The Heartbreak Hui
The Heartbreak Hui began with my mom.
In August 2023, I lost her to cancer. Like many families in Hawaiʻi, loss wasn't something new to us. We had already experienced the passing of grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins, and friends. But losing my mom was different. It changed the shape of my world.
What I keep coming back to is that even while carrying her own grief, she was always thinking about other people.
After losing both her mother and her brother unexpectedly and within a short time of each other, she began talking about the things we don't often talk about enough. How do we support someone after a loss? How do we keep memories alive? How do we create space for people to share stories, cry, laugh, remember, and heal together?
She believed grief deserved more conversation than it gets.
After she passed, I found myself asking many of the same questions.
The Heartbreak Hui is my attempt to continue that conversation.
It's a space for the stories we carry. The people we miss. The memories that still show up in everyday moments. It's a reminder that grief isn't something to fix or get over. It's something we learn to live alongside.
In Hawaiʻi, we're often surrounded by people, yet many of us still carry heartbreak quietly. We show up for work. We take care of our families. We smile at gatherings. But beneath the surface, many of us are still missing someone.
The Heartbreak Hui exists to make a little more room for those conversations.
Through storytelling, community, products, and future projects, the goal is to help people feel seen in their grief and less alone in carrying it.
A portion of what comes from The Heartbreak Hui is reinvested into local people and organizations doing grief, healing, and community care work throughout Hawaiʻi. The hope is that this becomes more than a brand. More than a product. More than a social media page.
A place where stories are shared.
Where memories are honored.
And where people can be reminded that love doesn't end when someone leaves.
This is for anyone carrying heartbreak.
And it will always be for Mom.
We’ll be releasing merchandise slowly and intentionally, with each piece helping fund special projects, grow awareness, and support community-based grief spaces.
Vision-driven merch.
If you or someone you know is interested in sharing their grief journey, story, and experiences please reach out to Kekoa at k.rosa@kpllc-hi.com
We are currently looking for brave souls interested in publicly sharing their grief stories to further expand our awareness campaign.
Talk Story
The Heartbreak Hui (HH) Vision
The vision of The Heartbreak Hui is to continue uplifting those who are grieving, to normalize healing and grief as part of everyday life, and to remind us that none of this is meant to be carried alone. Through conversation, connection, and intentional pieces, the Hui exists to encourage us to show up for one another while helping financially support efforts that grow grief awareness and deepen understanding of how loss shapes our hearts, our minds, and our communities.