happier life.
  • Quote:

    "You can keep trying to have a relationship with these pieces of crap people and you're never going to be happy, ever... I pray, and I don't normally use the word, I pray you will take to heart what I've said to you today. Make believe they're dead and get on with your life."
    (Dr. Laura, 08:33)

4. Caller's Reaction and Reflection

• [09:22-10:17]
  • After an attempt to move the conversation forward, Dr. Laura insists the caller sit with her advice.
  • A key moment occurs as Rochelle is urged to process her feelings about the advice, rather than regurgitate it.
    • Quote:

      "I feel like there was something that was taken out for me. That was heavy."
      (Michelle Rochelle, 10:03)

  • Dr. Laura checks in on the caller’s emotional state and, sensing relief, offers follow-up support.

5. Ongoing Support and Audience Takeaway

• [10:17-10:35]
  • Dr. Laura suggests Michelle call back in a week to discuss her state of mind, offering continued support.
  • The episode maintains its non-nonsense, compassionate, yet tough-love tone throughout.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You have shitty parents and you never should have had any contact with them."
  (Dr. Laura, 03:48)

• "That's not a big accomplishment. And you have allowed them to torture you your whole adult life up to this point."
  (Dr. Laura, 07:21)

• "Make believe they're dead and get on with your life."
  (Dr. Laura, 08:44)

• "I feel like there was something that was taken out for me. That was heavy."
  (Michelle Rochelle, 10:03)

Timestamps & Segment Guide

• [01:14-02:50] — Caller explains her situation, loss, and ongoing parental abuse.
• [03:40-04:50] — Dr. Laura delivers her initial, pointed advice about cutting off toxic family.
• [07:08-08:58] — Dr. Laura expands on breaking free from toxic bonds and taking back one’s life.
• [09:22-10:17] — Caller's in-the-moment reflection on the advice and emotional release.
• [10:17-10:35] — Offer for ongoing follow-up and emotional check-in.

Summary

This episode is a raw, compassionate, and unsparing examination of family toxicity and personal liberation. Dr. Laura confronts the pain of the caller’s tragic loss and unpacks the psychological toll of ongoing parental abuse, ultimately empowering the caller to draw a hard boundary and prioritize her own healing. Listeners are left with the resonance of Dr. Laura's signature blend of bluntness and care—a message that, sometimes, the bravest act is to walk away for your own well-being.