While I don’t often leave written reviews on podcast, I’m an avid listener of the format. Dear Alana was an extremely difficult listen while also being an immensely important must listen. Simon and his team took delicate care to share Alana’s highly complicated, yet too short, life. And ultimately this is also an unpacking of Simon’s life and identity as much as it is about Alana. I ended up sobbing the last 20 mins of episode 8. Thank you for sharing this with the world. Thank you thank you thank you.

Heart wrenching and beautiful. One of the most emotional listens I’ve ever had with a podcast. Thank you all for telling Alana’s story.

I just finished the series and am writing through tears. I have been a passionate LGBTQ+ ally most of my life, helping my closest friends through their journey of coming out amidst religious environments so I know this heartache intimately. This story is as beautiful as it is heart wrenching. The courage it took for the creator to share his story and embark on this journey, the courage and grace Alana lived with, and the courage of her family and friends to open their hearts and allow her story to be shared is remarkable. I am hopeful that Alana’s story and the work of this podcast will be a force for positive change. Enough people have suffered. My heart goes out to you all and I hope you can find more peace each day. Thank you for making this and authentically sharing this healing journey. 💗❤️

This was such a good podcast. So thoughtful, and written in conjunction with the family, which is so important and so many podcasts ignore. I love he introspective he was and how Alana really helped him learn about himself as well. Truly a 10/10.

So thoughtful. So well handled. I’m in awe. Raised Catholic. Did not see it as toxic but it definitely shaped me and deconstructed several years ago. I want justice. I want accountability. These priests and nuns needs to be held ACCOUNTABLE!!! This should never happen in 2024. They have blood on their hands.

So well done. And so sad so many people have had to suffer so deeply believing they need to change who they are.

There aren’t appropriate words to describe how beautiful this podcast is in the most heartbreaking way. The raw honesty and vulnerability from Simon as he told Alana’s story was so genuine. As someone who loves God so much but is very much against organized religion, the religious trauma is palpable and devastating. God doesn’t dessert people. His most pious followers who claim to represent Him do. And I’m so sorry to you both for that. I desperately want to hug all of your pain away.

Nicely told story. Could not wait for the next episode.

Wow. This story was told with grace while still bringing into question the catholic church’s methods. Thank you for sharing her story.

What a profound podcast that everybody needs to listen to! I couldn’t stop once I started! Alana your memory lives on in all of us!

Simon does an incredible job connecting with not just Alana but with his listeners. We need stories like this to be amplified to every church in America. Thank you Simon and team for this show and bringing this topic of extreme religious conservatism that has no place in the true beliefs of Catholicism and Christianity.

Listened to all 8 episodes while hiking. This series was very well done. The cadence of the story telling was perfect, the host’s voice was easy to listen to, and the emotion was genuine. Definitely recommend

I really don’t have the words to express my feelings about this podcast. I’m not usually speechless! It’s beautiful. It’s heart wrenching. It’s peaceful. It’s magical. So respectfully done. Thank you for bringing Alana’s story to light. Thank you for being brave and vulnerable enough to share your own story. Not only do I relate to you and Alana but I’m grateful for the healing connection I found by listening. Thank you for this gift. 🤍🤍🤍

This podcast was so compelling from so many angles. It is wonderful that it’s told from a Catholic perspective. All around beautiful and respectful. The writing, the story, the message. I would recommend this to anyone from a teen and above. Incredible.

It is so ironic that a church that moves paedophile priests from church to church without any consequences such as excommunication can sit in judgement of someone’s sexual preference. I am so glad I left that toxicity when I was still a teenager. This is a great story, my heart goes out to the family, the narrator/investigator, and the LGBT community. We need to be accepting of all.

What an eye opener! I cried many year listening to this. Very well told.

For some reason this was categorized with true crime. I never would’ve listened to a religious based podcast that includes suicide and LGBTQ. Just nothing that interests me in any level.

dress it up however you like, you’re still exploiting someone’s memory for profit.

As a Catholic, this series was very difficult to get through. The behaviors of certain clergy were deplorable and ongoing, damaging a fragile and impressionable young woman. Alana was so worthy and beautiful , yet completely unaware of how much she was cherished. Despite her family’s consistent efforts to preserve her, the outcome was not positive. Bless Alana. Bless the narrator, Simon, who shares his similar struggles and shares Alana’s story was tenderness and empathy. Simon, if you are reading this, you are worthy!

This is an incredible piece of reporting, self-examination, and ultimately I believe, a reminder that story telling is a act of communication with the divine in all of us. From a queer Jew, thank you.

This podcast was really meaningful. I was a very faithful Catholic but had my heart broken by Church doctrine and trad Catholic friends and family. I am no longer Catholic but this was so relatable and my heart goes out to Alana’s family and her best friend Joy. What a lovely life gone too soon.

I've attempted to write this review several times over, and each time I'm at a loss because no amount words seem to be enough. This podcast will stay with me for a very long time to come, and I feel privileged to have found it. For those who criticize the host's inclusion of personal anecdotes, struggle, and journey overall — I encourage you to try and listen again from the angle of how one person's story can affect another. It's clear that Simon's life was changed and somewhat healed through the discovery and telling of Alana's story, and I found myself proud of someone I don't even know after having listened to him tell it; noticing his personal development throughout. For those who refer to the podcast as "boring", well... I hope that if the worst should ever happen to you or your loved one, that they be as "boringly" memorialized and posthumously advocated for as Alana was. Not every podcast is meant to "entertain" us; whatever that even means. Simon told a gentle, contemplative story in which presenting the content in any sort of upbeat or suspenseful way would've been morbidly disrespectful. My heart is broken, yet warmed all at once; which I feel to be a sign of remarkable and respectful storytelling. Thank you to Simon and Alana's friends and family for vulnerably allowing us to share in the tale of a bright young soul who, from the start, only ever meant for and wanted wonderful and pure things. R.I.P., Sweet Alana 🤍

This is a heartbreaking, beautiful, and empowering story.

A tender touch to such a sensitive story. Amazing work!

This is such an impactful listen. This one made me tear a few times.

I never write reviews but this podcast was different. Alana’s story is wonderfully captured in this podcast. Alana’s life reminds us of how delicate life is and how vital it is to accept and love each other. Rest forever in peace Alana ❤️

This podcast should be required listening. I am grateful to have met Alana and her family, Simon and his. What a heartbreaking story. Alana was a special and talented person. Her memory is a blessing and a guiding light for so many. A true saint, for sure. Thank you for sharing.

As someone who works in Suicide Prevention, this podcast ,was exactly what we needed to hear represented on media. Simon did a phenomenal job reporting and also sharing his own story alongside. A journey of hope and healing through loss, trials, queerness and acceptance.

I have a close friend who just shared his own experience of “coming out” to his family, many years ago . I was shocked and saddened on his behalf and wanted nothing more than to hold him and tell him how perfect he is. Simon, through his incredible empathy, brought Alana’s struggles alive with such vivid emotions that I felt the same way for her (and him) as I did for my friend. His explanations of conversion therapy were detailed enough that I was able to understand the “allure” of wanting to go through the process, all the while knowing how awful it is. Bravo to Simon, Joyce, Joy and all who participated in this love letter to Alana. I truly appreciate your honesty and bravery ❤️

Thank you Joyce for the courage to share Alana’s journey in this life; the trials and tribulations, the joys, the beauty. Simon Kent Fung, thank you for being vulnerable in sharing your own story. Simon, your tender approach and bond with Joyce is palpable; kindred spirits sharing the journey. I listened to all the episodes over the holiday break. I was quickly drawn in as you put together so many pieces for Alana’s journey, your own, and many of ours. I could relate on many counts (religion, mental health, suicide). My heart was breaking all the while that our youth is so many times taken for granted, abused, and at risk. The mental health aspect that arose in the midst of healthy normal development and a desire for acceptance speaks to all of us. My sister left this world too early. Joyce, keep up the very important work of awakening others to the horrors that come into our homes in spite of all that we do well. Community and family are so very undervalued. My heart aches for your family and though I know life will never be the same with the loss of Alana, she lives forever in your broken heart…you keep showing up, and learn to dance again, though it be differently. Love and hugs, Debra (mother, grandmother)

In this podcast, Simon expertly interweaves respectful and sensitive reporting with vulnerable personal narrative. As a lesbian Christian, I connected to it so deeply. I miss Alana without ever having met her, because her loved ones shared about her with both tenderness and honesty. Thank you, truly, to everyone involved in crafting this story. I walked away feeling the sacredness and fragility of life so keenly. Listening to this taught me that art can be a kind of prayer.

As a queer woman who struggled immensely with her faith this podcast blew me away. I felt so connected to Alana and Simon. Thank you so much for this, it was very healing.

Fantastic story of self reckoning and preservation of one’s self. Extremely well told and heartfelt. I will definitely follow you.

I have never been so deeply moved by a podcast before. Thank you for sharing Alana’s story Simon, and also sharing your own. Your vulnerability and respect are admirable. Thank you for such a beautiful podcast.

This podcast is sensitive and raw, heartfelt and heartbreaking. Many thanks to the person who wrote it and had the humility and love to share it with the world. Likewise to Alana’s family and friends. You are contributing to great healing that is much needed in our world.

I don’t usually write reviews, but this podcast was truly beautiful. It was so well done and the parallels between Simon and Alana and his own vulnerability to share his own story was what made this podcast so powerful. Alana’s story is such an important one to share and I feel grateful to her and her family for allowing for her story to be told.

Thank you for sharing Alana’s story with such care and respect, and sharing your own story in parallel. Many podcasts fail to present the level of compassion you offered.

What a touching a beautiful way to tell this story. The hosts final line of the podcast was heartbreaking but so perfect ❤️

I shed tears multiple times while listening to this podcast. I experienced a range of emotions—sorrow, anger, tenderness. Simon, as the host, displayed incredible vulnerability, beautifully interweaving his own story with Alana's. I will always remember Alana and wish peace for her family, mourning the loss of this ray of sunshine. I hope this podcast contributes to raising awareness about religious trauma, ensuring that young people like Alana can be saved before it's too late.

Like so many here I don’t usually write reviews. But this podcast is the best I have ever heard. Thank you Simon, for this deeply respectful reporting of Alana’s story and struggles while sharing your own too. I wish all the best to you and to Alana’s family. The last episode brought me to tears, I’m deeply touched.

Thank Simon, for sharing your journey and telling this very important story. You honored Alana in an incredibly loving and thoughtful way.

beautiful storytelling, loved it

This is an excellent, honest, deep-diving podcast on a painful subject. I appreciate the host’s bravery in sharing his own experiences, and he does a beautiful job illuminating the commonalties with his life and the life of the subject. Thank you for all your hard work putting this together and sharing it.

This podcast was hauntingly beautiful and so well done. The angle you took was extremely sensitive and sweet. I believe it really honored Alana’s life. Her story will stick with me for a long time.

Thank you Simon. What a beautiful impactful story about Alana.

This is the most heartbreaking, moving, and painfully beautiful podcast I have ever heard. Not once have I cried about a podcast (and I’ve heard many) until now. Thank you so much for sharing Alana’s wonderful, saintly spirit with us all and confronting hard truths about the dangers of religious extremism that alienates entire groups of people in the name of “love” and “purity.” I will never forget Alana, and hope that this podcast inspires change that saves the lives of beautiful human beings like her. She was such a light, and it’s devastating that she didn’t get to live a long happy life.

Thank you, Kevin, for this beautifully narrated, bittersweet documentary podcast. What I am thankful for is that you did not give up on God and your Catholic faith as you struggled and came out. My daughter, at 21, finally seems happy as she openly explores dating a woman. Growing up she has had many physical ailments and I believe it is from not being true to herself. I tell her I love her for the person she is and will become. I pray she sees the Lord loves her also for she is a child of God. Your podcast confirms my faith will and has gotten me through the struggle as a parent wanting my child to be healthy. As a devout Catholic I can love my gay child and God.

I don’t normally post reviews of podcasts, in fact this might be the first time I ever have, but this podcast was extraordinary from beginning to end. This podcast is so incredibly important, and you managed to somehow tackle religious trauma with such compassion and earnest. Thanks to giving voice to the story Alana left behind for us.

I can’t even make it through the first episode, this podcast is beyond boring.

This is as such a heartbreaking show, it shines light on the trauma and hate organizations have on people when they are vulnerable. This is also a show about love and light and how there is support and love right there. Very well done.